The 140 candidates will be rated and selected by the Central State Office for Croats Abroad, with as many as 333 applications having been submitted. Some of the countries the applicants come from are Venezuela, Brazil, Bolivia, Colombia, Hungary, Canada, the USA, Poland, Italy, Germany, the Netherlands and Ecuador.
Applications could be submitted by members of the Croat people, their spouses as well as friends of the Croat people who promote the Croatian identity and cultural unity. They have to be at least 18 years of age, have at least secondary school qualifications and permanent residence outside Croatia or less than three years of permanent residence in Croatia.
The names of the shortlisted candidates will be published after 27 February, until which time complaints to the final list can be submitted.
The scholarship includes the tuition fee, subsidised meals and a monthly allowance of HRK 400 (€53) for accommodation in a student dormitory or a private apartment, which is paid to all students who successfully complete the semester.
Most of the candidates have said they want to study in Zagreb and Split, and only three each have applied for Rijeka and Osijek.
The number of places in dormitories is limited - 50 in Zagreb, 20 in Split, five in Rijeka and three in Osijek. Priority is given to students who are rated better than others and those under the age of 36, which is the majority of potential students.