Frequently Asked Questions

Question 1

What is For9a

For9a · Accepted Answer

FOR9A is the biggest dynamic platform in the Middle East that provides free educational advice, training, capacity building, and skill development opportunities for young people living in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA). FOR9a provides different opportunities that vary to include scholarships (Bachelor, Masters, PhD), fellowships, training, conferences, competitions, events and festivals, internships, volunteer work, workshops, financial grants, cultural exchange programs, online courses, vocational and technical training and job opportunities.

FOR9A’s services are as follows:

First: Local and global opportunities for young people in the Middle East and North Africa, which get published on a weekly basis with no less than 70 free and funded opportunities. FOR9a publishes different types of opportunities that fall into 11 major categories (scholarships, fellowships, cultural exchange programs, workshops and courses, competitions, training opportunities, events, conferences and festivals, vocational training programs, volunteering opportunities, job opportunities, and financial grants).
Second: Taalam portal for articles: It is a wide range of articles that enriches the users’ academic and cultural background covering all their inquiries regarding the scholarships/jobs application process. It also helps users to learn the English language, learn about the personal and employability skills and develop them, in addition to the motivational content and self-development articles.
Third: The Specialities Directory: It is a comprehensive guide that contains more than 200 university speciality within 8 major groups. It explains in detail each major, the materials it contains, the characteristics and skills required, the best universities that teach it, the speciality branches, the jobs it provides, the speciality demand, the expected salary after graduation, in addition to the most famous graduates throughout history.
Fourth: Jobs Directory: It is a comprehensive career guide, it contains more than 300 jobs. It provides a description of each job, the main skills, responsibilities, and personal characteristics needed, the labor market demand and the estimated salary. It also has been linked with the specialities directory to make the user aware of the jobs offered by each discipline.
Fifth: The Aptitude and Career Test; it is a free test that helps users discover and analyze their personalities and determine their most appropriate university major through a set of questions that assess their skills, personal characteristics, mental agility and links them with a group of specialities that suit their skills, capabilities and personal traits.

Sixth: FOR9A Free Online Courses: FOR9A offers free online courses with free certificates in different fields developed and produced by FOR9A team. In addition to other prestigious online courses made by the most known companies.

Question 2

How can I register on FOR9A?

For9a · Accepted Answer

To register on the FOR9A, visit For9a.com and click on "Register" or register from here and fill out your personal information such as name, email and password, in addition to other information about your specialty and the languages you speak, so you can see the opportunities that suit you the most.

Question 3

What opportunities does FOR9A post?

For9a · Accepted Answer

We post opportunities available to young people across the MENA region, from Morocco to Yemen. We post many types of opportunities that can enhance your professional life - from scholarships, fellowships to workshops and seminars, from festivals and grants to internships and job positions. Look under the opportunities section to see all the opportunities. We post opportunities from a broad range of providers and organizations across the globe: locally and internationally.

You can also take advantage of the search and filtration options available on FOR9A by being able to search by a specific word or by using the advanced search that allows you to search for the opportunity category, location, nationality and speciality.

Question 4

When are most opportunities posted?

For9a · Accepted Answer

We publish opportunities daily. We publish more than 70 opportunities per week which vary to include scholarships, training opportunities, online courses, volunteer opportunities, competitions, festivals, events, conferences cultural exchange opportunities, workshops, vocational training programs, fellowships, and grants.

Question 5

Does FOR9A provide any funds to users?

For9a · Accepted Answer

Unfortunately, we do not offer any funds. We run by donations and know, as you do, what a challenge it can be to get the funds needed to accomplish your goals. So what we can give is advice based on our experience raising funds needed to reach our goals:

1. Besides the official invitation and appeal for support the organizers have provided you with, you can add a third document, written by yourself - make the letter as concise as possible (max 1 page!), be short and to the point.

