Frequently Asked Questions

Lincoln Scholarship Program is for master’s degrees only.

Yes, if you meet all the other eligibility criteria. See eligibility criteria.

Yes, Lincoln Scholarship Program encourages people with disabilities to apply. The program will provide all possible accommodations for disabled scholars to participate in all program activities both in Burma and the U.S.

Yes, if that person meets all the eligibility criteria.

The applicant must be a Myanmar citizen and must return to Myanmar after the program.  If a candidate’s marital status will affect their return, the program will take that into consideration.

If your bachelor’s degree is from the U.S., U.K., Australia, Canada, Singapore, Malaysia, Hong Kong, Korea, Japan, or any European country you are not eligible.

If your master’s degree is from Myanmar, you can apply. If you have earned a master’s degree from any other country, you are not eligible.

No, you are not eligible for the Lincoln Scholarship if you have earned a bachelor’s degree from the U.S., U.K., Australia, Canada, Singapore, Malaysia, Hong Kong, Korea, Japan or any European country OR a master’s degree from any country other than Myanmar.

If your postgraduate diploma (obtained from a developed country) is not equivalent to a bachelor’s degree, you are still eligible.

To be eligible for the Lincoln Scholarship you must have at least the equivalent of a bachelor’s degree from an accredited university and must have good academic records (i.e., 3.0 GPA).

Yes. To be eligible for the Lincoln Scholarship you must have at least the equivalent of a bachelor’s degree from an accredited university and must have good academic records (i.e., 3.0 GPA).

Professional work experience is defined as a professional paid job of 40 hours/week or more with at least one year duration for each position*

Yes.

To be eligible for the Lincoln Scholarship you must be a citizen of Myanmar and currently reside in Myanmar.

While fluency is not required, all aspects of the program are conducted in English, and thus participants are required to have advanced level English.

You CANNOT apply for this scholarship if you are currently an official employee of the government of Myanmar. Former government staff may apply with proof of termination of employment. NOTE: This is a decision of the U.S. government.

No. Lincoln scholarship is open to all potential applicants who meet the requirements of the program, but people from ethnic minorities, LGBTQIA+ individuals, and people with disabilities are encouraged to apply.

Individuals who are interested in fields of study that are critical to Myanmar’s development are encouraged to apply for the Lincoln Scholarship Program.

No, it does not. However, you must have completed some foundational courses (bachelor’s degree level) for the field that you are interested in studying for a master’s degree.  We also look at your professional experience.

Due to the online application function, you can only describe one field of study. If your field is not listed in the categories, you can choose the “other” section to describe your preference.

If you do not have the necessary background knowledge it will be difficult to get admission to a master’s degree program from the institutions in the United States.  You must show that you have foundational knowledge (education background and/or work experience) in the subject area that you are interested in studying and must prove your capability. 

Individuals who are interested in fields of study that are critical to Myanmar’s development are encouraged to apply for the Lincoln Scholarship Program. You can apply for any field of study as long as you can explain your goals and the impact you will have on the development of the country as a result of studying in said field. However, you must have completed foundational courses (bachelor’s degree level) related to the field that you are interested in studying to be admitted to a master’s degree program. We also look at your professional experience.

We review applications as soon as we receive them, and we inform the applicants as soon as we decide if they can continue to the next phase. Therefore, we advise you to apply as early as possible.

If you are applying for this scholarship for the first time (First-time user), you have to create an account on the application management site to start a new application.

If you have applied for this scholarship before (Returning user), you have to log in to the account you created for the previous cohort and start your new application for this year. 

Yes. You have to start a new application for this year (2023) and go through the whole application process starting from Phase One. (USAID/Burma Lincoln Scholarship Program 2023)

If there is missing information or you did not provide the required/requested your application is considered “incomplete” and will NOT move forward to the next phase.

Yes, but you will need a valid passport early in the program, so if you are selected it is your responsibility to get a valid passport.

No. Just submit a scan/copy of both sides of your NRC.

You CANNOT submit your passport instead of your NRC. NRC is a required document; passport is an additional document that you may submit if you like.

To be eligible, you must submit your bachelor’s degree certificate. If you have a master’s degree from Myanmar, also submit that certificate. You can attach other certificates in the field provided (“others”).

Yes. Your degree certificate needs to be translated and notarized. If you do not have a notarized copy, you can still submit an original copy in Phase 1 and submit a notarized copy at a later date.

Official academic records are 

• Your degree certificate (needed for Phase One).
• Academic transcripts with grades from all the years attended (need for Phase Three)

Please submit the original version and if you move on to the interview stage you must submit a complete notarized English translation of your academic records from an authorized translation bureau.

Applicants who pass Phase One of the application (eligibility criteria review) have to take TOEFL ITP Diagnostic Test in order to be considered for the next phase.

You can start the registration and payment process for the English Diagnostic Test as soon as you receive the notification that you have passed Phase One from the application system.

