Frequently Asked Questions
The Sir Syed Mentoring and Assistance Fellowship (SSMAF) is a mentorship and fellowship program that is offered to students and alumni of Aligarh Muslim University from all faculties, including Arts, Social Sciences, Medicine, Law, Commerce, Engineering, Science, etc. In collaboration with the AMUSO Facebook group, the SSMAF Program has established connections with over 13,000 students and faculty members and has provided benefits to more than 600 students thus far. Motivated students with exceptional academic potential but facing financial challenges and lacking proper guidance are encouraged to apply.
For Alumni
- Alumni of Aligarh Muslim University, including Senior Secondary, Certificate, Diploma, and Degree graduates.
For Currently Enrolled AMU Students
- Students registered in the final or pre-final year of a Bachelor’s program that lasts four years or more.
OR
- Students who have completed a Three-year Bachelor’s program and are currently enrolled in a Master’s program.
Complete the online application form before the deadline. Upload the required documents, such as Transcripts, and other relevant certificates, and answer a few essay-type questions. The application will be reviewed and evaluated on the
- Academic Grades
- Curricular Activities (Work Experience, Projects, Publications, Internships, Academic Awards & Honors, etc.)
- Extra-curricular activities (Leadership experience, literary and cultural involvement, sports, volunteering, social work, etc.)
- Motivation to Study Abroad (Intended Plan & Essay-Type Questions).
Based on the application and document screening, qualified applicants will be called for an online interview with the SSMAF selection committee. The interview will assess their proficiency in English, technical and research knowledge, and motivation for studying abroad.
The selection committee will make the final decision of the SSMAF Awardee considering multiple factors. These include the screening and evaluation of the submitted documents and application, as well as the performance of the candidate during the interview. The committee will carefully consider all these elements before concluding the applicant’s acceptance into the program.
You must present some alternative documents. For example: If a passport is not available then upload an Acknowledgement slip of payment. Similarly, if transcript is not available then upload each semester marksheet in a single pdf.
No, you must include all the required documents before submission.
FELLOWSHIP BENEFITS AND VALIDITY
The number of awardees is contingent upon the availability of funds. Specific benefits of the fellowship are following:
- Financial Assistance in the form of IELTS/TOEFL test fees coverage
- Personalized Admission and Visa Guidance (1-on-1 Mentorship)
- Profile-Specific University and Lab Selection
- Access to Test Preparation Materials (only online if available)
- Quality Document Review of critical documents such as SOP, LOM, Proposal, CV, etc.
Fellowship Duration: The fellowship benefits will be applicable to the eligible recipient for a period of approximately 1.5 to 2 years starting from the date of the announcement of results. The specific end date will be specified in the award letter.
No, it doesn’t cover the GRE test fees or application fees of the universities for the current session. The SSMAF only provides financial assistance to awardees for standardized English proficiency test (IELTS/TOEFL) fees.
To be eligible for reimbursement, specific criteria must be met in accordance with our policies. For precise details regarding reimbursement, we kindly request that you reach out to your assigned mentor. Following declaration of the final result, our SSMAF Admin will assign a mentor who will guide you through the process.
No, you will not get any reimbursement if you have already taken IELTS/TOEFL test before SSMAF results of current session.
Yes, Sure. Apart from IELTS/TOEFL test fee reimbursement, we can guide you. Our primary objective is to assist you in securing an excellent admission.
The duration of the SSMAF results, including the document review and interview process, can vary. The exact timeline depends on several factors, such as the number of applicants, the complexity of the application process, and the availability of the SSMAF team. Generally, the review process takes several weeks to a few months to complete.
No, there are no restrictions on the number of times you can apply for SSMAF as long as you meet the eligibility criteria. Feel free to apply for SSMAF at any time.
It is a mentorship and guidance program offered to the current AMU students who are interested in pursuing research internship or visiting research during summer or winter, and any specified time of academic year.
You can email us at contact@ssmaf.org