General
- Who can apply for Global Leader Scholarships?
- What are the requirements?
- How much can I receive?
- Do I have to be set on my country choice when I apply for Global Leaders?
- Why haven’t I heard back from AFS even though I submitted forms?
- Can I apply for multiple scholarships?
- Where can I find out about other scholarships?
- Does AFS refund the tuition deposit if I win a full scholarship?
- Can my scholarship be applied toward the $900 deposit?
- How will I be notified of the award amount and deadline?
Timing
- What’s the deadline for Global Leaders Scholarship consideration?
- When are awards the highest?
- Why do I have to submit my AFS application within one month of finding out my Global Leaders scholarship amount? I’m not sure I can commit so quickly.
- What will happen if my preferred program choice(s) close before the one month scholarship deadline?
- What if I don’t complete my full application within the one-month window?
Need-based aid
- How much does my family have to make to qualify for financial aid?
- What is F.A.S.T./ISM?
- How do you decide who gets a need-based scholarship?
- What if my family’s finances aren’t adequately represented on the FAST application?
- How long does it take to complete the FAST application?
- Why do I have to pay in order to be considered for financial aid?
- What if my award is not enough for my family to afford to send me abroad?
- What if we can’t come up with the $900 deposit within the one month period?
- Is there a financial appeal process (if a family is not satisfied with the award they are given or if the family financial situation changes)?
Merit-based Aid
- How do you decide who gets a merit-based scholarship?
- Who should do my letter of recommendation?
- What if the person who is filling out the form wants to send an additional letter or additional comments?
- Can I use the same letter of recommendation for Global Leaders as for the full app?
General
Who can apply for Global Leader Scholarships?
Any student who has submitted a preliminary application for a 2010 program. We won’t start reviewing 2011 applicants until summer 2010.
What are the requirements?
In general, your family must make under $80,000 annually to be considered for need-based aid and you must have strong academics, community service, and leadership to be considered for merit-based aid.
How much can I receive?
Please see the main Global Leaders page for current ranges. In 2008, the average need-based award was $2700 and $600 for merit-based, though the amount you may receive is largely affected by the time of year you apply. For example, a year program student with full financial need and average merit would receive $4900 in August or just $2500 in April.
Do I have to be set on my country choice when I apply for Global Leaders?
No, but you do need to know what year and program length you’re applying for. Some flexibility on your country choice may allow the scholarship committee to consider you for more awards. Also, keep in mind that you will cut costs considerably by choosing a less expensive program.
Why haven’t I heard back from AFS even though I submitted forms?
We review your application once you’ve submitted all the forms you indicated you’d submit on your cover sheet: for need, this consists of the FAST application and supporting tax documents, and for merit, this consists of your self evaluation and letter of recommendation. You can always email scholarships@afs.org if you’re not sure what’s missing.
Can I apply for multiple scholarships?
Global Leaders is a scholarship program that encompasses both need and merit, and we encourage you to apply for both in order to have a chance at a larger award. The vast majority of AFS Scholarships are given through the Global Leaders Scholarship Program. We also encourage you to apply for other scholarships, such as NSLI-Y or Congress Bundestag, which have a separate application. If you are lucky enough to win multiple awards, you can choose which you wish to accept. We suggest discussing the timing with your advisor since some scholarship winners are not announced until spring.
Where can I find out about other scholarships?
All scholarships currently offered are posted here. If you’ve seen a scholarship before that is not posted, it means we’re not currently accepting applications.
Does AFS refund the tuition deposit if I win a full scholarship?
Yes, the deposit will be refunded if you win a full scholarship through NSLI or Congress-Bundestag. Global Leaders only awards partial scholarships.
Can my scholarship be applied toward the $900 deposit?
No—we can consider you for a scholarship before you put your $900 deposit down, but in order to actually have the scholarship amount credited toward your AFS program tuition, you must pay the deposit. Your Global Leaders scholarship is then applied to the remaining amount of your program tuition.
How will I be notified of the award amount and deadline?
Your Student Services Advisor will call you to review your award. The Scholarship Department will send out an award email confirming the award amount, and the date the award will expire (i.e. full application due date). Your local volunteer interview contact will be copied on this email. If the deadline date is later than the program close date, you must complete the application by the program close date.
Timing
What’s the deadline for Global Leaders Scholarship consideration?
