Step 1: Requesting Financial Guarantee

 After assignment, teaching assistants and lecturers shall start to contact universities to obtain admission, taking into account the following:

• Refer to the Ministry of Education website for the list of recognized universities.
• Check the universities that SEU allow for scholarship, and ensure that it is not closed or full.
• Specify the universities and the main and minor major in both Arabic and English.
• Fill out the financial guarantee application form. (attached)
• Submit a request by the Dean of the College to the Department of Scholarship to issue the financial guarantee.
• Provide the Department of Scholarship with a copy of the passport.

Recognized Countries and Universities:

• Comply to the university lists specified by the Ministry of Education https://ru.moe.gov.sa/Search
• Consider the overcrowding and suspension in some of the recommended universities.
• Comply with the lists of universities in the UK and Australia specified by the Standing Committee for Scholarships and Training.
• Consider the university's international rank (THE; QS; Shanghai; ARWU; RAE; US News).

Scholarship Period:

The scholarship period, as mentioned in the Scholarship and Training Regulations for University Staff, Article (7), is as follows:

• One year for language.
• Two years for the master's degree.
• Three years for the Ph.D..

 

Note: Those who have previously received a scholarship and terminated it before obtaining the degree, their next scholarship period shall be calculated from the previous one for the same stage.

Step 2: Submitting Admission

After being admitted to one of the MOU recognized universities, the procedure of accepting the scholarship application is as follows:

• Lecturers or teaching assistants shall submit the admission to the head of the department.
• Present it to the college academic section for appropriate recommendation.
• Submit the request to the scholarship department with the following documents:
• A request letter for presenting the topic to the Standing Committee for Scholarship and Training.
• A copy of the college council meeting minute
• A copy of the department council meeting minute
• A copy of the National ID
• A copy of the most recent degree and transcript with the original stamp.
• A copy of the English language test (for language scholarship).
• A copy of the appointment decision at the University.
• A copy of the university admission.
• Data Approval Form.
• Security Survey Form.
• For the Standing Committee for Scholarship and Training consideration.

Step 3: Issuing the Executive Decision of Scholarship

The University Council’s decision is not considered the final step of the scholarship procedures. Rather, it is considered the end of one phase and the beginning of the other, which consists of setting out the date of travel, confirming the flight booking, and completing the information related to issuing the executive decision. The procedures are as follows:

• Issue the visa, and providing the Scholarship Department with a copy.
• Specify the companions.
• Fill out the forms and pledges (attached).
• Determine the itinerary.
• Determine the date of travel provided that the arrival date to the country does not precede the start date of the study for more than a month.
• Obtaining the passengers ’order, from the Salaries and Allowances Department.
• It should be noted that the Scholarship Department does not issue an executive decision for a scholarship only after scholarship students have obtained the visa and been close to the travel date based on the start date of the study stated in the admission letter by the academic institution abroad. The scholarship department staff shall receive all documents and complete procedures related to issuing the decision.
• Before issuing the scholarship decision, the university status will be reviewed via Safeer to ensure that it is not closed or full, during the period between obtaining admission and issuing the scholarship decision.
• When the executive decision is issued, it is necessary to travel to the study location before within three months from the date of its issuance. If the scholarship student does not arrive at location during the three months, the decision is considered null, according to the Article (8) of the Scholarship and Training Regulations for University Staff.
• After issuing the scholarship decision, the scholarship department opens a file in Safeer and informs the scholarship student.
• Informing the University Council of the scholarship decision.

Postponing Scholarship

Teaching assistants or lecturers may postpone their scholarship after scholarship decision issuance and before travelling to the location according to the following regulations:

• Specify justifications and provide the necessary documents.
• Submit a new admission with an upcoming date for the same academic institution mentioned in the scholarship decision.
• Have the recommendation of the department and college councils and the Standing Committee for Scholarship and Training.