Be as transparent as possible. Say exactly how much your travel costs are (for example, a two-way ticket to [XXX] is 500 JD), and state in the letter how much you have raised thus far (for example 200 JD). This gives a potential sponsor very valuable information to know how much you still need and gives an idea of how much they can contribute.
Personalize the letter. Address the person you will send it to, or you want the person to read. Don't send a generated letter that addresses anyone.
Include information about why they would invest in you. What can you do for their organization/company/business/institute? (for example, give talks about [XXX] spread the word on the topics of [XXX] to employees or their beneficiaries through giving free seminars or workshops, etc.)
Tailor your letter to the organization/business: know what they are about, and how their mission and objectives can match yours.
Make your own main argument. How can your home country benefit from your participation? Why would someone invest in you?

2. Are you employed? If so, talk to your employer and see if they would like to invest in you to go. Think about a way this experience can benefit your colleagues in order to convince your boss to help fund your travel.

While we don't have the funds to support your trip, we hope that the above advice helps to secure the funds needed to go. Please keep us updated on the fundraising efforts and we would love to hear from you during and after the event! We look forward to your stories and photos.

Question 6

Can you provide me with funding for studies/ resources?

For9a · Accepted Answer

Unfortunately we do not provide any funding for any studies or resources. Many of the opportunities that we post are fully funded by external organizations, including travel, insurance, and stipends for required resources and living expenses.

Question 7

Are the opportunities on FOR9A fake?

For9a · Accepted Answer

We in FOR9A, check each opportunity and make sure of its credibility. As a result, the opportunities on our website are real and not fake. But if you are applying for opportunities on other websites, here are some tips to avoid applying for fake opportunities.

1. Check the website links - check the links provided to communicate with opportunities (emails, Facebook, the website URL found in an email or letter). Do these links look genuine? Is it consistent from the university or business name mentioned? Is it from a .com or academic website (.edu is typically used in the US and .ac.uk in the UK)? Does it have a trustworthy web address? Additionally, do an online search for the opportunity or university, it should be clear which is the ‘real’ one. If the web link on the post is different, then it is probably a scam.

2. Also, check the Facebook Pages and other social media pages in the same way. Are there different names used?

3. Look at the offer letter - do they give further details (address, bank account information, etc.)? If so, then check these too. If you apply for a university in the UK, the bank details to pay fees should not be located in another country outside of the UK. Always make sure that the recipient is the university itself! If not, be aware that it is a scam!

4. Contact the 'real' provider - contact the people on the real Facebook page or website and forward them the email or posting you received or saw. It might be important for them to be aware of this fake email/scam, and it is a good way to connect to them and learn about the real programs they offer.

5. Don't react and don't send them anything!

Question 8

When does the scholarships application start?

For9a · Accepted Answer

There is no specific date for all scholarships, as the application deadlines differ from one university to another, and some scholarships are not awarded annually. But in general, Scholarships to the United States often have application deadlines in the autumn and winter. Scholarships in Europe vary greatly, some have deadlines as early as October for example Oxford and Cambridge while other universities accept applications until Spring. If you apply for a scholarship in October, November or December 2015 - it will normally be for a course that starts in September 2016. Always check each university separately for deadline dates!

Around October many of the big fellowships start to take applications - for example, Chevening, and Erasmus Mundus. In the USA you can keep an eye out for Fulbright scholarships (each country has its own deadline, and World Bank fellowships.

We post events, internships, job openings, workshops, etc. all year round. And don't forget that some scholarship and fellowship opportunities are launched at other times of the year - so keep checking For9a.com! It is also very important to do the research yourself. Visit university websites or search for scholarships in your field of study. There are hundreds of universities with their own funding schemes and deadlines. So think about what you would like to study and where and do some research into what funding is available to you.

Question 9

What is a CV/Resume?

For9a · Accepted Answer

A resume is a summary of your professional and educational history and skills that are relevant to a particular job, position or scholarship. A resume is one of the key documents that help employers or selection committees decide whether to accept you into a job, scholarship or training course. It is also one of the first documents that they will read about you. Resumes are required for all job applications and many scholarships and fellowship applications.

