The application process consists of the following 8 parts:

1. Personal Details 
2. Resettlement Details
3. Enrollment Details
4. Financial
5. Essays 
6. Recommender Information
7. Extracurricular and Volunteer
8. Acknowledgements and Signature Page

If you have any questions or require assistance, please reach out to us at rise@psaltnk.org or (201) 972-5443.

* This field is required.

We would like to get to know you -- your personal story, character, educational goals, and future vision. Please answer the following essay questions to the best of your ability in either English or Korean. We understand applicants may use the assistance of tools like ChatGPT, but please make sure your essay reflects your authentic voice, experiences, and perspectives. Sharing your unique story, the challenges you overcame, and your future vision/goals are significantly more important than grammar or eloquent writing. 

The essays can be submitted as a single document/file. Please note that you can only submit pdf, doc, or docx file formats.

Essay Questions (approximately 1 page, double spaced per question)

1. Please share your current focus and goals for your education, and how your past experiences influenced and shaped these goals. 

2. What is your vision for your education and future career? How do you hope your education will enable you to serve others?

3. How has your experience in the United States impacted your personal goals, sense of identity, and understanding of community? If you were born or mostly raised in the United States, how does your family's connection to North Korea impact your personal journey, perspectives, and goals?

Please provide two references below who will be requested to complete a reference form on your behalf, and submit a letter of recommendation through that form.

The first reference should be from someone (Reference 1) who has known you in either an academic setting for at least 1 year and can speak to your intellectual gifts and potential, or a vocational/career setting for at least 1 year and can speak to your character and capacity in your work responsibilities.

The second reference should be from someone (Reference 2) who has known you in a non-academic setting (community service, church, volunteer, etc.) for at least 1 year and can speak to your personal character, capacity, and spiritual health.

Please note that these references should not be family members.

We will contact each reference directly with a link to the form they should complete on your behalf. They will be required to submit their reference by the same deadline your scholarship application is due.

Please follow up with them directly as to whether or not they have submitted their recommendation for you.

In order for your application to be complete, the following criteria must be submitted:

• Completed application form
• Uploaded essays
• Proof of admission
• Most recent transcript (may be unofficial copy)
• Copy of tuition bill for upcoming semester 
• Course registration schedule (if available)
• Tax Return Document (first page only)
• FAFSA Application (if applicable)
• Two letters of recommendation (sent by recommenders)

**Please note that selected scholars will be asked to schedule an interview with the selection committee.**

Acknowledgement and Collaboration for Crowdfunding

By submitting this scholarship application, you acknowledge that this scholarship includes a crowdfunding component. If selected, you will be required to collaborate with the PSALT team to develop your GiveButter page for fundraising purposes.

Scholar Profile

As part of the fundraising process, we encourage you to share your story, including your background, challenges, and vision for your educational/career goals. We understand the importance of privacy, and you have the option to use a nickname or English name that you are comfortable with, ensuring your identity remains confidential. Our team will assist in editing your profile narrative to showcase your journey and future aspirations without revealing sensitive personal details.

Visual Elements

Feel free to contribute to your profile by submitting a picture that does not show your face or original writing/artwork that reflects an aspect of your vision, personality, or journey. We can help offer some creative photo samples/ideas of how you can make the photos compelling without revealing your face/identity. We respect your comfort level in sharing and encourage creative expressions that align with your boundaries.

This collaborative effort aims to present a compelling and meaningful representation of your story while respecting your privacy and preferences.

Liaison/Mentor Contact

During the scholarship year you will be paired with a Liaison/Mentor contact person from PSALT. This person will work with you to develop your profile page, reach out to see how you are doing, provide updates about your scholarship, and send you any relevant reminders. We encourage you to specify how you would like to be contacted, and also inform us if you feel any discomfort or difficulty with communication.

We encourage you to be responsive and interactive with your mentor/liaison to make the most of your experience with our program. Your updates will help us better support you through prayer, and encourage donors to support your journey when they see an updated and active fundraising campaign for you.

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If you agree to all of the above, please sign and submit your application.