Yes, you have to go through the whole application process for the new cohort.

The applicant only has one chance to take English Diagnostic Test.

Yes. Applicants who pass Phase One (eligibility criteria review) have to take the TOEFL ITP Diagnostic Test even if they have a valid and official English Test result, since is the English Diagnostic Test score is one of the selection criteria.

Yes, the system we use is an online testing system.

Since the application is done on a rolling basis, the test dates and deadlines will vary according to your registration and payment. When you register and pay, be prepared to take the test in the next week within the dates given by the test center.

No, you CANNOT use the essays and recommendation letters from your previous application.

If your application moves to Phase 3, you have to submit three essays. At that point, you will receive the essay questions and instructions.

Each essay can be maximum 750 words.

If your application moves to Phase 3, you have to submit three letters of recommendation. At that point, you will receive the instructions for the recommendation letter.

No, because the recommendation letter must include the information given in the instructions and it’s your responsibility to obtain a recommendation letter and contact information of a referee who can speak to your abilities, perseverance and suitability for the Lincoln Scholarship Program.

Recommendation letters can be from people who can comment on your general suitability to receive a Lincoln Scholarship. They should know you either in an academic or professional capacity and they CANNOT be relatives or friends.

English is preferable, but if your recommender can write you a better recommendation letter in Burmese, we will accept it in Burmese. If you are selected for interview, your recommendation letters must be translated into English before your interview date.

Yes, you can ask the same recommender as for previous applications but the letter must be new (updated and dated with the current year).

Yes, you can submit more than one recommendation letter from the same organization.

The Lincoln Scholarship Program cannot advise on how you should obtain your transcripts. It is the applicant’s responsibility to ensure all required documents are submitted.

Whenever there is a change to your application status you will receive a notification email for from the application system through the email with which you created your application account. You can also log in to your application account at any time.

If you do not receive a notification email, you can log in to your application account and check your application status.

Submitted applications are reviewed on a rolling basis and you will generally be informed about Phase 1, Phase 2 and Phase 3 after a week or two. We will share a timeline of dates for;

1. Announcement of interviews
2. Announcement of final selection. 

No, the pre-academic training is part of the scholarship award. If you are not selected, you cannot participate in the training.

Through pre-academic training, Lincoln Scholars will refine their English skills, standardized test taking skills, increase their understanding of the U.S. education system, and be prepared for life in the U.S. The training is designed to prepare you for your experience in the U.S. and is not a U.S. graduate program itself.

The academic placement team from the Institute of International Education (IIE) will apply for academic programs on behalf of Lincoln Scholars. Academic programs are chosen based on several factors including scholar eligibility, academic fit, and the cost of tuition. LSP DOES NOT consider university ranking or geographic location in the academic placement process. LSP will provide the details of the academic placement process in the future if you are selected.

It depends on the program you are admitted to. Most of the master’s programs are between 1 and 2 years long.

After the completion of the first semester of study in the U.S., scholars can submit a request to USAID to bring their dependents to the U.S. (spouses and children 18 and under). USAID and LSP will not provide any financial or logistical support for dependents. Approval of dependent requests is not guaranteed. More information on the request process will be provided if you are selected. 

No. Lincoln Scholarship is a fully-funded scholarship and scholars are NOT allowed to work per J1 visa regulations.  

Participants’ meals outside of the session (while traveling, before or after the session, etc.) and any personal travel before, during, or after the program are not covered.

Lincoln Scholarship Program and USAID will consider each instance of a scholar’s inability to complete the program on a case-by-case basis. Scholars chosen for Lincoln Scholarship Program will sign a Conditions of Sponsorship and Stakeholder Compact document with USAID. If a scholar is unable to complete their program due to their own lack of effort or breaches the terms of the rules and regulations of the program, then USAID has the right to terminate a scholar’s program and issue them a bill of collection for all expenses paid on their behalf.  *Medical or family emergencies that prevent program completion will not be considered scholar negligence.

Most master’s programs in the U.S. require that students maintain a minimum of 3.0 GPA each term. You are expected to maintain the minimum GPA required by your program. If your GPA falls below a 3.0, you will be on academic probation. Lincoln Scholarship Program has support systems in place to help scholars who are struggling academically.

Yes, you have to return to your home country after the completion of your academic program. The objective of the program is to support promising young Myanmar Leaders from diverse backgrounds to obtain master’s degrees from U.S universities and to support them in applying their leadership skills to benefit their community and Myanmar upon their return.

Alumni are expected to remain involved in the program, including recruiting and mentoring new participants, sharing leadership experiences with new scholars, and participating in follow-up interviews and surveys to measure program outcomes. Alumni will also be encouraged to stay connected with each other and provide valued support to the projects and initiatives pursued after their time in the program concludes.

Scholars will depart to the U.S. according to the program timeline.