As a result of the magnificent support of its donors, the ICULD&E Foundation is able to offer a very limited number of bursaries to suitably qualified applicants to attend Development Educator courses that can be held in Africa, Asia, Australasia, Caribbean, Europe, North America and the Philippines. 

If applicants have a Development Educator programme in their own country/territory, they might have to be a graduate of it before applying to be accepted on another course by its Course Directors. .

Those awarded bursaries will be designated “Pell Scholars” in recognition of the late US Senator Claiborne Pell, who together with US Vice President Joe Biden (for whom the Foundation’s “Development Educator of the Year Award” is named) was responsible for obtaining a Federal grant that enabled the forerunner of the National Credit Union Foundation to set up the first Development Educator Course in 1982.

“Pell Scholars” are presented with their Certificate of Attainment at the graduation ceremonies on the completion of their DE course.

To qualify for a bursary

1.    All applicants should:-

1. gain acceptance as a candidate from the Course Director concerned and inform them they will be applying for a bursary from the ICULD&E Foundation.
2. provide written proof of this acceptance by the Course Director and submit this with the application for a bursary.
   It must be recognised that most Course Directors follow a common code for accepting a candidate.
3. have read and understood the terms and conditions that apply before making a bursary application and then submit it in good time.
4. understand and accept that Development Educator courses held in different territories are of different duration with variable costs and to be fair to all applicants and Course Directors, the total amount of bursary requested by applicants to meet the full cost of a course will not be awarded in every case.
5. understand that travel costs and all extra costs incurred in attending the course must be met by the applicant, and
6. explain in the Application Form how the balance of the course cost and travel expenses will be met from their own resources, credit union/league/ employer support or better still, a credit union loan!

2.    Applicants should not seek a bursary to undertake a paid for or funded assignment.  They must be acting as volunteers and sign a declaration to that effect.

3.    As part of the application for a bursary, a scanned copy of the DE Course Application Form and letter of acceptance on the course from the Course Director/Administrator should accompany this application. Together with proof that, if necessary, visa applications are in place or at least applied for.

4.   Applicants are duty bound to inform Course Directors a bursary has been applied for.   

5.   It must be understood that all bursary funds belong to the ICULD&E Foundation and when a bursary is awarded, it will be paid to the relevant course in the name of the accepted applicant.  If the applicant is unable to attend, Course Directors cannot substitute candidates and the funds should be returned to the ICULD&E Foundation.

6.   There is a section on the application form for a full explanation of the applicant’s current and/or intended volunteer post graduate project or projects to be performed in their mother credit union, the community it serves or the wider community to spread the Co-operative Commonwealth.  A project or projects can evolve over time and there can be an “opt out” and re-entry. The applicant will have to accept the assistance of an ICULD&E Foundation nominated mentor.   A full declaration of any current and intended project is a key part of the application process.

7.   The Trustees of the ICULD&E Foundation reserve the right to make their own enquiries on the application received, including contact with the mother credit union, league or association of the applicant or other parties (such as Course Directors) as they deem fit.

8.   Applicants must signify acceptance of all of these condition as part of the application process.  The decisions of the Trustees are final on all matters and will only be conveyed in writing.

Apply for a Development Educator Bursary

To allow all to plan their "D.E." lives ahead, the ICULD&E Foundation looks forward to receiving your email enquiry as soon as possible.

Good luck with your application!  If you have any queries or comments, don't hesitate to contact the ICULD&E Foundation.