Evaluation of King Abdullah Scholarship Program

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the King Abdullah Scholarship Program. Three research questions were addressed by this study. The questions were how Saudi students perceive the King Abdullah Scholarship Program. Was there a difference between male and female Saudi students regarding their King Abdullah Scholarship Program. Were there differences in Saudi students based on the level of education regarding their King Abdullah Scholarship Program.

Interpretation of the study was subject to the following limitations. The study was limited to Saudi students in Saint Louis University and analyzed king Abdullah scholarship program. The study was limited to only Saudi students in Fall 2012. There were 46 Saudi students in the different gender and educational levels.

The survey had 25 questioners about the Saudi student experiences with this program. The survey consisted of three sections. There were quality program, service and student needs. For the quality program, the king Abdullah scholarship program should promote partnerships with Saudi and American universities. It should help prepare students for their new job and to be part of a knowledge-based economy. To enhance the quality of service from SACM, the overall quality of telephone support should be improved. The staff must be effective in the service they provide. The time required to resolve issues must be reasonable. The quality of service should be improved. To improve the students’ skill, this scholarship monthly stipend should be adequate for students need. This program should not only be for graduate students but also for undergraduate students. This program must help students to find good jobs when they complete their program. Since all the data above showed only a 0.05, there was not a significant difference in evaluation of king Abdullah scholarship program between male and female Saudi students, and between the overall educational levels.

Keywords: king Abdullah -scholarship program- Saudi Arabia