Kennedy-Lugar Youth Exchange and Study (YES) Scholarships 2024-2025: Submit Application

YES Scholarships Program Eligibility Criteria:

In keeping with the U.S. Government-sponsored initiatives, dedicated to democratic reform, the competition for the Youth Exchange and Study scholarship is merit-based and open at no cost to all applicants who meet the following requirements:

• Be between the ages of 15-17 by the start of the program (August 1, 2024)
• Be enrolled in high school at the time of application in their respective home country.
• Have earned minimum marks of 60% in all major/core subjects (English, Mathematics, Sciences) in the last class attended without any failing grades, and have an overall minimum average mark of 60% for the past three years. (Students with a gap year or a repeated year are ineligible.)
• Be able to communicate in English. Applicants must have earned a minimum mark of 60% on the last English exam and minimum marks of 60% for the previous two years
• Meet U.S. J-1 visa eligibility requirements (for instance, U.S. citizens are not eligible for J-1 visa);
• Must be an international citizen.
• Must not have traveled to the United States.

Note: Applicants must earn minimum marks of 60% in all subjects on the examination (the annual exams that will be held in 2024) that will be held prior to departure to the U.S. Students will be required to send their mark sheets from the last examination.

Students with Disabilities:

The program can support students with disabilities and encourages their participation. The Department of State and the YES program work with Mobility International (MIUSA) to provide students with disabilities leadership-building workshops, appropriate information, and support as needed to enhance their year in America. Students with disabilities must also meet the above eligibility requirements. Applicants with disabilities are encouraged to contact their YES office for information on eligibility.

Eligible Countries to apply for YES Program Scholarships:

The program currently accept students from the following countries:

Albania | Bahrain | Bangladesh | Bosnia, and Herzegovina | Bulgaria | Cameroon | Egypt | Gaza | Ghana | India | Indonesia | Israel (Arab Communities) | Jordan | Kenya | Kosovo | Kuwait | Lebanon | Liberia | Libya | Malaysia | Mali | Morocco | Mozambique | Nigeria | North Macedonia | Pakistan | Philippines | Saudi Arabia | Senegal | Sierra Leone | South Africa | Suriname | Tanzania | Thailand | Tunisia | Turkey | West Bank.

YES Program Scholarships Documents Requirement:

Candidates must provide the following set of documents at the time of applying for the YES Scholarships Program

• Online Application Form completed by the applicant.
• Terms and Conditions Form signed by the applicant and all parents/legal guardians.
• Parent/legal guardian statement
• Grade Transcripts: uploaded in PDF form
• Letter of Motivation to explain the intent of applying to the YES program.
• Statement of purpose (SOP)
• Scholarship Application Resume
• A copy of a valid passport for at least one year
• Recommendation letters from two professors of the previous institute.
• English Proficiency Exam

YES Scholarships Program Application Procedure:

STEP-1 Preliminary Application

• Students who fulfill the Selection Criteria and agree to the Parent-Student Agreement and General Program Rules can apply for the scholarship. Female students, students with physical disabilities, and students from non-elite and government schools who meet the criteria are strongly encouraged to apply.
• Students who are eligible according to the Selection Criteria, but whose schools are not interested in participating in the YES program, can apply independently. They can download the Preliminary Applications from the website and submit them with all of the required documents via courier or mail. Please do not send any original documents. Any documents submitted are not returned. Only send the photocopies of the documents mentioned in the Preliminary Application.
• All participating schools/organizations must collect fully completed Preliminary Applications with all required documents from students and submit the applications and required documents to the iEARN Center in their home countries.

STEP-2 Entry Test

• After the initial Preliminary Application screening, short-listed applicants will be notified for the YES Entry Test (proctored essays) through letters sent to the address they provided in their Preliminary Applications.

STEP-3 Interviews

• Students who pass the Entry Test will be sent/couriered Interview letters with YES Final Applications.
• Students will be required to complete the YES Final Application and attend the Interviews. (Students must come with completed YES Final Application along with required documents.)

STEP-4 ELTiS

• Students who get through the interview will be required to take the English Language Proficiency Test.

STEP-5 Final Evaluation

• The final selection of students will be based on the following: Entry Test, Interview, neatly completed YES Final Application with all required documents, and ELTiS test score.
• The finalists will be notified by a letter and Scholarship Acceptance form from the YES Program Director.

Keep checking the announcement section of the YES Pakistan website or Facebook page for updates and information.

Important Note: Providing any false/forged documents or information or any discrepancy found at any stage of the selection process will result in the disqualification of the applicant.

YES Program Scholarship Deadline for Applications:

Deadline to apply for 2024 YES Program Scholarships is 22^nd October, 2024.