Community College Initiative Program (CCIP) is a one-year program that allows students from various countries to study in an undergraduate program at different community colleges in America. Since 2007, nearly 2,100 students from 15 different countries were awarded this scholarship, which enabled them to study fully funded and receiving an excellent education.
Through Community College Initiative Program, students will develop leadership, professional skills, and English language proficiency. They will also learn the culture of America through interacting with American students and professors.
The scholarship awards, eligibility, and the application process are different for each country. To get the specifics for each country, contact the US embassy in your country which processes your application.
What is a Community College?
A community college is a special type of colleges in America. This type of college is also commonly called as a “junior college”. It was named a community college because the goal is to make education accessible for all students in that community. To make this goal happen, this type of college is different that a state university.
The main difference between community colleges and a state university is the difference in tuition fees. As stated earlier, community colleges are meant for the community and for all students. To make education accessible to all students, community college tuition is very affordable compared to a state university. State university tuition is typically much higher than a community college because it is meant for more affluent students.
Another huge difference between a community college and a state university is the type of degree that is being offered. Community college is usually for two years and awards associate’s degree. A state university is for four years and offers a bachelor’s degree. The good news is that the community colleges have started to award four-year bachelor degrees as well as the associate degrees.
The last difference is the availability of the dormitory. Community colleges are meant for the community, and it is expected for students to be living in the community. Therefore, there are less dormitories in community colleges compared to state universities. International students will have to find a home outside of the campus if there are no spaces in the dormitory in a community college.
Eligible Countries for the Community College Initiative Program
There are only a few countries that are eligible for this program. Here is the list of the countries that are eligible for the Community College Initiative Program.
- Bangladesh
- Brazil
- Colombia
- Ivory Coast
- The Dominican Republic
- Egypt
- Ghana
- India
- Indonesia
- Pakistan
- South Africa
- Turkey
If you are not eligible for this program because you are not from a specific country, there are still scholarships available for you.
Check Also: Available Programs for International Students
Community College Initiative Program Award
This program is a fully funded scholarship, meaning that it provides you with the tuition and the living allowance. The full scholarship award is listed below:
- Tuition
- Airplane ticket
- Living allowance
- Health insurance
- Cultural enhancement activities
Even though this is a fully funded program, keep in mind that you will still need to have emergency funds and extra funds if the living allowances are not enough. Even if you get this scholarship, you will still need to invest your money to provide for your education.
Community College Initiative Program Benefits
- Technical skills building
- Service learning
- Community service
- Professional development
- Country presentation
- Global Citizens Passport to America
- Alumni programming
For the details of these benefits, visit Community College Initiative Program page.
How to Apply for the Community College Initiative Program
- Find if your country participates in the Community College Initiative Program. You can find this information here.
- If your country does participate, contact the US Embassy for information about the program. The application process is different for each country, and it is critical that you contact the embassy for specific information about the program.
- Follow the instructions that the embassy provides you.
To give you a general idea of what is required to complete this scholarship application, I will provide you with the past year’s Bangladesh application information. You can find that information by visiting this site.
We hope that you’ll take full advantage of this wonderful program that is offered to you.
Other Government Scholarships
If you are interested in other government scholarships such as the Community College Initiative Program, visit the Government Scholarships Page.
We hope that this article on the Community College Initiative Program was helpful. Make sure to also check out the Available Programs for International Students!
