The Scholarship and Student Support Division (SSSD) under the Department of Adult and Higher Education, Ministry of Education is the focal agency responsible for implementing the undergraduate scholarship programmes as planned and prioritized by the government from time to time. The programme provides opportunities for high achieving students to undertake full time undergraduate study in different parts of the world in the priority human resource and development needs of the country.

The undergraduate scholarship programme is an integral part of the Royal Government’s long term human resource development programme to address the shortage of human resources in the critical need areas. The programme provides opportunities for high achieving students to undertake ex-country full time undergraduate study in the priority human resource and development needs of the country. As such, based on the national HR requirement and in accordance with the plan target, various undergraduate scholarship slots are implemented annually in professional and generic fields under the RGOB and GOI funding.

Initially, the programme was implemented by the Royal Civil Service Commission, which is the nodal agency for all HR development through its scholarship unit housed within RCSC secretariat. However in 2003 as per the recommendation of the Good Governance Exercise of 1999 and in accordance with the directive of the Commission issued during its 171st meeting, the scholarship unit was transferred to the Ministry of Education from the Royal Civil Service Commission.

Since then, the Scholarship and Student Support Division of the Department of Adult and Higher Education, Ministry of Education has been implementing and administering the entire undergraduate scholarship programmes. While the total scholarship slots and the budget outlay are approved on a five year basis, its implementation is carried out annually thereafter based on the requisitions received from the two nodal agencies; the Royal Civil Service Commission for the requirement in government agencies and the Ministry of Labour and Human Resources for the requirement in the private and corporate sectors.

Mandates

• Plan and implement undergraduate scholarship programme for long-term human resource development of the country.
• Implement ad-hoc undergraduate scholarship offers received.
• Monitor performance of scholarship students to ensure timely course completion.
• Provide Support Services to Bhutanese students abroad.