Machine Learning Scholarship Program for Microsoft Azure

See below for frequently asked questions about this Scholarship Program.

• How does this scholarship program work?

  The scholarship program begins with the application. All students interested in the scholarship opportunity should submit a completed application before the application deadline. All applicants will then be notified of the admissions decision via email, regardless of whether they are accepted into the program. Accepted students will receive instructions via email about how they can enroll in the initial scholarship foundations course.
  
  Phase 1: Scholarship Foundations Course
  In the first phase of the Machine Learning Scholarship Program for Microsoft Azure, students will receive rigorous training, typically requiring 2-3 hours of work per week for 2 months. Students in the foundations course will be trained on key machine learning skills, receive a robust community experience supported by Udacity mentors and a dedicated Community Manager, and have a chance to qualify for a full Nanodegree program scholarship. At the end of the foundations course, Udacity will select 300 students to be awarded a full scholarship to a Udacity Nanodegree program. Selections will be made based on successful completion of lessons and quizzes in Phase 1 and student participation and support of classmates in the student community.
  
  Phase 2: Full Scholarship for a Udacity Nanodegree program
  300 students in the program will earn a scholarship to the new machine learning Nanodegree program with Microsoft Azure. Nanodegree programs typically require 10 hours of work per week for the duration of the Nanodegree program. This program will offer world-class curriculum, integrated Azure labs for a smooth learning curve, a groundbreaking classroom experience, industry-leading instructors, thorough project reviews, and a full suite of career services.

• Who is eligible to apply?

  Anyone 18 years of age and older is encouraged to apply. You must complete the application in full to be considered. Udacity employees and individuals that reside in countries subject to U.S. trade restrictions are ineligible to apply.
  
  Scholarship recipients should be prepared to invest about 2-3 hours per week during the foundations course, which should run two months, and about 10 hours per week during the Nanodegree program, which should run for four months.
  
  Please note, there are recommended prerequisites for the foundations course. Students with experience with basic Python programming (e.g., ability to read and write simple Python scripts; understanding of introductory concepts like variables, loops, modules, conditionals, data types, and functions). In addition, students should have some experience with fundamental statistics and algebra, including an understanding of data distributions (e.g., normal distribution) measures of central tendency and variability (e.g., mean and standard deviation) and basic linear equations. Udacity also recommends basic familiarity with fundamental machine learning concepts (such as feature engineering and supervised vs. unsupervised learning) and classic machine learning algorithms (such as linear regression and k-means clustering). If you would like to brush up on these concepts, you can refer to our free course, Introduction to Machine Learning.

• Where does the program take place?

  The program takes place 100% online. You can work from wherever you want to, as long as you have a working internet connection.

• When will applications open and close?

  The online application window will be open from June 10, 2020, to June 30, 2020. The official start date for the foundations course will be July 8, 2020, and will be available until September 10, 2020.

• How many spots will be available?

  The foundations course will be available for 10,000 students.

• How is Phase 1 of this scholarship different from Udacity's single course offerings?

  Udacity's single courses consist of lessons, videos, and quizzes. But they do not provide comprehensive staff support available to answer technical questions, review student projects, and provide guidance and help. Scholarship students in Phase 1 of this program will receive technical guidance from community mentors and will participate in an actively managed scholarship student community where they can engage with and receive support from their fellow classmates.

• Are there any costs associated with this program?

  The foundations course and Nanodegree program will require performing tasks in an Azure lab environment. However, Udacity has created a workspace that is integrated with the Azure portal, which gives students seamless access to the labs. Students don't need to create an Azure account or submit additional information on their end to access the labs.

• Which Nanodegree program is included in Phase 2?

  After the foundations course, full Nanodegree program scholarships will be awarded to students based on the progress in Phase 1 and their contributions to the Udacity community. The scholarships awarded will be for a brand-new machine learning Nanodegree program with Microsoft Azure.

• How will the full Nanodegree program scholarships be earned?

  After the initial 2-month Phase 1 of the program ends, follow-up scholarships will be provided for a new machine learning Nanodegree program with Microsoft Azure. Students will be evaluated based on successful completion of lessons and quizzes in Phase 1 in addition to their active participation and support of classmates in the student community.

• How many hours per week should I expect to spend on my coursework in order to succeed in this program?

  Between instructional content, quizzes, and other course-related activity, we estimate that investing 2-3 hours/week will enable you to proceed through the foundations course at a successful pace, finishing before your 2-month scholarship ends in Phase 1. If you are awarded a follow-up Nanodegree program scholarship, you will have four months to complete the Nanodegree program, which requires approximately 10 hours/week of learning.

• How will it help me?

  As increasing services move to cloud functionality, the need for expertise on machine learning and cloud infrastructure increases. In fact, nearly 90% of companies rely on cloud computing. As Machine learning is becoming popular with cloud technologies, and Azure being the top cloud provider among Fortune 500 companies, the free course and Nanodegree program will enable a new generation of machine learning practitioners to succeed in their careers.

• Are there specific class hours when I need to be online or can I go through the lessons and study whenever I want?

  You can study on your own schedule so long as you complete the course within 2 months. That is to say, you’ll have complete access to the course directly in your classroom 24 hours a day. We understand that students have different schedules and will work on their course at different times and on different days. What’s important is that students make consistent progress each and every week and get through all the content before the end of the 2-month period.

• Will I definitely get a job based on these scholarships?

  These scholarships do not guarantee you a job. But Udacity students often do get jobs after graduating from programs like these. Check out some student stories.

• What are the Terms and Conditions?

  You can find more details on the Terms and Conditions here.

• What if I have additional questions?

  If you have additional questions that were not answered here, please submit a support ticket via this form.