Global Leaders has a rolling admissions process, so we review complete applications every week as they come in. We recommend that you apply early in the school year as our awards decrease throughout the year to give advantage to early applicants.
When are awards the highest?
Each July, when we begin reviewing applications for the coming program year.
Why do I have to submit my AFS application within one month of finding out my Global Leaders scholarship amount? I’m not sure I can commit so quickly.
We require your application within one month because this helps us tell whether you are serious about moving forward and accepting your scholarship offers. Your AFS advisor and local AFS volunteer are available to talk with you and your parents if you have hesitations about committing to an AFS program so quickly.
What will happen if my preferred program choice(s) close before the one month scholarship deadline?
Based on the program(s) you’ve selected, it may be necessary to complete the application in less than a month in order to meet the program deadlines set by the AFS hosting partner. Please visit our Available Programs page for current deadlines.
What if I don’t complete my full application within the one-month window?
Your scholarship offer will expire, but we can re-evaluate you at any later date if you email scholarships@afs.org. However, the revised offer will likely be less because our scholarship funds decrease throughout the course of the year. If you are struggling to get the required form completed in time, please contact your AFS Advisor as soon as possible, 1-800-237-4636, so that we can help you out or consider a small deadline extension if necessary.
Need-based aid
How much does my family have to make to qualify for financial aid?
In general, families who earn over $80,000 Total Gross Income per year do not qualify. However, our financial aid application looks at many different factors including cost of living for your area, how many children you have, whether you’re self-employed, how much you pay in housing costs, etc. So, really you just have to apply to find out whether or not you qualify!
What is F.A.S.T./ISM?
FAST is the standard submission format for all AFS need-based aid applications. Financial Aid for School Tuition is an online financial aid assessment tool provided by Independent School Management, which is independent of AFS-USA. FAST provides AFS with a report, which includes a recommendation of what a family should reasonably contribute toward tuition. All information from FAST is kept confidential.
How do you decide who gets a need-based scholarship?
AFS assumes that the family and candidate are responsible for educational costs to the greatest extent possible. Please see our Financial Assistance Policy for more details.
What if my family’s finances aren’t adequately represented on the FAST application?
There is a space on the FAST financial aid application to write us a “letter” if you have had recent changes to your income that are not reflected in your taxes yet, or if you have additional information to share.
How long does it take to complete the FAST application?
The application process is self-guided. You may navigate in and out of the program, allowing you to partially complete an application and go back to it at another time. The application takes an average of 45 minutes to complete, and it is helpful if you have your most recent taxes handy.
Why do I have to pay in order to be considered for financial aid?
The $34 processing fee is a fee charged by FAST, whose services provide AFS with an objective snapshot of each individual family’s financial situation. Your family can receive a fee waiver directly from AFS if you have extenuating financial circumstances.
What if my award is not enough for my family to afford to send me abroad?
We encourage you to raise a portion of your own tuition. For fundraising ideas, you can work with your local AFS volunteers and check out the great ideas on our Fundraising Wiki page.
What if we can’t come up with the $900 deposit within the one month period?
AFS will allow families that show the highest percentage of need on their FAST application to pay a deposit of $500 (instead of $900). If you qualify for the reduced deposit, we’ll let you know at the time of your award notification. All other scheduled payments will have to be met in full.
Is there a financial appeal process (if a family is not satisfied with the award they are given or if the family financial situation changes)?
Yes, and we outline this appeal process in our award notifications. Basically, we need to know if anything has changed for you financially since your initial review, and we need to see a budget worksheet of your plan to cover the costs so that we can see how much you expect to fall short.
Merit-based Aid
How do you decide who gets a merit-based scholarship?
We assess merit based on the information submitted in your self-evaluation and letter of recommendation. We evaluate merit based on three categories: academics, community service, and leadership. You must show strength in each of these areas to qualify for an award, and the stronger you are, the higher your award may be.
Who should do my letter of recommendation?
Someone (preferably an educator) who can best speak to your academics, community service, and leadership experience.
What if the person who is filling out the form wants to send an additional letter or additional comments?
Additional supplements to the set forms will not be considered in determining the award.
Can I use the same letter of recommendation for Global Leaders as for the full app?
Yes, and the scholarship department will upload this letter to your full application for you.
