The Voyager Scholarship helps students pursuing careers in public service by providing access to travel and education.
Donor Name: Obama Foundation
State: All States
County: All Counties
Type of Grant: Scholarship
Deadline: 03/22/2023
Size of the Grant: up to $50,000
Details:
This scholarship gives college students financial aid to alleviate the burden of college debt, meaningful travel experiences to expand their horizons, and a network of mentors and leaders to support them.
The Voyager Scholarship is open to students entering their junior year of college at an accredited four-year college or university in the US, who have demonstrated a financial need, and who are US citizens, permanent residents, or DACA recipients.
Funding Information
Voyagers will receive the following:
- Financial aid up to $50,000: Students will receive up to $25,000 per year in “last dollar” financial aid to cover remaining tuition and/or living costs for their junior and senior years of college. This last-dollar approach builds on other financial aid programs and helps ensure the students can pursue a career in public service and are not constrained by crushing student debt.
- Summer Voyage: President Obama and Brian have different backgrounds, but share the fundamental belief and lived experience that exposure to new places and experiences broaden our horizons and redefine what we believe is possible. With a budget of $10,000, students will design their own summer voyage between their junior and senior year of college. The experience will allow students to pursue internships or mentorship opportunities anywhere in the world that will broaden their horizons and prepare them for careers in public service. Students will also be able to stay in homes on Airbnb using credits provided by Airbnb.
- 10-year travel stipend: After graduation, Airbnb will provide the students with a $2,000 travel credit every year for 10 years, totaling $20,000. This will allow students to continue to broaden their horizons and forge new connections throughout their public service careers.
- Fall Summit: Fall Summit: Each fall, students will be invited to a summit to help define and inspire their public service journey.
- A network of leaders: Throughout the program, students will be invited to an ongoing speaker series, giving them access to a network of leaders. This network of leaders will expose them to new areas of service and innovations happening in their fields. After graduation, they will join the Obama Foundation’s global community, providing them with Foundation resources and programming.
Eligible Applicants
- Plan to enroll full-time in their junior year of study at an accredited four-year college or university in the United States (including U.S. Territories) in Fall 2023. Eligible students are:
- Finishing sophomore year in Spring 2023. Applicants should be considered “juniors” based on the total number of earned credits at their institution by Fall 2023
- Or transferring from a two-year to a four-year college for their 2023-2024 junior academic year
- Have four (4) semesters or six (6) quarters of full-time academic coursework remaining before graduating
- Have a minimum grade point average of 3.0 on a 4.0 scale, or equivalent
- Have demonstrated a commitment to public service
- Plan to pursue a career in public service upon graduation
- Be a United States (U.S.) citizen, U.S. permanent resident (holder of a Permanent Resident Card), or an individual granted deferred action status under the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals Program (DACA)
They have a broad definition of public service, which includes careers in government, non-profits or the private sector. A career in public service includes a range of occupations—from community organizing to social work and from entrepreneurship to the arts—all committed to solving our biggest challenges together.
No employee, consultant, officer, or director of the Obama Foundation, member of the scholarship selection committee, or family member of any employee, consultant, officer, director, or member of the selection committee is eligible to apply.
For more information, visit Obama Foundation.