Step 4: Arriving at the Scholarship Location

The period between students ‘arrival at the scholarship’s location and the start date of the study should not exceed one month, because the cultural bureau does not start to pay for students until one month before the start of the study, as stipulated in Article (9) of the Scholarship and Training Regulations for University Staff, and the start of the scholarship is calculated from date of entry stamp.

After Arriving at the Scholarship Location

After students' arrival to the country of scholarship, they shall submit a request to start studying via Safeer. As for students of the internal scholarship, their scholarship begins automatically from the study's start date. Scholarship students local or abroad can request the following later

Extending the original scholarship period for local or abroad scholarship students

Language extension

The University Board may extend the language study for a period of six months in the event that the scholarship student obtains a score of 5.5 in IELTS or equivalent.

Master extension

The University Board may extend the master’s study for a period of one year, and it may also add another year, as a maximum, after providing convincing justifications for such so and getting the approval of the academic supervisor at the cultural mission as well as the recommendation of the department and college councils and the Scholarship and Training Committee as stipulated in Article (10) of the Scholarship And Training Regulations for University Staff.

Ph.D. extension

The University Board may extend the Ph.D. study for a period of two years, and it may also add another year, as a maximum, after providing convincing justifications for such so and getting the approval of the academic supervisor at the cultural mission as well as the recommendation of the department and college councils and the Scholarship and Training Committee as stipulated in Article (10) of the Scholarship And Training Regulations for University Staff.

Change of Major

It is not allowed for scholarship students to change their major or minor specialization for which they are sent unless they get the approval by the University Board upon the recommendation of the department and college councils and the Standing Committee for Scholarship and Training and the issuance of the decision. Otherwise, ending their scholarship and canceling their registration from the university will be taken into consideration as stipulated in Article (11) of the Scholarship and Training Regulations for University Staff.

Transfer to another university or another country

It is not allowed for scholarship students to transfer from one university to another or from one country to another unless they get the approval by the University Board upon the recommendation of the department and college councils, the Standing Committee for Scholarship and Training and the approval of the cultural missionary and the issuance of the decision, as stipulated in Article (12) of the Scholarship and Training Regulations for University Staff.

Regulations of Transferring to another university or another country (Education Department - Scholarships Presidency)

• The reason should not be decreasing in the study level, dismissal from the university, or legal or behavioral violations.
• The university to be transferred to shall be one of the universities recommended by the Ministry and not suspended for overcrowding.
• Scholarship students shall not have changed university before.
• Attach the admission in the major they are sent to, indicating the start date of the study, its duration, the number of hours counted in their former university, the expected date of graduation, and the final acceptance.
• The transfer process shall not cause an increase in the scholarship period ascending the period of the legal extension.
• Changing the university shall not cause a prolonged, unjustified interruption of study.

Scientific Journey

Scholarship students local or abroad may undertake a scientific journey during working on the thesis and for one time only during a one academic stage according to the following regulations as stipulated in Articles (15 - 20) of the Scholarship and Training Regulations for University Staff:

• The scholarship supervisor shall recommend the need for the researcher to undertake a scientific journey.
• Approval of the cultural missionary.
• Approval of the department and college councils and the Standing Committee of Scholarship and Training.
• The duration of the scientific journey should not exceed a maximum of three months.
• If the scientific journey is to the Kingdom, scholarship students shall undertake their research under the supervision of their department. In addition, the department shall make a comprehensive report on the journey.
• If the scientific journey is outside the scholarship location and outside the Kingdom as well, the supervisor of the scholarship shall make a report on the trip and submit it to the cultural missionary. The cultural missionary shall provide the student’s university a copy of it.
• The scholarship shall be on progress and the duration of the scientific journey shall not exceed the end date of the scholarship. (Education Department - Scholarship Presidency).

Studying Courses Online

The study shall not be online unless the Cultural mission approves in advance.

