The Tomorrow’s Leaders Program is sponsored by the U.S. Department of State’s Middle East Partnership Initiative and administered for applications by FHI 360. It supports eligible students from the Middle East and North Africa to complete undergraduate study at the American University of Beirut, the American University in Cairo, or the Lebanese American University.
Alongside degree study, scholars complete leadership development, community service, and internship activities. Eligible undergraduates may also apply for a semester at a university in the United States. Applications for the 2026–2027 academic year are closed.
Benefits & funding
- Tuition and enrollment fees for up to four undergraduate academic years.
- University health insurance, entrance visa and residency-permit fees, student housing, a monthly living stipend during program activities, a textbook allowance, and a laptop for the program’s duration.
- Two round trips each year to the recipient’s home country, territory, or place of residence.
- Civic-leadership and career workshops, internship opportunities, faculty mentoring, and a possible U.S. study-abroad semester.
Eligibility
- Applicants must be citizens of Algeria, Bahrain, Egypt, Iraq, Jordan, Lebanon, Libya, Morocco, Syria, Tunisia, the West Bank or Gaza, or Yemen; U.S. citizens and U.S. legal permanent residents are ineligible.
- The 2026–2027 cycle accepted current high-school seniors and 2025 graduates, with 2024 graduates also eligible from Iraq, Libya, Syria, the West Bank or Gaza, and Yemen. Current university students were considered case by case.
- Applicants need strong academic credentials, leadership potential, adaptability, university-level English, and demonstrated financial need.
- Applicants had to be able to travel and begin undergraduate study in August 2026; shortlisted finalists had to confirm English proficiency before selection.
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
Algeria · Bahrain · Egypt · Iraq · Jordan · Lebanon · Libya · Morocco · Syria · Tunisia · Palestine · Yemen
Education required
High School · Bachelor Enrolled
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Application process
- 1Check the citizenship, school-leaving, academic, English, leadership, financial-need, and travel requirements.
- 2Complete the centralized Tomorrow’s Leaders application; no separate AUB, AUC, or LAU application is required.
- 3Submit household financial details, a personal statement or video, school transcripts with English translations where needed, extracurricular or volunteer evidence, the online English assessment, and two recommendations.
- 4If shortlisted, attend the January interview and complete any required TOEFL, IELTS, or SAT testing before partner-university review.
Program timeline
September 16, 2025
Applications opened for the 2026–2027 academic year.
Application deadline.
November 25, 2025
Initial application review.
December 2025
Shortlisted applicants interviewed.
January 2026
Testing and referral to partner universities.
February–April 2026
Conditional offers issued on a rolling basis.
May–July 2026
Some conditional admits offered an eight-week online English intensive.
June–July 2026
Pre-departure orientation, leadership workshops, travel, and undergraduate study began.
August 2026