The Center for Life Beyond Reed

Paul & Daisy Soros Fellowships for New Americans

Apply through Independent Application Process

Internal Deadline: none - see website for annual deadline, usually early November

» Scholarship's official website

Description

This fellowship provides 30 awards of up to $90,000 for up to two years of graduate study in any subject at any accredited university in the United States. Applicants must be immigrants or children of immigrants who are pursuing graduate education in the U.S.

Eligibility

The Paul & Daisy Soros Fellowships for New Americans program is intended for immigrants and children of immigrants in the United States.

To be eligible, your birth parents must have both been born outside of the US as non-US citizens, and both parents must not have been eligible for US citizenship at the time of their births.* In addition, one of the following must be true of you as of the application deadline:

  • Born in the US: You are a US citizen by birth and both of your parents were born abroad as non-US citizens.
  • Born abroad:
    • Naturalized Citizen: You have been naturalized as a US citizen either on your own or as a minor child under the application of one of your parents.
    • Adopted: You were born outside of the US or one of its territories and were subsequently adopted by American parents and were awarded US citizenship because of your adoption.
    • Green Card: You are in possession of a valid green card.
    • Refugee & Asylees: You have been granted asylum or refugee status in the US.
    • If None of the Other Categories Above Apply: Graduated from High School and College in the US: If none of the other categories apply to you and you were born abroad but graduated from both high school and college in the US (this includes current and past DACA recipients).

* If you were raised by only one of your birth parents, the following must be true:

  • The parent who raised you must have been born abroad as a non-US citizen.
  • Your second birth parent was not part of your life growing up and you have no contact with them.

Selection Criteria

The Paul & Daisy Soros Fellowships for New Americans program uses three primary criteria for selection of Fellows:

  • The candidate has demonstrated creativity, originality and initiative in one or more aspects of her/his life.
  • The candidate has demonstrated a commitment to and capacity for accomplishment that has required drive and sustained effort.
  • The candidate has demonstrated a commitment to the values expressed in the U.S. Constitution and the Bill of Rights. This would include, but not be limited to, support of human rights and the rule of law, opposition to unwarranted encroachment on personal liberty, and advancing the responsibilities of citizenship in a free society.

In addition, the program considers two further criteria:

  • The candidate gives promise of continued significant contributions. Those contributions are likely to reflect distinctive creativity, originality and initiative and will mark the candidate as a leading and influential figure within her/his fields of endeavor.
  • The candidate's graduate training is relevant to her/his long-term career goals and is of potential value in enhancing her/his future creativity and accomplishment.

Application Procedure

See website for application information.