30+ Real Questions, Answered

For the SPMC program (targeting Muslim communities in non-member countries), yes — you must be Muslim. This is the explicit purpose of the program and you must provide evidence of your faith identity. For the IsDB-ISFD, M.Sc., and MSP programs, the requirement is citizenship of an IsDB member country or LDMC — not religion. A non-Muslim citizen of Bangladesh, Nigeria, or Senegal is technically eligible for member-country programs. The official booklets don't address this directly, which causes widespread confusion.

No. Eligibility is strictly country-based. If your country does not appear on the eligible list for the current cycle of the program you're targeting, you cannot apply. The SPMC eligible country list rotates annually — your country may have been listed last year but not this year. Always check the current cycle's official booklet before applying. There is no exception or appeal process for country eligibility.

If you're a student (not yet academic staff), your options are very limited. The IsDB-ISFD and M.Sc. programs are restricted to the 21 Least Developed Member Countries — Egypt, Jordan, Turkey, Malaysia, and other middle-income members are not in that group. The MSP (PhD/Postdoc) is available to all 57 member countries, but only if you are currently employed by a research or academic institution. If you're a recent graduate looking for a master's scholarship, IsDB does not currently have a program for you unless your country is an LDMC.

Yes, in practice. The SPMC covers undergraduate (bachelor's) study. If you already hold a bachelor's degree, you're not pursuing an undergraduate program and therefore aren't eligible for this program. The program serves students who are yet to complete their first degree.

Yes. All four IsDB scholarship programs are open to both male and female applicants. There is no gender restriction. IsDB has also specifically noted female participation as a development priority in some program contexts — strong female applicants from LDMCs may benefit from this emphasis.

No age waivers are available or documented. Age limits are calculated as of the application deadline date. If you are 31 before the deadline and the limit is 30, you are not eligible. There is no appeals mechanism for age limits.

No. IsDB scholarships fund STEM and related fields — medicine, engineering, computer science, agriculture, and for MSP, 17 specific high-technology disciplines. Law, economics, business, journalism, arts, and social sciences are not covered by any of the four programs. If your intended field falls outside the approved lists, do not apply expecting an exception.

It depends. For SPMC and IsDB-ISFD bachelor's programs, you typically apply before starting your undergraduate study. For the M.Sc., you need a completed bachelor's degree first. For MSP, you must be employed at a research institution — so you could technically be studying part-time while employed. Check the specific program booklet for your cycle, as the wording on current enrollment varies.

No — but you need to secure admission within 60 days of receiving a scholarship offer. You apply to IsDB and approach universities in parallel. If you receive an IsDB offer before you have confirmed university admission, you have 60 days to submit proof of enrollment. If you fail to do so in that window, the offer lapses. Don't wait for an IsDB offer before contacting universities.

Generally no — you should apply to the one program you are eligible for and best suited to. IsDB programs target different populations and academic levels; the overlap is minimal (most applicants are only eligible for one). Attempting to apply to multiple programs creates inconsistencies in your application and is not the intended use of the system.

Yes, you can apply to multiple scholarships simultaneously. However, if you receive IsDB funding, you cannot hold it alongside another scholarship covering the same expenses. If you receive IsDB and another scholarship in the same cycle, you must choose one and decline the other. IsDB requires disclosure of all concurrent scholarship applications.

Yes. IsDB does not send rejection notifications. Shortlisted applicants receive an email; all others receive nothing. If June–July passes without communication, your application did not advance. This is standard IsDB practice — not a system glitch, not a lost email. Check your spam folder once, then accept the outcome. You can apply again in the next cycle.

Yes — there is no documented restriction on reapplication. You can apply again in the next cycle as long as you still meet the eligibility criteria (particularly age limits). Before reapplying, take an honest look at what likely held your application back — generic motivation letter, weak financial documentation, missing documents, or a field mismatch — and address those specifically.

You need a certified translation into English or French (whichever is the language of your application and study destination). A certified translation means it must be done by a recognized translation service or your institution, not a self-translation or Google Translate printout. For Arabic speakers applying to French-medium study programs in Morocco, an Arabic-to-French certified translation is also accepted.

