US Department of State

U.S. Department of State Scholarship Study Abroad Programs for U.S. High School Students

Cody Dynarski

September 21, 2023

The U.S. Department of State’s Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs (ECA) offers more than 1,000 scholarships for high school students in the United States to study abroad in over 25 countries for varying durations, such as a few weeks, a summer, or an entire academic year. These exchange programs aim to equip young Americans with the skills and knowledge needed to thrive in the global economy of the 21st century. They focus on enhancing foreign language proficiency, promoting cross-cultural understanding, bolstering self-confidence and leadership abilities, and inspiring fresh academic perspectives and aspirations.

Applications are currently being accepted for the following scholarship programs:

  • Congress-Bundestag Youth Exchange (CBYX): Participants live with host families and attend high school in Germany. 

  • Application Deadline: November 1, 2023 
    Program Length: Academic Year

  • Future Leaders Exchange Abroad (FLEX Abroad): Participants live with host families and attend high school in Georgia, Kazakhstan, or Poland. 

  • Application Deadline: December 6, 2023 
    Program Length: Academic Year

  • Kennedy-Lugar Youth Exchange and Study Abroad (YES Abroad): Participants live with host families and attend high school in the Middle East, Africa, Asia, or Europe. 

  • Application Deadline: December 6, 2023 
    Program Length: Academic Year

  • National Security Language Initiative for Youth (NSLI-Y): This program offers language immersion in Arabic, Indonesian, Mandarin, Hindi, Korean, Persian, Russian, or Turkish. 

  • Application Deadline: November 2, 2023 
    Program Length: Six to seven weeks in summer or the Academic Year

  • Youth Ambassadors: This program focuses on civic education and leadership development in the Caribbean and South or Central America. 

  • Application Deadline: November 13, 2023 
    Program Length: Two to three weeks in summer

These programs cover various expenses, including international airfare, tuition, program-related costs, meals, and accommodations (often with host families), among other provisions. Most programs do not require specific language prerequisites, except for certain Youth Ambassadors programs. Applicants must be aged between 15 and 18.5 at the commencement of the program. The U.S. Department of State’s Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs is committed to representing the diversity of the United States and foreign societies in its programs.

Another way to experience global perspectives is by hosting an international exchange student. Each academic year, nearly 2,000 high school students from more than 50 countries participate in competitive U.S. State Department programs to study in the United States through CBYX, FLEX, and YES initiatives.

For additional information and outreach materials, please visit https://exchanges.state.gov/highschool and hosting.state.gov. 

If you have any inquiries, please feel free to contact them at youthprograms@state.gov.