Global UGRAD Program 2025-26
A program of the U.S. Department of State, Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs, the Global Undergraduate Exchange Program (Global UGRAD ) provides emerging student leaders with a scholarship for one semester of non-degree academic study at a U.S. college or university. The program is designed to increase participants’ understanding of the United States and enhance their leadership skills through academic coursework, community service, and professional development activities.
During the exchange semester, Global UGRAD students live and learn on-campus alongside their American peers, complete 20 hours of community service, and enroll in full-time undergraduate coursework, including one U.S. Studies course. Students also participate in an end-of-program workshop in Washington, DC, to develop their leadership skills further, network with their global cohort, and prepare for re-entry. Upon returning home, Global UGRAD students apply the new knowledge and skills gained during the program to enact positive change in their local communities and join a global network of over 3,000 UGRAD alumni.
All academic fields of study are eligible. Per J-1 visa regulations, for the students of medicine, nursing, dentistry, veterinary medicine, pharmacology or other clinical fields of study, the direct patient care, including animal care, is not permitted, and therefore academic coursework and/or program activities at participating U.S. institutions may be limited.
Program Eligibility
The global UGRAD program is open to anyone who is/has:
A citizen of a Global UGRAD participating country, currently residing and studying in that country;
Enrolled as a full-time undergraduate student in good academic standing at an accredited university, public or private, and has at least one year remaining at their home university after the Global UGRAD Program. For example, if you are applying to participate in the program for the 2025-2026 academic year, you must have at least one full year of undergraduate study remaining after May 2026.
A solid command of written and spoken English. Applicants must achieve a minimum TOEFL score of 61 iBT to be eligible to participate in the exchange portion of the program in the United States;
Leadership potential through academic work, community involvement, and extracurricular activities;
Able to begin studies in the United States in August 2025 or January 2026 (selected participants may not defer to a later date);
Committed to returning to their home country after the completion of the program;
Preference will be given to those with little or no experience in the United States or outside their home countries.
Before you begin/Useful tips:
Prospective participants should request their academic transcripts and letters of recommendation as soon as possible, as they will not be able to add additional information after the December 15, 2023 deadline. They can provide English translations of their updated transcripts once they have been selected as a finalist or alternate.
Prospective participants who do not have any transcripts from their current university, can provide transcripts from their high school.
Recommendation letters – One reference must be academic and written by a professor or assistant professor from the candidate’s major field of study. A second reference may come from either academic or a non-academic aspect of the candidate’s life and work.
Be patient and persistent! It takes longer than two hours to submit a quality proposal.
Individuals in the following circumstances are NOT eligible for the Global UGRAD Program:
U.S. citizens and permanent residents of the United States.
Individuals currently participating in academic, training, or research programs in the United States.
Individuals who have participated in an Exchange Visitor program sponsored or funded by the U.S. government (e.g., U.S. Department of State including U.S. Embassies, U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID), or other U.S. government agency) for a period of more than six weeks and who have not fulfilled their two-year home residency requirement by the application deadline.
Individuals who have applied for U.S. permanent residency in the past three years.
Immediate family members of U.S. Department of State employees and/or USAID are ineligible for a period of one year following the termination of such employment. This provision does not disqualify self-supporting members of families who live apart from their parents.
