ABOUT THE SCHOLARSHIP PROVIDER – WELLS MOUNTAIN INITIATIVE (WMI)
The Wells Mountain Initiative (WMI) is a public charitable organization, located in the USA. The organization
aims to create social change by building communities and providing young individuals from developing worlds the chance to pursue their educational goals. WMI achieves this by providing these students with skills training and scholarships, fostering a wide network of individuals who may one day lead to the transformation of their own communities.WMI promotes transformation across 47 developing countries and continues to fund undergraduate studies in high-need sectors. WMI remains hands-on during their scholarship awards by helping students lead social service projects during their studies and aiding them with any challenges they may face, ensuring they successfully complete their studies.
ABOUT THE WMI SCHOLARSHIP PROGRAMME – FIELDS COVERED
Wells Mountain Initiatives is inviting students to apply for their scholarship programme for the 2026 academic year.
Scholarships will be awarded to students from developing countries, for ALL fields of study, towards their first Certificate, Diploma or Bachelor’s Degree qualification. The scholarship award will last throughout all years of the undergraduate education.
MORE ABOUT THE WMI SCHOLARSHIP PROGRAMME – EXPENSES COVERED & SELECTION
The scholarship is awarded to between 80 and 100 students each year, to the average value of $1500 USD (and sometimes up to $3000 USD). The scholarship provides cover for the following expenses: tuition and fees, books and course materials/ supplies, accommodation, meals and transportation.
Selection process and dates:
- Applications will be reviewed via an in-depth multi-step review process, between April and July 2025
- Scholarship recipients will be announced on 1 August 2025 (on the WMI website and on their Facebook page) and unsuccessful applicants will receive a regret email
- First installment of scholarships will be wired during September 2025
www.zacareers.co.za is committed to keeping you up to date with the latest bursary opportunities, and this article covers all details about the WMI Bursary.
ELIGIBILITY REQUIREMENTS FOR THE WMI SCHOLARSHIP
Applicants must satisfy the following minimum entry criteria before applying for this bursary (please note that failure to satisfy all the requirements will lead to your application not being considered):
- You must be from a country in the developing world (this includes South Africa – see full list of developing countries here)
- You must be NOT be older than 35 years on 1 August 2025
- You must have completed Matric (secondary school) OR be currently in Matric with excellent academic results
- You must be applying to university OR currently studying towards your first undergraduate certificate, diploma, or bachelor’s degree
- You must be studying in your home country or another country in the developing world
- You must plan to live and work in your own country once you have graduated
- You must have participated in volunteer service before applying for this scholarship and be committed to volunteering within your community during your studies
- You must have some study funding available but are not able to go to attend university without financial assistance
- You must be committed to maintaining above-average results in all university studies
- You must be committed to becoming an ambassador for community service and engagement
- You must be able to perform, record, and document 100 hours of community service activities
throughout the year - You must complete the Academic Semester Report & Community Service Report for WMI
Scholars twice a year - You must NOT plan to study in the United States, Canada, Australia, UK or Western Europe
- You must NOT be a family member of WMI staff or of WMI Scholars
HOW TO APPLY FOR THE WMI SCHOLARSHIP
Applications must be submitted online at: Wells Mountain Initiative Scholarship Application
Enter “www.zacareers.co.za” in the field asking how you heard about the Wells Mountain Initiative Scholarship.
Submit clear copies of the following supporting documentation along with your completed application form (the submission of these documents is compulsory – if any items are missing, your application may be disqualified):
- National ID document/ alternative ID Document
- Grades transcripts from the school you attended
- National exam results (if applicable)
- Headshot photograph
- University tuition fees structure (you can provide it directly from the website if you have not been accepted yet)
- 2 recommendation letters (read the WMI recommendation letter guidelines here)
- Personal statement (500- 1000 words)
- Essay (500-1000 words), on the topic “If you were awarded $1500 to support a service project to help your community, what issue would you address? Why is this a current or continuing issue within your community? Why is this issue important to you? Who would benefit and what would be the impact? How would you measure the success of the activity? Please provide a detailed budget in USD for all expenses.” (Note: this is a hypothetical situation and should not be considered a request for funding)
WMI SCHOLARSHIP T&C’S AND FURTHER INFORMATION
Download and read the Wells Mountain Initiative Scholarship FAQ’s (.pdf) here.
Whilst candidates will be awarded the scholarship based on excellent academic results and for a full study period, they do have the responsibility to ensure that they maintain their grades, participate in 100 hours of community service during their studies, be an ambassador for community engagement, send semester transcripts twice a year, keep communication open with the Student Scholar Coordinator, and meet all of WMI’s deadlines.
The deadlines set out by WMI will request candidate’s to complete their semester report, submit official copies of their school/course grades and validate their community service hours.
Please note:
- WMI will not always fund the aforementioned expenses.
- The scholarship can be terminated at any time, should the student fail to maintain satisfactory standards.
- The award is determined by volunteer reviewers and the Scholarship Committee of the Board of Directors through an in-depth multi-step review process.
- Applications should be done in English, and all supporting documentation in another language should be sent with official English translations.
CLOSING DATE FOR THE WMI SCHOLARSHIP
2 March 2025 (at 6:59 AM).
(Applications submitted after this date will not be accepted – please apply before the closing date to ensure your application is considered.)
CONTACT THE BURSARY PROVIDER
For any queries related to this scholarship programme, please contact Wells Mountain Initiative directly:
Email: info@wellsmountaininitiative.org