Question 10

I'm looking for a job/scholarship/internship etc.

For9a · Accepted Answer

Take a look at our opportunities section and select what kind of opportunity you are looking for to find the perfect opportunity. Also have a look at our Facebook and Twitter pages, where we post about the opportunities that are currently available.

Question 11

How do I apply for opportunities on your website?

For9a · Accepted Answer

First of all you need to register at For9a.com, this is quick, simple and free. Then, search for opportunities using the search tools. Each opportunity post has a "How to Apply" section that is only available to members. This section will include information on what details you need in the application process, any documents, essays, etc. that you will have to provide, as well as links to any application forms.

Question 12

I keep applying to the opportunities posted on FOR9A, but I haven't been accepted to any yet, why?

For9a · Accepted Answer

First of all, we thank you for your confidence in FOR9A, and for applying for the opportunities we offer. Don't give up! And stay positive! :) Many of the opportunities we post are very competitive. Moreover, our main role at FOR9A is to provide you with access to opportunities, and we are not responsible for the selection and acceptance process in most cases. But you can always contact the opportunity provider by scrolling at the bottom of the opportunity page and clicking on “How to Apply” and reading the “Contact Information” section in which we put the contact information of the provider as the official website, e-mail, phone number, or questions form.

Question 13

Below, are some tips we suggest for you to increase the chance of being accepted:

For9a · Accepted Answer

1. Make sure that you fit the eligibility requirements before you apply to an opportunity so that you know that you're the right kind of candidate and have the right skills for the opportunity;

2. Take a look at our Taalam articles on writing a good resume, motivation letter, cover letter, internship application and how to succeed in an interview;

3. Make sure you check your application for any mistakes and ask someone else to read over it;

4. Keep applying! You will succeed :)

I managed to get an opportunity through For9a!

Well done! We're very pleased for you! Please let us know your story - by emailing us at: info@for9a.com. We would love to hear from you.

Question 14

I want to post on an opportunity your website

For9a · Accepted Answer

If you are an institution or provider of opportunities (university, training center, employer, language center, website..etc) and you want to publish opportunities on FOR9A, we encourage you to register and create an account for your organization at FOR9A from here and then click on "Add a new opportunity" and fill out all the opportunity information. Our content team will contact you later to complete the publishing process. For help and to know more about FOR9A’s services, please contact us at: pr@for9a.com

If you’re a user, please send us information about the opportunity you are providing to info@for9a.com and we will check it out and post it in case it meets our content policy.

Question 15

How can I write a motivation letter?

For9a · Accepted Answer

A motivation letter also called “a statement of purpose” or “motivation statement” is a very personalized document in which you talk about your motivation for choosing a particular field of study, university, or country and about the real reason behind your interest in a particular opportunity.

The main purpose of a motivation letter is to provide the one reading it with further details related to your application which you could not write in your CV.

It's a good idea to use what you mentioned in your motivation letter as a starting point for your conversation during the interview phase, so make sure you are honest and fully aware of what you've written.

You can book a session with one of our counselors to prepare your own motivation letter by clicking here.

And you can learn more about how to write your own motivation letter by reading the following articles on the Taalam platform:

Question 16

What is TOEFL and IELTS?

For9a · Accepted Answer

These are English language tests for non-native speakers valid for two years. The TOEFL and IELTS tests aim to examine the student's general language capabilities and skills.
They are required for many scholarships that will be taught in English, as well as a variety of other opportunities. They are provided at your local AMIDEAST (TOEFL) office or British Council (IELTS). Make sure you study well for them, as they require a fee to sit in on them.

Question 17

What is the Specialities Directory on FOR9A?

