This FAQ page is designed to answer common questions about our programs, ensuring that you have all the necessary information to embark on a transformative journey with us.
Whether you are a prospective student, a parent or guardian, or simply curious about our offerings, this comprehensive guide will help you gain insights into our programs’ application process, curriculum, safety measures, financial aid, and more.
We believe in celebrating diversity and creating a supportive environment for students from various backgrounds.
Explore the following sections to find answers tailored to your needs and interests.
Let’s embark on an extraordinary educational voyage together!
To apply for an NSFSS prgram, please complete the pre-application form here and one of our friendly admissions staff will contact you to discuss the next steps. This ensures that we are only dealing with interested applicants.
Our programs are designed to cover a 6-week (42 days) long curriculum. As this curriculum is offered in intensive mode, students can expect to spend some weekends undertaking academic activities. This will depend on whether they are in the field or at their base in Kilifi.
There are no prerequisites for the current NSFSS programs. However, only students who are 18 years and above can participate in the program.
Given the quality of our program, NSFSS programs are the cheapest of any third-party agency study abroad program. We use the teaching staff and infrastructure of our partner universities in the host countries to keep our operation costs low. We pass these benefits to our students by lowering the tuition fees. Please see the cost of our programs here.
Yes, NSFSS has a generous scholarship program. Our financial aid is need-based and students are encouraged to submit their application at the time of applying for admissions. NSFSS awards 5 scholarship per year, ranging from AUD 5000-AUD 10,000 per student. Please complete the scholarship application form.
There are no formal academic credit transfer arrangements from NSFSS programs. However, our students are trained and examined by qualified faculty from our partner universities. They receive a certificate and examination transcripts from the partner university. Students can use these to apply for the Recognition of Prior Learning(RPL) from their home institutions. NSFSS is there to help with any enquiries from institutions.
No, NSFSS welcomes application from a wide range of applicants. Applications from non-traditional groups, post-graduates, international students, TAFE and gap-year students are welcome to apply. All applicants must be 18 years and above by the start of their chosen 6 week session.
Yes, NSFSS aims to equip future leaders, irrespective of their location, with practical knowledge on the socio-cultural and environmental realities which undermine sustainability. We hope that their enhanced environmental worldviews will help them design approaches which might save the planet.
Health, safety and security are our top priorities at NSFSS. We do not allow students to participate in our program unless they have comprehensive health insurance. We enroll the students in our emergency evacuation repatriation insurance. We require students to register with their country’s embassies/high commissions in the host country, we have mapped out health facilities where we can take students in case they fall sick.
Our students’ accommodation is located in a very safe and reclusive area. The property is sandwiched between the Governor and the county commissioner’s residences, which are guarded 24/7 by elites police. Additional security is available whenever needed.
All staff working with students, whether university or NSFSS employed, have gone through a mandatory First Aid /CPR course.
NSFSS advises students to adopt a buddy system whereby students are encourages to avoid being alone at any given time (except where this is unavoidable)
The program delivery team consists of both University and NSFSS staff. The university staff, mainly faculty, are responsible for teaching academic support. A program co-ordinator and an assistant, employed by NSFSS, are present 24/7 to address students’ affairs issues, including, but not limited to, welfare, safety and wellbeing. NSFSS staff members stay close to the students to ensure their well being. Students are free to go wherever they want during their free time, provided they leave details of their whereabouts and how they can be contacted. A sign off/sign in sheet is provided.
The program’s 6 week sessions are short and intense. We understand that the academic activities can be quite exhausting for some students. For this reason, NSFSS allows students to take a mid-session break (Friday -Monday) to rest or engage in safe leisure activities of their choice. Students opting to stay outside the NSFSS provided accommodation during the break are required to sign a waiver for the duration they are away. Failure to return to the student accommodation, on time, after the mid-session break constitutes a serious breach of NSFSS regulation.
NSFSS local employee are available 24/7 to address students’ enquiries, resolve issues, assess risks and possible safety hazards and generally provide student support. Our local staff include a Program Co-ordinator and a Program Assistant. They work together with the university course facilitators to ensure a positive student experience.
If you are a parent or guardian of a student in our program, you are free to contact NSFSS at any time using the contact details provided, and we will do whatever we can to link you up with your student. On some occassions, students will be uncontactable because they are in the field with no access to network. In this case someone at NSFSS HQ in Australia, or our agent in the USA will advise you on the student’s availability.
Yes, you can arrive whenever you want prior to the start of your sesssion or stay behind for private travels after your session. Just let us know your plans in advance.
Yes, our learning model is organised around field study safaris. Students can expect to spend extended periods in the field, visiting some of the breathtaking natural areas on the planet. All field visits and excursion have a strong academic element, but many of the places are also famous tourists destinations.
Students can also visit other places of their choice during their mid-session break. However, students are highly encouraged to use this time to rest make short trips within the region where they are hosted.
All our course instructors are highly acclaimed experts in their fields of scholarship. For example, facilitators in the B2B program have a combined teaching and research experience of over 100 years. Their teaching is complemented by talks provided by practitioners in the areas of sustainability, socio-ecology and conservation. Students can meet these practitioners during field visits.
The NSFSS model draws the teaching staff from partner universities thus ensuring access to highly qualified local instructors for our programs.
Yes, at NSFSS we celebrate diversity. We welcome applications from students over 18 years. While each application will be assessed on its own merit, it is the applicant’s responsibility to consider their fitness levels, before they apply, owing to the mobile (safari) nature of our programs.
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