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ESL Scholarship Program

The University of Belize, in partnership with the Ministry of Education, Cultural Science Technology, offers an Intensive English as a Second Language Program for ten months, from January to October. The University offers this program on behalf of the Government of Belize, which remains the scholarship program sponsor. The government of Belize covers all tuition, fees, books and provides a monthly stipend to defray housing and university expenses. The University is pleased to host these students and has a long history of providing them with individualized services and a learning environment that maximizes their chances for cultural immersion, language practice, and personal development. This information document will list several of these services and programs to which scholarship students can access.

The ESL Program at the RLC:

  • The University of Belize is proud to house Belize’s Regional Language Center (RLC) in the Garden City, Belmopan. RLC is Belize’s mechanism for bridging the Caribbean and Central America language barrier. The RLC offers many specialized second language courses in English and other languages to meet the needs of our national and international clients. The ten (10) month English as a Second Language Program is designed to advance the English competency of those who enter the program regardless of their current proficiency. Students study in homogenous groups next to each other’s competency levels.
  • 7All students are given a placement test upon arrival to determine which language competence level is most appropriate for them. The scholarship students join private students from all over the world who also study at the Regional Language Center. It is typical for a class to be composed of scholarship students from Cuba, Panama, Columbia, and Mexico, along with private students from Mainland China, Taiwan, Korea, Japan, Russia and countries in Central and South America. The ten-month immersion program focuses on strengthening students’ proficiency in reading, writing, listening, and speaking skills in English. The faculty members emphasize practice and design the coursework to encourage a practical application of knowledge; this includes a mandatory 60 hours language internship program for eligible students.
  • During the first week of courses, all new students will be given a detailed orientation of the expectations and methodology of the new curriculum for the course. Each student will have an academic advisor. At the end of the ten-month program, after successfully completing the course, students will receive a certificate of completion from the University of Belize.
  • The scholarship, which includes students’ tuition, fees, books and contributes partially towards housing, there are some financial responsibilities that students are expected to finance during the program. Students will be required to have an English dictionary in hard copy or digital format, and it’s recommended to have a translator /translation dictionary, recording devices, headphones, and a laptop.

Eligibility:

  • Applicants must be 18 years old upon application.
  • Must commit to 10 months of living in Belize from January to October
  • Applicants must have a minimum of a High-School Certificate.
  • Commit to studying full-time in Belize without the possibility of employment or part time studies.
  • Must abide by the rules and regulations of The University and country of Belize.

Entry Requirement:

  1. Complete a UB/RLC application form and an application fee of US $15.00 (this fee may be waived for some applicants depending on their country of origin).
  2. Basic to Intermediate competence in English as a Second Language.
  3. Able to commit to the program.

Documentation requirement:

  1. Completed UB-RLC application form (original and copy)
  2. Updated Curriculum Vitae with professional photo
  3. Original Transcript
  4. Copy of passport
  5. Copy of notarized Diploma (If not in English language, MUST be translated)
  6. Copy of notarized birth certificate (If not in English language, MUST be translated)