Obama Voyager Scholarship

The Obama Voyager Scholarship (Obama-Chesky Scholarship for Public Service) is open to 2nd year students who demonstrate strong leadership and a commitment to service.

It is a two-year leadership development and scholarship program. Through a transformational combination of barrier-reducing financial aid, an immersive work-travel experience, and a robust network of leaders and mentors, the Voyager Scholarship is designed to inspire, empower, and connect the next generation of leaders and equip them with the tools and resources they need to launch their careers in public service.

The program provides:

-up to $50,000 in last dollar financial aid

– a funded summer “voyage” between the junior and senior year

-ten years of travel benefits from AirBnB

-leadership development and mentoring opportunities

The application normally opens in early Feb with a deadline in March.

DAAD- German Academic Exchange Service Scholarships

DAAD offers scholarships for graduate study, research, and internships in Germany.

Our office is available to assist you with your application. Start here  for information about the available programs.

Phi Beta Kappa Key Into Public Service Scholarship

Open to 2nd and 3rd year students who have a strong liberal arts background and are committed to public service.

Provides $5000, a conference in DC, grad school and job mentoring, and other opportunities. Students do not need to be members of Phi Beta Kappa.

Deadline is in early winter; see PBK for details.

McCall MacBain Scholarships

The McCall MacBain Scholarships at McGill University

The McCall MacBain Scholarship is a full scholarship for your master’s or professional studies.  Students and graduates of Canadian and U.S. universities, as well as Canadians abroad, must apply by September 25, 2024.

The program recruits a diverse cohort (20 Canadian and 10 international students) of young leaders from all fields of study. Students must apply concurrently for admission to an eligible graduate program at McGill.

Current UCLA undergraduates and recent graduates must be nominated by UCLA.  Please contact the CSSE for assistance. Our campus deadline for nomination is August 16, 2024.

Foreign Affairs Information Technology Fellowship

The FAIT Fellowship, a two-year Fellowship program funded by the U.S. Department of State and administered by TWC,  focuses on attracting top technology talent to the Foreign Service that reflects the diversity of the United States. The program is designed for highly talented individuals who want to pursue an IT-related undergraduate or graduate degree and a career in the Foreign Service. This two-year fellowship provides:

  • Up to $43,500 annually in academic funding for tuition, room and board, books, mandatory fees and some travel expense (see eligibility requirements).
  • Stipends, housing and travel allowances for the two summer internships: A domestic internship in Washington, D.C., at the U.S. Department of State and an overseas internship at a U.S. Embassy or Consulate abroad.
  • Personalized mentoring and professional development opportunities throughout the program.
  • The State Department increased the maximum academic funding this year to $43,500 annually for two years, from $37,500 annually.

Application will be open Sept through February.

Eligibility:

  • Be a U.S. citizen.
  • Be enrolled full-time in an IT-related bachelor’s degree program OR seeking admission in an IT-related master’s degree program at a U.S.-based accredited institution
  • Be on a timeline to graduate with your bachelor’s or master’s in spring 2025 while enrolled full-time for spring and fall semesters*
  • Hold a minimum 3.2 GPA on a 4.0 scale at the time of the application, and maintain this GPA throughout the program

As a selected FAIT Fellow, you must:

Samvid Scholars

Samvid Scholars is a 2-year graduate scholarship for future leaders and change makers. The scholarship provides up to $50,000/yr for two years, plus leadership development programming.

Eligibility:

At time of application, preparing to enter a graduate program of at least 2 years in one of the following: MD, MBA, JD, MPP/MPA, EdD, MS/MA in the Social Sciences or STEM.

US Citizen or DACA recipient

min. 3.5 undergraduate GPA

 

Selection criteria include academic excellence, leadership, service focus, bias towards action, and grit.

Application opens in mid-Feb and is due in April. Apply the spring immediately prior to entering an eligible graduate or professional school program.

FAO Schwarz Fellowship

The FAO Schwarz Fellowship is a 2-year paid social impact experience.

Fellows are placed with nonprofits (see the fellowship website in November for a list of placements) and receive pay and benefits, along with other opportunities.

The application is available Nov 1 and due Feb 1.

Charles B. Rangel International Affairs Program

The Charles B. Rangel International Affairs Program provides generous scholarship funding along with internships and mentoring to launch students’ careers in the Foreign Service of the US Department of State. This program encourages the application of members of minority groups historically underrepresented in the Foreign Service, women, and those with financial need. Fellows who successfully complete the program and Foreign Service entry requirements will receive appointments as Foreign Service Officers, in accordance with applicable law and State Department policy.

