Local Area Team Awards:
Area Teams who offer local scholarship opportunities truly make it a reality for students in their communities to study abroad. To the volunteers who fundraise for local scholarships, help review scholarship applications and/or conduct in-person interviews, or simply spread the word, thank you for the work you do to support sending students abroad. Though AFS-USA offers many national scholarships, those funds, coupled with local team/chapter scholarships/aid make it possible for families to say YES! instead of No. We’ve had the pleasure of working with volunteers from around the country and we look forward to working with others who already offer or plan to launch a scholarship soon.
It’s important that AFS Staff are aware of local scholarships opportunities so that we can guide parents and students on the opportunities funding opportunities available to them. We hope you’ll consider posting your local scholarship(s) on the AFS website, where students and families can learn about all scholarship and fundraising options.
To learn more or to collaborate with us, you can contact us by sending an email to scholarships@afsusa.org or by calling Amy Kiana-Rendon at 646-751-2092.
NH18 Scholarships Updates:
VAYA A AMERICA LATINA: Vaya has traditionally been offered to summer program (4-8 weeks) applicants planning to study abroad in Central or South America. We’ve now opened the scholarship to include semester and year Latin American destinations! Students applying to Brazil, Mexico, Ecuador, and Peru, for the semester or year, may now apply to receive a $2,000 merit scholarship. To learn more about the scholarship details, visit Vaya a America Latina. The application deadline is March 16, 2018.
VIAGGIO ITALIANO: The Viaggio Italiano merit-based scholarship is now available for the NH18 year! Year Program applicants interested in studying abroad to Italy should apply before the March 2, 2018 deadline. The scholarship, valued at $2,000 per person, will be awarded to a maximum of four applicants this year. Students who qualify for need-based aid may combine both the Global Leaders and the Viaggio Italiano scholarships.
Don’t forget to review all available scholarships including Cultural Explorers and Global Leaders Financial Aid on the scholarships page.
SH Scholarship Updates:
Congratulations to the following SH18 Scholarship recipients and their area teams!
- Aspen G. – Greater Cincinnati Area Team Area Team, Sakura Scholarship to Japan (50% scholarship), $7,950
- Edward S. – Greater Cincinnati Area Team, BP Global Citizens of Tomorrow Scholarship (full scholarship)
- Enger R. – E-Z Pass Area Team, BP Global Citizens of Tomorrow Scholarship (full scholarship)
A total of $13,500 in Global Leader Financial Aid has been awarded to seven SH18 applicants ranging from $1,000- $2000. The area teams include:
- Colorado Area Team
- Heartland Area Team
- Northwest California Area Team
- Dallas Area Team
- Milwaukee Area Team
Fundraising Resources:
The holiday season is here! In lieu of gifts such as electronics, clothing, or gift cards, encourage applicants in your area to start a “Sponsor an AFSer” page so that their family and friends can support them financially on their journey to study abroad.
Sponsor an AFSer is AFS-USA’s FREE online fundraising tool (similar to GoFundMe), allowing students to fundraise through their personal networks (friends, family, school). The donations are applied directly to their AFS program fee. For more info, contact AFS-USA’s Scholarship Advisor, Jon Meyer, email scholarships@afsusa.org, or call 1-800-AFS-INFO ext. 2093!
Diversity Initiatives:
AFS-USA provides resources to prepare participants and their families before they embark on their study abroad journeys. In addition to the current program preparation resources such as CultureTrek and Pre-Departure and Gateway Orientations, additional resources that speak to the unique concerns of students from underrepresented communities are valuable, if not essential, to helping these students succeed. In response to those needs, we launched the Diversity@AFS page on AFS-USA’s website in 2015. Diversity@AFS offers testimonials and videos from AFS Volunteers, host families, and Sending participants sharing their personal experiences. The webpage also expresses (and celebrates) our commitment to diversity and affirms that inclusion is a part of the AFS mission. This is especially highlighted by our Faces of America program. Of course, we still have more work to do to ensure that all communities (such as those who are differently-abled) are supported by AFS.
In addition to the website, AFS-USA offers webinars for LGBTQ applicants (and potential applicants) as well as for Students of Color. These online sessions, facilitated by AFS Staff and Returnees, offer testimonials, resources, and tools that help applicants prepare for and navigate the AFS study abroad experience. All webinars are optional and invitations are sent to all students and families via email.
The latest LGBTQ Webinar took place on December 12 and the Students of Color webinar will take place on January 11, 2018.
For more information about these resources visit www.afsusa.org/diversity or contact your Study Abroad Specialist. Specific questions related to our inclusion efforts with LGBTQ students may be directed to lgbtqexchange@afsusa.org and, for Students of Color, you can send your questions and/or comments to Shameeka Leacock at sleacock@afsusa.org.