I hope that through the Kunin Scholarship, I will be able to contribute to making Croatia a positive story of European integration. I am confident that through the experiences and knowledge I will obtain at Georgetown, I will be able to identify the best ways in which I can contribute to Croatia.
About
The Bepina Sabalic Kunin Endowed Scholarship Fund was established at Georgetown University in September 2011. It is designed to support newly admitted graduate or professional students with a demonstrated and deeply held relationship to the country of Croatia. Preference will be given to individuals with a demonstrated commitment to Georgetown’s Catholic values. Mrs. Kunin’s wish was that the recipients of this scholarship devote some of their post-graduate career to Croatia and ultimately use their knowledge and skills to improve the lives of Croatian citizens, by strengthening universities, schools, businesses, organizations or governmental bodies.
Meet Mrs. Kunin
A native of Croatia, Mrs. Kunin immigrated to the U.S., by way of New York City, in 1961 to escape the communist system of Croatia, one of the six republics of the Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia. In 1963, she settled in Washington, D.C. and began working in a tailor shop on Wisconsin Avenue in Georgetown, where she met her late husband who was the shop owner. Together, they went on to make custom clothing for many prominent Washingtonians and Georgetown students, and formed a long-term relationship with the university.
As stated by President DeGioia at the gift commemoration at the Croatian Embassy, “[Mrs.] Kunin is especially committed to education. As a young woman in Croatia, she was denied access to secondary education by the government because of her Catholic faith. Her sense of injustice inspired a lifelong passion for education and her gift to Georgetown. She hopes that the Croatian students who benefit from the scholarship will go on to live in service to others.”
Mrs. Kunin passed away in November 2019, at the age of 95. The Graduate School is committed to making Mrs. Kunin’s wishes a reality by facilitating award of the Kunin Scholarship to future generations of Georgetown student scholars and professionals.
Eligibility Criteria
- Recipients shall have a demonstrated and deeply held relationship to the country of Croatia, examples of which may include a demonstrated personal and professional interest in, and commitment to, the country of Croatia; Croatian residence; or a significant time spent living and/or working in Croatia;
- Preference for individuals with a demonstrated commitment to Georgetown’s Catholic values; and
- Recipients shall have been recently admitted for full-time enrollment in one of the enumerated graduate or professional degree programs at Georgetown:
Nomination Process and Deadline
Individual programs are invited to nominate candidates for consideration of award. The following items are required as part of the nomination packet:
- A two-page, double-spaced personal statement from the nominee on:
- 1) how they meet the qualifications of excellence and service to others in their personal and professional career aspirations, and
- 2) how they intend to use their knowledge and skills to improve the lives of Croatian citizens upon completion of their degree at Georgetown
- Note: Interested applicants should include the statement as part of their application for admission to one of the eligible degree programs. For those already admitted to a degree program, the statement should be forwarded directly to the program admissions officer.
- Copy of the nominee’s application for admission to the degree program inclusive of test scores and letters of recommendation
- A CV or resume, if not included in the application
- A copy of the offer letter of admission to the degree program
Only designated staff from eligible degree programs will be permitted to submit nominations. Programs should use the Kunin Scholarship Nomination Form to submit their nominees by February 21, 2025.
Scholar Selection and Scholarship Award
Nominations will be reviewed by the Graduate Research Steering Committee (GRSC), with decisions subsequently communicated to individual programs or applicants by the end of March.
The scholarship award will be contingent on acceptance to the degree program and the availability of funds in any given year. Possible awards include full-tuition scholarships, maintenance stipends, and individual health insurance coverage as offered by Georgetown University’s student health plan. Support may be awarded for up to five years in PhD programs and up to three years in master’s or professional programs. Stipends for doctoral students will be at least at the level established by the Graduate School, in accordance with the CBA with GAGE-AFT, for the 2023-24 academic year. Continuation of support is contingent on the recipient meeting all relevant University and programmatic academic standards. Scholarship terms and award parameters will be at the discretion of the Dean of the Graduate School and University senior leadership.
Questions regarding the Kunin Scholarship should be directed to Maria Snyder (maria.snyder@georgetown.edu).