For9a · Accepted Answer

It is a comprehensive guide that contains a detailed explanation of each university major. The specialities directory aims to provide the student with all the information they need before choosing a specific major and to be fully aware of what the speciality is and whether it really suits them or not. It provides the users with the following information:

Introduction about the specialty;
The skills, personal characteristics and educational qualifications needed.
The speciality branches;
The speciality subjects taught in most universities including the optional and compulsory subjects;
How many years it takes to study each speciality;
The job market demand on each speciality;
The advantages and disadvantages of each speciality;
The job titles available for each speciality;
The best universities around the world teach each speciality;
The scholarships available for each speciality;
The most famous influential graduates of this speciality;

Have a look at the specialities directory from here (only available in Arabic).

Question 18

How can I find out which university major is right for me?

For9a · Accepted Answer

FOR9A offers a set of effective ways to help you choose the most appropriate speciality. It launched the Specialities Directory, which is a comprehensive guide that contains a detailed explanation of each university major, in addition to a specialist test called “Aptitude and Career Test” which was created to help individuals, especially high school students, understand and choose which specialties would be the most conducive and successful for them. The test aims through a set of questions divided into three main stages to evaluate your capabilities, skills, interests, and personal characteristics, and then display a certain number of specialties that suit the users according to their results.

See the Aptitude and Career Test from here. (Only available in Arabic)

See the Specialities Directory from here. (Only available in Arabic)

Question 19

What are the future specialities/majors?

For9a · Accepted Answer

It is the majors that have a future and provide a more stable guarantee for the students' future careers and are in a good demand day after day.

See the future specialities/majors at FOR9A from here. (Only available in Arabic)

What is the Aptitude and Career Test on FOR9A?

The Aptitude and Career Test was created to help individuals, especially high school students, understand and choose which specialties would be the most conducive and successful for them. It consists of three specialized parts. Which are:

The Personality Test: This first part lasts from 14-16 minutes and helps measure the user’s ability to perform in a specific speciality based on their interpersonal characteristics.
The Skills and Interest Measurement Test: The second part is intended to evaluate the user’s knowledge, abilities, strengths and weaknesses for the most important and demanded skills, and focuses on the academic and non-academic interests. It can be completed in 12-15 minutes.
The IQ and Memory Test: It measures the user’s abilities in math, memory, observation, analytical and reasoning skills. It takes around 20 minutes.

These three tests correlate with each other to cover all of the contributing components needed to determine the most appropriate university major for each individual.

See the Aptitude and Career Test from here. (Only available in Arabic)

Question 20

Is there a mobile application for FOR9A?

For9a · Accepted Answer

Yes, FOR9A app is available for both Android (download the app from here) and iOS (download the app from here). FOR9A Application provides you with a special experience and distinct services as it shows you a custom opportunities and articles that may suit you in particular, according to the information you filled during the registration process (you can update your information at any time through your personal profile).

What are FOR9A’s accounts on social media?

FOR9A’s has accounts on the following social media platforms:

Question 21

How can organizations benefit from FOR9A?

For9a · Accepted Answer

FOR9A provides web-based outreach services to organizations (universities, government institutions, employers, training centers, language centers, organizations, initiatives, startups, etc.) around the world. It provides targeted outreach, better brand awareness, and data analysis tools.

The services FOR9A offers for organizations:

Organizations like universities, colleagues, government institutions, employers, training centers, language centers, NGOs, initiatives, startups, etc. can benefit from the FOR9A by announcing their opportunities (scholarships, job opportunities, workshops, training opportunities, contests, courses, volunteering opportunities, study programs, events, conferences, festivals, etc.) on FOR9A to reach more than one million registered users in the Middle East and North Africa regions. FOR9A services for institutions include:

Create organizational profile that allows users to follow and pin the opportunities listed under the profile.
Marketing and promotion services on FOR9A’s Social Media accounts and highly readable newsletter which are followed by more than one million users.
Data Report that includes detailed statistics, such as reach, engagement, and demographic data.

For help and more information, please contact us at pr@for9a.com.

Question 22

Whom is the counseling sessions for?

For9a · Accepted Answer

The counseling sessions are not targeted for a specific group. Everyone can get benefit from this service, students, graduates, and employees. However, those who are willing to apply for a scholarship or study abroad will get benefit from the "Applying for Scholarships and Studying Abroad" counseling sessions. As well as, those who are facing challenges in their academic life and need advice in choosing their university major will get benefit from "Choosing College and Vocational Major Counseling" sessions.

