AFS Global Citizen Scholarships & Aid
AFS Global Citizen Scholarships & Aid, through the help of generous donors, offers students $1 million in partial to full scholarships for summer, semester, and yearlong AFS-USA study abroad programs. AFS scholarships honor students’ initiative and commitment while providing financial assistance to help more young people experience life abroad.
We know that intercultural experiences have the power to shape young lives and communities. That’s why AFS is committed to meeting the demonstrated financial need of qualified applicants who apply by the scholarship deadline.
U.S. Department of State Scholarships
AFS-USA also sends participants on U.S. Department of State funded scholarships. Programs include Kennedy-Lugar Youth Exchange and Study (YES), Congress-Bundestag Youth Exchange (CBYX), and the Future Leaders Exchange (FLEX). All three are programs of the U.S. Department of State’s Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs.
Fundraising Resources
AFS-USA offers a variety of fundraising resources to our study abroad participants. Once accepted in your program, AFS provides a comprehensive Fundraising Guide and a fundraising tool that is unique to AFS-USA called Sponsor an AFSer, which allows you to create and share a webpage so your connections can donate directly to your program fee. 100% of all donations go toward your fee, and should you not go abroad for any reason, 100% of donations would be refunded to all donors. These resources offer extra support to applicants, so that they can make their dreams of studying abroad a reality!
Yoshi Hattori Scholarship
The Yoshi Hattori scholarship is a full scholarship designed to promote intercultural understanding and peace. Created in memory of Yoshi Hattori, a beloved AFS exchange student to the U.S. from Japan, this scholarship offers the opportunity to strengthen meaningful connections between the U.S. and Japan through AFS-USA’s Flagship Program. To apply for this scholarship you must start your AFS study abroad application for a year program to Japan departing in Spring.
Asia Kakehashi Scholarship
The Asia Kakehashi Project＋(plus) (kakehashiis Japanese for “bridging”) is to strengthen relations between Japan and the rest of Asia and G7 member countries. The program provides full scholarships for the high school students to live and study in Japan, while growing their global competence and becoming future leaders.
AATF & AFS-USA Scholarship
AFS-USA and the American Association of Teachers of French (AATF) are proud to celebrate French language and culture by awarding a $7,500 scholarship to a current high school student interested in broadening their understanding of the Francophone world and strengthening their French language skills.
To be considered for this scholarship, applicants will need to speak with their French teacher who, as a member of the AATF, will nominate the student for the scholarship to AATF directly.
Lingco Scholarship
AFS-USA has partnered with Lingco, an organization whose mission is for every student to see the value in language learning and to believe that they too can learn a language. Lingco has generously decided to offer six full scholarships each year to one of four selected AFS-USA summer programs. To start the application process, you must be nominated by a language teacher directly to Lingco.
AFS Asia Pacific Initiative (AAI) Scholarship
AFS Asia Pacific Initiative (AAI) is a partial, merit, and need-based scholarship designed to promote partnerships with and study abroad experiences in Asian region to build a more just and peaceful world. This scholarship is offered for a year program to Türkiye and summer programs to China and Malaysia. To apply for this scholarship, you must start your AFS study abroad application for the above-mentioned programs.