Eligibility:

US citizen, min 3.2 GPA, planning to enter an eligible graduate program (related to international affairs) the year of application.

The fellowship provides up to $42,000 annually for a two-year graduate program, along with summer internships and mentoring. There is a service commitment to the US State Department upon completion.

Quad Fellowship

The Quad Fellowship will fund exceptional master’s and doctoral students in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) to study in the United States

$40,000 one-time stipend for academic expenses

Applicants must:

  • Be at least 18 years of age at the time of application

  • Be citizens or legal permanent residents of Australia, India, Japan, or the United States, or any of the 10 ASEAN countries – Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, or Vietnam

  • Have a bachelor’s degree or its equivalent in a STEM field

  • Have a demonstrated record of superior academic achievement at the undergraduate level

  • If applicants are currently enrolled in a Master’s or PhD program in the United States, they may apply if they will be enrolled in a qualified academic program during their time as a Fellow

  • Eligible fields: STEM MS and PhD programs (clinical medicine programs are not eligible)

Contact the Quad Fellowship for application timeline and updates.

Yenching Academy

UCLA is a partner university for the Yenching Academy of Peking University. Supported by the Center for Scholarships & Scholar Enrichment.

The Yenching Academy of Peking University aims to build bridges between China and the rest of the world through an interdisciplinary master’s program in China Studies. This initiative brings together young people who have demonstrated a talent for leadership and innovation. At Yenching, they are immersed in an intensive learning environment where they can explore China and its past, present and future roles in the world. The Academy’s goal is to shape new generations of global citizens with a nuanced understanding of China. The Yenching Academy provides full fellowships to its scholars, and offers them a wide array of interdisciplinary courses on China within broadly defined fields of the Humanities and Social Sciences. Working closely with their academic mentors, the Yenching scholars create their own study paths by choosing courses from six research areas. They also participate in a variety of extracurricular activities organized by the Yenching Academy and designed by scholars themselves. Studying at the Academy is an exceptional opportunity to take part in intercultural exchanges and interdisciplinary learning, and to develop personally and professionally.
The Yenching Academy provides a generous fellowship that includes tuition fees, round-trip travel between scholars’ home countries and Beijing, accommodation on campus, and a monthly stipend. The Academy’s residential program aims to create a community of enthusiastic, globally oriented young innovators in the heart of Peking University, and encourages them to take fully advantage of this unique opportunity by participating and engaging in campus life
YENCHING ACADEMY FAQ’s
The campus deadline each year will be set for November 1st.
Qualifications:
• Minimum of a Bachelor’s degree in any field, or currently enrolled on a degree program awarded no later than August 31 of the year in which they wish to enroll;
• An outstanding academic record;
• Strong interest in interdisciplinary study of China;
• A record of extracurricular achievement, community engagement, social responsibility, and leadership potential;
• English proficiency.
We do not have a strict age cut-off for applicants, but to date, no person over the age of 28 has been admitted to the program. The average age of students entering the program is 23.
Application Process:
UCLA has the privilege of nominating selected students, applicants should submit the following to CSSE Institutional Endorsement Portal: 

1. Application Form: Yenching and UCLA Application Form
2. Certificate of English proficiency (IELTS 7 /TOEFL 100 / Cambridge C1 / CEFR 180 or C1) for students whose native language is not English or who are not enrolled in an English course of study
3. Official Transcript from bachelor’s degree program and other currently-enrolled program (if any)
4. Personal statement (maximum 750 words)
5. Statement of Research Interest (maximum 1500 words, excluding citations)
o Should include key research question(s), background to study and/or
summary of literature, and study design that could reflect the applicant’s
academic training. Please note that applicants are not committed to
making this proposed project their Master’s thesis topic. The Admissions
Committee wants to judge how they formulate and write about academic
topics
6. Resume / curriculum vitae (2 pages maximum)
7. Two letters of recommendation, please have recommenders send letters directly to the CSSE with partner university recommender form.
Note: Please combine all materials to a single pdf and If you are selected by the UCLA committee to have your application forwarded to the Yenching Academy, you will have to apply directly online to the Yenching Application Portal, and UCLA will assist in sending in your letters of recommendation and transcripts.

For any additional questions contact us.