Question 23

Will the counseling sessions guarantee me the scholarship or the job I want?

For9a · Accepted Answer

Counseling sessions do not provide any guarantees that an acceptance will be obtained from any scholarship, study program, or job. Session mentors do not bear any responsibility for any possible rejection and they are ethically prohibited from writing application answers and essays on your behalf.

Question 24

How can I prepare for the counseling sessions?

For9a · Accepted Answer

To best benefit from For9a counseling sessions, we recommend that you write down any questions or inquiries you have before attending the session.

For the CV/ Motivation Letter review session, you have to send your CV or Motivation Letter to your mentor beforehand so he/she can take a look at it before your session.
For CV writing and Motivation Letter preparation sessions, we recommend that you prepare a list that includes all your academic and professional skills and experiences to be discussed with the mentor during the session.
As for “Choose your major” and “Make a career path plan” sessions, you will have to take the Personality test from For9a and submit your result to your mentor so he/she can review it and build on it before giving the right consultation.

Question 25

Can my friend or a family member join me in the session?

For9a · Accepted Answer

For9a counseling session are 1-1 sessions and provided individually via Zoom app. The presence of siblings, friends or other people is prohibited and may prevent you from getting the full benefits of the session.

Question 26

How can I give my feedback or notes after the session?

For9a · Accepted Answer

We would love to hear from you and receive your feedback! After you complete your session you will receive an email to evaluate your experience and you can then give your notes or suggest any ideas that might contribute to developing and improving our sessions.

Question 27

Will I get a ready-made professional CV after taking the “Create CV” session?

For9a · Accepted Answer

Yes! After getting to know your academic and professional skills, and carefully reviewing them by our experts, a high-quality professional CV will be prepared. You will be also provided by a set of valuable advice that will help you create your own CV in the future and you can book the service again in case you need a new, different CV.

Question 28

Can I get a real face-to-face session instead of having an online one?

For9a · Accepted Answer

Due to the spread of the Covid-19 virus, the sessions will be only available online via Zoom. With the possibility of providing face-to-face counseling services in the future for those who live in Jordan.

Question 29

What are the payment methods available to purchase any of FORSA's counseling sessions?

For9a · Accepted Answer

Payments are made online only via PayPal as it is the most secure and does not require sharing of any of your banking information.

Question 30

What types of counseling services does For9a offer?

For9a · Accepted Answer

Here at For9a, we are working constantly to increase the number of services we offer to meet our user’s needs and aspirations. At this stage, our counseling services include the following:

CV writing.
Filling out the scholarship application form.
Preparing the motivation letter.
Preparing the Letter of Intent.
Choosing a suitable university/ vocational major.
Preparing for the scholarship interview.

You can book any of these sessions via this link.

Question 31

Are FORSA's counseling sessions free?

For9a · Accepted Answer

FORSA's counseling sessions are not free, as we charge a fee to maintain our sustainability and cover the service's expenses.

Question 32

How can I book the counseling session I need?

For9a · Accepted Answer

By clicking on the session you need from the main page, you will have three steps. The first step is to go to the session information page that shows an overview of the session's outputs and the available counselors who will give the counseling session. The second step is to fill out your information and book the date and time that suit you. The third step is to complete the payment process.

Question 33

What are the questions that the Choosing a college/vocational major counseling sessions answer me?

For9a · Accepted Answer

What is the right major for me?
I am confused about many career fields.
I have decided what to study at university, but I do not know what to do after graduation.
Where can I study the right major for me?
What if I chose the wrong major?
My father wants me to study a specific major, what should I do?
I want to know the fields of work that my major offers.
How do I search for a suitable job and how do I apply for it?
How do I improve my skills and job competencies?
I want to change my job and work in a field that suits me best.
I know what I want to do but I don't know what major will help me with that.
I do not know the required job market fields.

