American University runs the AU Emerging Global Leader Scholarship for international first-year applicants committed to positive civic and social change. The current cycle includes two full awards as well as additional partial awards selected through the same process.
Recipients pursue an undergraduate degree in any major at American University in Washington, DC. The program combines academic study with leadership development and global engagement, with an expectation that scholars use their education to address needs in under-resourced communities in their home countries.
Benefits & funding
- The full AU EGLS covers billable tuition, room, and board and is renewable for four years if the scholar maintains satisfactory academic performance.
- Full-award recipients must cover health insurance, books, flights, taxes, and other non-billable expenses estimated by AU at about US $4,000 per year.
- Additional partial scholarships are worth up to US $40,000 per year and require proof of funds for costs not covered by the award.
Eligibility
- Applicants must be international first-year students who will need a non-immigrant student visa to study in the United States.
- U.S. citizens, U.S. permanent residents, people with pending U.S. permanent residency, and dual citizens of the United States and another country are not eligible.
- Applicants cannot be enrolled in or have begun post-secondary study at another university in their home country or the United States.
- Applicants must have graduated from secondary school in 2024 or later; AU gives preference to students still in secondary school who will graduate by June 2027.
- All majors offered at American University are eligible.
- AU gives preference to applicants who have overcome obstacles, come from underrepresented global or socioeconomic backgrounds, demonstrate leadership and service, advance needs in their home country, and meet AU English-proficiency requirements.
Can you apply?
Here's who can apply
Decoded from the official rules. A free account checks them against your passport, degree and age in seconds.
Eligible nationalities
Canada · Mexico · Guatemala · Costa Rica · Nicaragua · Honduras · El Salvador · Panama · Belize · Cuba · Haiti · Jamaica
+ 218 more
Bahamas · Barbados · Dominican Republic · Dominica · Grenada · Antigua and Barbuda · Saint Kitts and Nevis · Saint Lucia · Saint Vincent and the Grenadines · Trinidad and Tobago · Anguilla · Aruba · Bermuda · Bonaire · Saba · Sint Eustatius · British Virgin Islands · Cayman Islands · Curaçao · Montserrat · Guadeloupe · Sint Maarten · Turks and Caicos Islands · Greenland · Brazil · Argentina · Chile · Colombia · Peru · Ecuador · Paraguay · Bolivia · Uruguay · Venezuela · Guyana · Suriname · Falkland Islands · UK · France · Germany · Italy · Spain · Portugal · Netherlands · Belgium · Luxembourg · Switzerland · Austria · Sweden · Norway · Denmark · Finland · Iceland · Faroe Islands · Gibraltar · Guernsey · Jersey · Isle of Man · Åland Islands · Svalbard and Jan Mayen · Ireland · Poland · Czechia · Hungary · Romania · Serbia · Greece · Bulgaria · Estonia · Latvia · Lithuania · Ukraine · Russia · Albania · Andorra · Belarus · Bosnia and Herzegovina · Croatia · Cyprus · Kosovo · Liechtenstein · Malta · Moldova · Monaco · Montenegro · North Macedonia · San Marino · Slovakia · Slovenia · Vatican City · China · Hong Kong · Macau · Taiwan · Japan · South Korea · North Korea · Singapore · Malaysia · Thailand · Vietnam · Indonesia · Philippines · India · Nepal · Brunei · Pakistan · Bangladesh · UAE · Saudi Arabia · Israel · Türkiye · Mongolia · Cambodia · Laos · Myanmar · Timor-Leste · Sri Lanka · Bhutan · Afghanistan · Armenia · Azerbaijan · Bahrain · Georgia · Iran · Iraq · Jordan · Kazakhstan · Kuwait · Kyrgyzstan · Lebanon · Maldives · Oman · Palestine · Qatar · Syria · Tajikistan · Turkmenistan · Uzbekistan · Yemen · South Africa · Kenya · Nigeria · Egypt · Morocco · Ghana · Uganda · Cameroon · Algeria · Angola · Benin · Botswana · Burkina Faso · Burundi · Cabo Verde · Central African Republic · Chad · Comoros · Côte d'Ivoire · DR Congo · Republic of the Congo · Djibouti · Equatorial Guinea · Eritrea · Eswatini · Ethiopia · Gabon · Gambia · Guinea · Guinea-Bissau · Lesotho · Liberia · Libya · Madagascar · Malawi · Mali · Mauritania · Mauritius · Mozambique · Namibia · Niger · Rwanda · São Tomé and Príncipe · Senegal · Seychelles · Sierra Leone · Somalia · Somaliland · South Sudan · Sudan · Tanzania · Togo · Tunisia · Zambia · Zimbabwe · Western Sahara · Saint Helena · Australia · New Zealand · Fiji · Papua New Guinea · Samoa · Solomon Islands · Tonga · Vanuatu · Kiribati · Marshall Islands · Micronesia · Nauru · Palau · Tuvalu · Cook Islands · French Polynesia · New Caledonia · Pitcairn Islands · Niue · Tokelau · Wallis and Futuna
Education required
High School
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Application process
- 1Submit the Common Application and all required supporting materials for first-year admission.
- 2Create the AU applicant portal after receiving an invitation.
- 3Submit the AU EGLS application and essays through the applicant portal by January 15, 2027.
- 4Upload a signed AU Declaration of Finances Form and a bank letter, each confirming at least US $4,000.
- 5Arrange for the testing agency to send official accepted English-proficiency scores directly to American University by the deadline, unless proficiency is established through an accepted curriculum route.
- 6If selected as a semi-finalist or finalist, complete the required Zoom interviews and any additional essays.
Program timeline
Common Application, supporting materials, and AU EGLS application and essays due.
January 15, 2027
Finalists and award winners notified.
April 1, 2027
Undergraduate study begins.
Fall 2027