U.S. Department of State Scholarships

Source: American School Counselor Association


The U.S. Department of State provides over 1,000 merit-based scholarships each year for U.S. high school students to study abroad for a summer or an academic year in over 25 countries. These high school exchange programs prepare young Americans to succeed in the 21^st century's global economy by developing their foreign language skills, increasing their cross-cultural understanding, strengthening their leadership capacity, and fostering new academic insights and ambitions.  The application period is now open for the following programs:

• Congress-Bundestag Youth Exchange (CBYX) – Deadline December 11, 2018

• National Security Language Initiative for Youth (NSLI-Y) – Deadline October 30, 2018
• Kennedy-Lugar Youth Exchange and Study Abroad (YES Abroad) – Deadline December 4, 2018
• Youth Ambassadors (application period opens in December)

These scholarships include international airfare, tuition, and program costs, as well as meals and living accommodations (often with a host family).  The programs have no language prerequisites, but applicants must be between the ages of 15 and 18 when the program starts. Seniors are welcome to apply and can travel after graduation, as long as they meet the age requirement.  They are particularly trying to reach young people who would not otherwise have the opportunity to participate in a study abroad experience.
Information is available at exchanges.state.gov/highschool.  Printed documents about these programs are available upon request. To receive those, please send your contact information, and affiliation and quantity requested to youthprograms@state.gov.