Question 34

How long are the counseling sessions?

For9a · Accepted Answer

The duration of each session varies according to the service you choose, as they are as follows:

Choosing a college/vocational major": 45 minutes/session
"Making a career path plan": 45 minutes
"Creating a CV": 60 minutes
"Prepare Letter of Motivation: 60 minutes/session
"Filling out the application form": 60 minutes/session
"Preparing for a scholarship interview": 60 minutes to prepare

Question 35

How many counseling sessions do I need?

For9a · Accepted Answer

This depends on your needs and varies from one person to another. However, FORSA has determined the number of sessions required for each service, as some services, such as "Filling out the application form", require a minimum of two sessions. Moreover, this will be more accurately defined by the counselors after they meet you and get to know your needs and goals from the session.

Question 36

Does FORSA share my personal information with any party?

For9a · Accepted Answer

FORSA does not share any of your personal information with any party and guarantees a very high level of privacy.

Question 37

What is FORSA’s Educational and Career Counseling?

For9a · Accepted Answer

It’s a one-one counseling session/s held directly between the user and one of FORSA’s experts in various fields, including choosing the appropriate college/vocational major that corresponds to the capabilities and skills of the user and the needs of the labor market. It also offers counseling sessions in career fields that include job search and application, preparation of the required documents like the CV. In addition to its services in helping users to apply for the scholarships and prepare for the interviews. FORSA counseling service was launched due to the users' continued needs for a specialized expert to provide them with advice and guidance in the fields of study, work and access to opportunities.

Question 38

When should I book a counseling session with FORSA?

For9a · Accepted Answer

FORSA counseling sessions may be right for you if you're looking to improve the quality of your career or study life. Whenever you're not sure about the suitable major for you or face difficulties filling your application form, creating the CV or preparing the motivational letter we will be able to help.

Question 39

Does For9a represent the universities or entities that grant the scholarship?

For9a · Accepted Answer

No, For9a does not represent any of the entities granting the scholarships. Our counseling sessions and workshops are meant to help Arab students in the MENA region to know more about the scholarships, their conditions, requirements, and the application process.

Question 40

Can I apply for the scholarship without registering for the sessions or the workshop?

For9a · Accepted Answer

Of course, For9a counseling sessions and workshops are not obligatory or one of the scholarship application requirements. Its main purpose is to help you gain a better idea about the application process.

Question 41

Does For9a guarantee that I will get the scholarship?

For9a · Accepted Answer

For9a does not provide any guarantees that an acceptance will be granted from any scholarship or university. Our counselors do not bear any responsibility for any possible rejection by the university or study program that you have applied to.

Question 42

What are the available payment methods?

For9a · Accepted Answer

You can pay for your session or workshop via any of the following:

PayPal
Visa Card, Master card
Bank Transfer.
Western Union.

For any additional details about the payment method and procedures, you can contact the Forsa team via email:

counseling@for9a.com

Question 43

Do you have a service to fill the scholarship application?

For9a · Accepted Answer

For9a counselors are strictly prohibited from filling out the scholarship application form by themselves or answer the essay questions on behalf of the applicant. Our counselors will guide you through the application process and give you tips on how to make your application stand out and more compelling.

You can register for any of our sessions via this link. By the end of the session you will be able to:

Learn about all application sections and the requirements for each question.
Analyze each question and brainstorm the answers.
Get tips for building strong sentences and formulating correct answers.
Get help in answering the essay questions.
Receive your final report on the outcomes of the workshop or counseling session.

Question 44

Is there a specific bank in my country that I should use for payment?

For9a · Accepted Answer

You can pay for our services using any bank in your country. Other ways of payment include the following:

PayPal
Visa Card, Master card
Western Union.

Question 45

Do you offer a certificate after the workshop?

For9a · Accepted Answer

For9a Counseling does not offer a certificate at the end of the session or workshop. But you will receive an email after your session, containing the most important details about the scholarship and all the tips that have been discussed during the session.