No. IsDB charges absolutely nothing for the scholarship application. If any individual, agent, or website asks for payment in connection with an IsDB scholarship application — processing fee, application fee, selection fee, or anything else — it is a scam. The official portal is isdbscholarships.smartsimple.com and it is free to register and apply.

Any change to the study program, institution, or field after receiving an offer must be approved by IsDB. Do not change programs or universities without written approval. Unapproved changes can result in withdrawal of the scholarship. Contact the IsDB scholarship department at [email protected] before making any changes.

IsDB does not publish a public stipend table. Stipends are calibrated to local living costs in the country of study. Based on reported scholar experiences: Malaysia approximately MYR 1,500–2,000/month (roughly USD 330–440); Morocco approximately MAD 3,000–4,500/month (roughly USD 300–450); Turkey approximately TRY 8,000–12,000/month (subject to ongoing inflation — real purchasing power has declined). These are estimates and vary by program and cycle.

It is a Qard Hasan — an interest-free Islamic loan. You receive full funding during your studies (tuition, stipend, allowances), but after you gain employment, you repay the principal to a local IsDB Education Trust in easy instalments. There is no interest or penalty, and the repaid funds are recycled to fund the next student from your community. Think of it as a community revolving fund. The M.Sc. and MSP programs are true grants — no repayment.

No. IsDB scholarship funding covers the scholar only. There is no provision for spouses, children, or other dependents. If you bring family, all costs for them — accommodation, food, schooling, visa, health insurance — come entirely from your personal resources. Budget this independently from your scholarship stipend.

No. IsDB covers one economy-class return airfare at the start of the scholarship and one at the end. Any travel home during the scholarship period — for semester breaks, family events, or emergencies — is your personal expense. Plan accordingly.

First payments typically arrive 2–4 weeks after your university enrollment is confirmed and your scholarship is formally activated. This means you need personal funds to cover at least your first month — accommodation deposit, food, local transport, and the bank account setup process (which itself takes 2–4 weeks in many countries). Arrive with accessible cash equivalent to at least one full month of living expenses.

You must return to your home country upon completing your studies and work in a field related to your scholarship for a period equal to at least twice the duration of your scholarship. If your scholarship was 2 years, you must serve for 4 years. If 3 years, then 6. This is a legal commitment — you sign a surety bond before your scholarship begins. Failure to comply means you must repay all scholarship costs received.

You must repay all tuition, stipend, and indirect scholarship costs received throughout your scholarship — the full financial value of everything IsDB invested in your study. For SPMC and IsDB-ISFD scholars, this is in addition to the Qard Hasan loan repayment already owed. Breach of the surety bond is a legal matter, not just an administrative note on your file.

Any deviation from the return obligation requires prior written approval from IsDB. IsDB considers exceptions on a case-by-case basis — there is no automatic right to defer. If you want to do a postdoc or a year of work abroad before returning, contact the IsDB scholarship team before making any plans. Doing so without approval puts you in breach of the surety bond.

Yes. IsDB maintains an alumni network. Upon graduation, scholars are expected to register with the network and keep IsDB updated on their professional activities. The alumni community spans 57+ countries and decades of scholarship cohorts. However, the network is more of a reporting and tracking mechanism than an active career-support community — don't expect the IsDB alumni brand to open doors the way a Chevening or Fulbright alumni tag might in Western career contexts. In development sector contexts within member countries, it carries real credibility.

Repayment begins after you gain employment following your studies. The repayment schedule is negotiated with the local IsDB Education Trust based on your income at the time. There is no fixed repayment start date that kicks in immediately after graduation — the intent is that you repay when you can, comfortably, out of earned income. Repayment terms are flexible but must be agreed upon with the Trust.

The IsDB scholarship is intended to support full-time study. Part-time work during the scholarship is not explicitly addressed in the booklets, but taking on paid employment while on the scholarship without IsDB's knowledge or approval may constitute a breach of the scholarship terms. Additionally, student visa rules in Malaysia, Morocco, and Turkey all have their own restrictions on international student employment. Check both IsDB's terms and your study country's immigration rules.