Student Applicant Criteria:
- First-year international applicant in any field of study/major to a participating college or university. International applicant is an individual who holds citizenship in a country outside the U.S. and who does not also possess U.S. citizenship or permanent residency.
- Applicant demonstrates interest and initiative in promoting intercultural learning and exchange.
- Applicant meets the admission criteria and adhere to the deadlines at each college or university. Details will vary from school to school.
- Applicants must complete the YAWH scholarship application and a 500-1000 word essay or a two-to-five minute video* answering the following prompt: “Tell us about your leadership skills in your school or community, and how you plan to continue applying your leadership skills at the U.S. institution you are applying to.”
Timeline:
- January 1, 2026 – Colleges and universities should confirm their participation in the academic year 2026 – 2027 scholarship campaign with NAFSA by submitting the sign-up form.
- Institution Deadlines (typically in Spring or Summer 2026) – Students should complete a #YouAreWelcomeHere scholarship application for each selected institution by the institutions’ deadline, including either an essay or multimedia submission explaining how they will apply their leadership skills in the campus community.
- September 1, 2026 – Colleges and universities should notify NAFSA of their institution’s scholarship recipients by submitting this form. More information will be sent directly to participating institutions.
Participating Institutes:
The following institutions have committed to offering two #YouAreWelcomeHere scholarships beginning Fall 2025 to selected international undergraduates. For details on a particular institution’s scholarship, please contact the institution directly. This list may change without notice.
Adelphi University (Garden City, New York)
Ball State University (Muncie, Indiana)
California State University San Marcos (San Marcos, California)
Cedar Crest College (Allentown, Pennsylvania)
Clarkson University (Potsdam, New York)
Concordia College* (Moorhead, Minnesota)
Furman University (Greenville, South Carolina)
George Mason University (Fairfax, Virginia)
The George Washington University (Washington, D.C.)
Hawaii Pacific University (Honolulu, Hawaii)
Illinois College (Jacksonville, Illinois)
Kirkwood Community College (Cedar Rapids, Iowa)
La Roche University (Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania)
Lebanon Valley College (Annville, Pennsylvania)
Loras College (Dubuque, Iowa)
Miami University (Oxford, Ohio)
Michigan State University (East Lansing, Michigan)
Middlebury Institute of International Studies (Monterey, California) (NOTE: The Middlebury Institute is a graduate student-serving institution)
National Louis University (Chicago, Illinois)
Old Dominion University (Norfolk, Virginia)
Rutgers University-Camden (Camden, New Jersey)
Salve Regina University (Newport, Rhode Island)
St. Catherine University (St. Paul, Minnesota)
St. Francis College (Brooklyn Heights, New York)
St. Thomas Aquinas College (Sparkill, New York)
State University of New York at New Paltz (New Paltz, New York)
Stony Brook University (Stony Brook, New York)
Temple University* (Philadelphia, Pennsylvania)
Towson University (Towson, Maryland)
University of Idaho (Moscow, Idaho)
University of Maryland, Baltimore County (Baltimore, Maryland)
University of Mount Union (Alliance, Ohio)
University of Southern Indiana (Evansville, Indiana)
The University of Tulsa (Tulsa, Oklahoma)
University of Wisconsin – Stout (Menomonie, Wisconsin)
University of Wisconsin – Superior (Superior, Wisconsin)
Valparaiso University (Valparaiso, Indiana)
Wayne State University (Detroit, Michigan)
West Virginia University (Morgantown, West Virginia)
Widener University (Chester, Pennsylvania)
Wilkes University (Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania)
Wright State University (Dayton, Ohio)
*Denotes the universities that made the original #YouAreWelcomeHere commitment.
Please visit the student page for more information about how to apply for the scholarship. Scholarship requirements and deadlines vary between institutions. Please reach out directly to the individual institutions with any questions.
Source: You Are Welcome Here USA