• The course to be studied can only be studied online.
• The number of hours for courses online should not exceed (12 hours per semester or its equivalent) as a maximum for the bachelor degree, and not exceed (6 hours per semester or its equivalent) as a maximum for the postgraduate level. This includes the transferred hours that students studied online in a university other than the university where they are studying. In addition, such hours should not be for courses required presence for practical or applied purposes in all disciplines.
• Confirming of full-time and residency in the country where students are studying online
• The study online shall take place at the same university where students are studying.
• The study online shall not be for more than (one course) per semester.
• Obtaining the approval of the department council to which students are affiliated.

Scholarship Suspension and Resumption

Scholarship students may request to suspend and resume the scholarship according to the following regulations:

• Student’s academic level and attendance are good, and they have no violation of scholarship regulations.
• The postponement should not be during the language stage, except those who have difficult circumstances that obligate them to suspend studying provided that they submit the necessary documents and then studying it by the competent authority of such issue.
• The postponement duration should not exceed one academic semester, or six months as exceptional.
• The approval of the university where students are studying.
• The start of the hold shall coincide with the pause date of the payment, and considering the end of the hold shall coincide with the beginning of the next semester. If the postponement is for a previous period, then the required postponement period must correspond to the date of suspension and re-payment of the student.
• SACM’s support for the students’ request.
• Recommendation of the department and college councils and the Standing Committee for Scholarship and Training.

 

Note: in Safeer, the request is called (scholarship postponement), but the decision title is (suspension and resumption) to differentiate it from the (scholarship postponement) decision that is issued only before students’ travelling to the scholarship location.

Upgrading the Scholarship

When scholarship students complete the master's degree, they submit an application to continue their scholarship to study for the Ph.D. after obtaining the master's degree and the admission of the Ph.D., as stipulated in Articles 4-7 of the Scholarship and Training Regulations for University Staff.

Termination of the Scholarship

Before obtaining the degree:

The University Board may terminate the scholarship upon the recommendation of the department and college councils and the Scholarship and Training Committee as stipulated in Article (28) of the Scholarship and Training Regulations for University Staff, for the following cases:

• Inability to continue studying.
• Their request to terminate the scholarship and return to the Kingdom.
• If they violate the regulations or object to follow such so.
• If they did not obtain the required degree within the specified period.
• If it is proven that they have stopped studying without an acceptable excuse.

 

It should be noted that scholarship students shall start work at the University within a period not exceeding 40 days starting from the date of suspension of payment, and in the event they don’t come back to work, the dismissal shall be considered. The decision to terminate the scholarship is issued after the University Broad approves such so, and the employee status shall instantly change upon issuing the decision from (scholarship student) to (employee).

Note: Those who have previously received a scholarship and terminated it before obtaining the degree will calculate their next scholarship period from the previous one.

 

After obtaining the degree:

Scholarship students shall start work at the University within a period not exceeding 40 days starting from the date of suspension of payment, and in the event they don’t come back to work, The decision to terminate the scholarship is issued after the scholarship’s file is closed at the cultural mission, and their employment status change upon issuing the decision from (scholarship student) to (employee) and the differentials are paid to them.

After Completing the Scholarship

Before obtaining the degree

In the event that the University Board approves to terminate the scholarship before obtaining the degree as stipulated in Article (30) of the Scholarships and Training Regulations for University Staff, the University Board shall do the following:

1. Issuing a decision to dismiss them within a period not exceeding one year from the termination of the scholarship.
2. Converting them to an administrative job if the University needs his service.
3. Retaining their job and determining the required time to resume postgraduate studies, provided that this period does not exceed two years.

 

After obtaining the degree

After scholarship students graduate and the scholarship termination decision issues, the graduate applies to their academic department for a job promotion, and the promotion is done according to the following procedures:

1. Presetting to the department council.
2. Presentation to the college council.
3. Presentation to the Scientific Council.
4. Presentation to the University Board.
5. Approval of the Ministry of Education.

Procedural Guide