Applying to UBD or UTB without completing the separate university portal
This is the single most common procedural mistake. The MFA portal is the scholarship application. UBD and UTB each require a separate academic admission application through their own portals. If you only submit the MFA form, your application to those institutions is incomplete. The institutions shortlist from their own portals — if you are not in their system, you will not be considered regardless of how strong your MFA submission is.
Fix it:
UBD: apply at apply.ubd.edu.bn | UTB: apply at apply.utb.edu.bn — submit both in parallel with the MFA form.
Confusing the government endorsement with the security clearance
Students regularly submit one and believe they have provided both. The endorsement is your government's sign-off on your candidacy — a stamp of support from your Ministry of Foreign Affairs or Education. The security clearance is a police certificate showing you have no criminal record. They come from different authorities, serve different purposes, and both are required in the application.
Fix it:
Start both processes early. Endorsement involves your government ministry — allow 2–4 weeks. Police certificates can take 1–6 weeks depending on country.
Applying for PhD under the BDGS
The BDGS does not offer PhD funding. It covers Diploma, Undergraduate, and Postgraduate Master's only. Applicants who read third-party scholarship guides — many of which incorrectly state that PhD is available, or confuse the BDGS with the separate UBD Graduate Research Scholarship — waste time on an application path that does not exist.
Fix it:
For PhD funding at UBD, contact UBD directly about the UBD Graduate Research Scholarship (BND 2,200/month, separate programme entirely).
Not knowing IELTS is optional — and not preparing any alternative proof
Some students abandon their application because they do not have an IELTS certificate. Others pay for a last-minute IELTS sitting unnecessarily. GCE O-Level English Credit 6, IGCSE Grade C, and TOEFL 550 are all equally accepted. Students from English-medium school systems may be assessed at the interview stage with no certificate required. Read the eligibility requirements; do not assume IELTS is mandatory.
Submitting handwritten referee forms
Both C1 and C2 referee recommendation forms must be typed. Only the referee's signature and official stamp may be handwritten. Forms that are filled out by hand are rejected. This is stated clearly in the instructions but is still one of the most common reasons for incomplete applications. Referees unfamiliar with the requirement will default to handwriting unless explicitly briefed.
Fix it:
Brief your referees clearly when you contact them. Send the form with a note: "Please type all fields — only the signature and stamp may be handwritten."
Waiting until the last week to get the endorsement
The government endorsement from your Ministry of Foreign Affairs or Education is not a same-day process. In many countries, especially during December–January when government offices are on holiday schedules, processing takes 2–4 weeks or longer. Starting this step in January for a February 15 deadline is cutting it dangerously close. The portal does not extend deadlines for administrative delays.
Assuming an interview invitation means the scholarship is awarded
Being contacted for an interview means you have been shortlisted by the institution — it is a positive signal, but not a scholarship offer. A significant number of interviewed candidates are not ultimately awarded. The scholarship offer is a separate, formal notification that comes after the institution's selection process is complete.
Thinking the scholarship covers family or allows concurrent funding
The BDGS has no family allowances and no marriage or child support provisions. It also explicitly prohibits holding any other scholarship, fellowship, or grant concurrently without written Ministry approval. Discovering either of these realities after accepting an offer — with a spouse waiting to join or another scholarship already accepted — creates a very difficult situation.
Not downloading UNISSA's programme codes before filling the form
UNISSA requires programme codes in the application form. These codes are only found in the institution's brochure, which is downloadable from the MFA scholarship page. Students who start the form without the brochure get stuck at this field — or worse, leave it blank or enter a guess, leading to a rejected or incomplete form.
Applying if you have previously studied at any Brunei tertiary institution
The exclusion applies to any prior study at any Brunei tertiary institution — not just the five BDGS partner universities, and not just completed degrees. Even one semester of enrolled study at a Brunei polytechnic or university under a private arrangement disqualifies you. Students who attended a Brunei institution briefly on an exchange or language programme and then apply for BDGS several years later are ineligible, even if they did not finish the programme.