FAQs
Does GMCTF have a preference for graduates of any particular subject?
No. Graduates of all subjects are considered equally.
Does GMCTF have a preference for which courses should be studied?
No. Grants may be awarded for diploma, masters or doctoral courses. It is, however, important that courses studied will enable applicants to contribute to the skills base of Sudan/South Sudan on their return. GMCTF may give some preference to supporting subjects and areas of study that the trustees feel to be of particular value to Sudan/South Sudan. We do not fund:
· short training courses of a few weeks or months duration; or
· requests for medical internship support.
Why does GMCTF ask for a minimum Grade Point Average (GPA) of 3.3 out of 4.0 in an applicant's first degree?
High academic ability is essential for acceptance on most postgraduate courses. Therefore we have adopted it as one of our criteria.
Can I save my application form and return later?
Unfortunately not. Although you cannot save the form, it does not ‘expire’ after a certain period of inactivity. We advise you to draft your responses in Microsoft Word (or other software), and paste them into the application form.
Who should I select as referees?
Please choose individuals who are able to comment professionally on your abilities and your aptitude for your course of study. If you are already engaged on your course of study, please choose at least one referee who can comment on your progress to date.
How much will the comments of my two referees influence the success or otherwise of my application?
Letters of recommendation from referees are reviewed during assessment and play a crucial part in our decision making. Applicants should therefore encourage their referees to read our guidance here. Applications submitted without two references will not be considered for an award.
Why do I not need to send my degree certificates?
As it is likely that you will be submitting these to your chosen university, therefore GMCTF does not need to see them as well.
Why can I only access the form for two months of the year?
Because grants are only allocated once a year, usually in April, for courses starting in the following autumn.
What sort of information about an applicant's financial position is helpful to GMCTF in considering whether to make an award?
It is the trustees' policy to only consider applicants who are already part-funded and who are able to demonstrate that they have taken an organised approach to their finances. It is helpful for your application if you are clear about the exact amount of funding required and what this is to pay for. It is also helpful if you set out what other funding is available to you, including own resources, part time employment, university or other bursaries or grants.
Can GMCTF help to support my family if they accompany me?
Funds available each year are limited, and GMCTF will not provide funds to support dependent family.
Can I apply for funding to cover all the costs of my post-graduate course?
No. GMCTF has very limited funds. The average value of individual awards is around £3,500. Our grants are given to help those who already have secured funds from other sources, but face a shortfall. We do not make grants to cover the full costs of a course.
What proportion of applications from individuals receive financial support from GMCTF?
There is strong competition for the limited funding available and generally about a quarter of such applications are successful.
Why have I been unsuccessful in obtaining a grant from GMCTF?
There could be various reasons as to why an application is unsuccessful. GMCTF has limited funds so trustees must prioritise applications that are the closes fit with our priorities. Some funding requests are unsuccessful because responses to questions in the application form lack detail. For example, why the applicant chose a particular course to study; and/or how completing the course will help them contribute to the skills base of Sudan/South Sudan.
Please note that our decision on applications is final, and that correspondence cannot be entered into with unsuccessful applicants.
Do you provide emergency funding?
In general, our policy is not to provide emergency funding although we can provide small amounts on an exceptional basis. We are only likely to do so for students that we have previously supported.