A Program of the Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs of the United States Department of State and the American Councils for International Education: ACTR/ACCELS with Youth for Understanding (YFU)
The mission of the State Department’s Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs is to assist in the development of friendly, sympathetic and peaceful relations between the U.S. and other countries by fostering mutual understanding. The Bureau does this through a wide range of international exchanges and training programs, as authorized by the Mutual Educational and Cultural Exchange Act of 1961, as amended. The Bureau works in close cooperation with U.S. embassies overseas to promote personal, professional and institutional ties between private citizens and organizations in the United States and abroad, as well as by presenting U.S. history, art, and culture in all of its diversity to audiences overseas.
Underlying the Bureau’s activities is the belief that mutual understanding is of vital importance in an increasingly interdependent world; that person-to-person exchanges and training is the most effective way to promote mutual understanding; that international exchanges enhance the effectiveness of the United States in dealing with other nations; and that the exchange of persons and ideas is essential to the promotion of democracy, economic prosperity, international cooperation and global peace. A major part of the Bureau’s mission is to act as a catalyst for cooperation among hundreds of American private sector organizations engaged on the international scene.
The American Councils for International Education: ACTR/ACCELS with Youth For Understanding (YFU), is pleased to administer the 2000-2001 Department of State Freedom Support Act (FSA) Undergraduate Program. The program provides grants to citizens of Armenia, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Georgia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Moldova, Russia, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, Ukraine, and Uzbekistan for one academic year of undergraduate, non-degree study in the United States. Finalists will be selected through an open, merit-based competition on the basis of academic excellence, knowledge of English and the field of specialization, and need and preparedness for study in the U.S. Participants will attend a pre-departure orientation session in the NIS as well as a pre-academic program in the U.S. prior to the beginning of the academic year. During the academic year, participants will complete a volunteer community service and internship project. Upon completion of the academic year, the participants will attend an end-of-year workshop.
This application may be used to apply to one of two undergraduate programs: first-year students will attend two-year colleges and live with American host families; second- and third-year students (third-year students must be currently enrolled in 5-year programs at their home universities) will attend four-year universities and colleges and will live in dormitories. Please read the program description below and review the eligibility requirements carefully for the programs.
Opportunities to conduct independent research will not be provided on this academic exchange.
The FSA Undergraduate Program does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, sex, religion, national and ethnic origin, handicap, or disability.
A) Undergraduate Program at Four-Year Colleges and Universities
Applicants to this program must be currently enrolled as undergraduate students in the second or third year of study (third-year students must be currently enrolled in 5-year programs at their home universities), in good academic standing, in accredited (recognized by the national Ministry of Education) universities or institutes in one of the countries listed above. Students who will be entering the fourth year of study in a four-year undergraduate degree program in September 2000 are not eligible to apply. Scholarships will be awarded in the 2000-2001 academic year in the following fields:
B) Undergraduate Program at Two-Year Community Colleges
Applicants must be currently enrolled as undergraduate students in the first year of study, in good academic standing, in accredited (recognized by the national Ministry of Education) universities or institutes in one of the countries listed above.
Scholarships will be awarded in the 2000-2001 academic year in the following fields:
This program will be administered in the United States by Youth for Understanding International Exchange (YFU).
Participants of both programs will be required to complete 20 hours of community service during the first half of the year and 120 hours of an internship during the second half of the year. Participants will be placed at a wide variety of U.S. colleges and universities. They will take courses in their area of specialization as well as classes outside the major field. Participants will have the opportunity to participate in campus organizations and activities.
II. Participant Responsibility
Individuals participating in the FSA Undergraduate Program are required to uphold the academic standards of the host institution and the sponsoring organization, and undertake full-time study for the duration of the program. Failure to maintain academic standards or to meet the goals of the program may result in the participant’s dismissal from the program. Under the terms of the grant and under the laws governing the student visa required for participation, students must return to their home country immediately upon completion of the academic program to fulfill their two year homestay requirement.
III. See the Field Description section. Click here to see which Fields of Study are available.
IV. Instructions for Applying for FSA Undergraduate Program.
IV. Application Deadline Applications must be received at an ACTR/ACCELS office or an Education Information Center by 17.00, Friday, November 10, 1999. Forms can be either mailed or returned in person to one of the addresses on the following pages. Late or incomplete applications will not be considered. V. Selection Process Competition for the FSA Undergraduate Program is open and merit-based. In December 1999 and January 2000, selection committees of U.S. specialists in international education will review completed applications for candidates meeting the eligibility requirements. The committees will designate semi-finalists who will be interviewed and tested for English language proficiency using the "Institutional" Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) in March 2000. The U.S. selection committees will evaluate test scores and interview reports, and choose finalists and alternates in late April 2000. Finalists will be required to take the Official TOEFL, fill out a Medical Report Form, sign a Terms and Conditions document and attend a pre-departure orientation between late May and the end of June 2000. ACTR/ACCELS will cover all testing costs. Travel and lodging for semifinalists will not be covered. It is recommended that interested individuals contact an Education Information Center or an ACTR/ACCELS office to learn more about the American educational system and the application process for this program. Applicants should also consult with their academic advisors, as universities in the NIS often do not accept course credits earned at American colleges or universities. Participants MUST submit applications to an office in the country of their citizenship. (Example: If you have Moldovan citizenship, but study in Ukraine, you must submit an application to the Moldovan office.)
