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2022 Scholarship Programs for Foreign Service Students

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In addition to the following scholarships, most Foreign Service students are also eligible for any scholarship open to US Citizens, but sometimes those scholarships require attendance at a domestic high school. Many TCK scholarships also exist, but are limited to the children of missionaries or international school teachers.
This is a list of the scholarship programs I know of, please email me if you hear of any additional scholarships that support diplomatic, military or private sector expats.
LinkDeadline
American Foreign Service Association Merit Awards
AFSA offers one-time only, competitive merit awards to high school seniors graduating in 2022. Requires a 500 word essay and academic achievement. Awards of $3500 and $1500. At least one parent must be an AFSA member.		https://afsa.org/afsa-scholarshipsMarch 14, 2022
American Foreign Service Association Art Merit Awards
AFSA offers one-time only, competitive merit awards to high school seniors graduating in 2022. Requires a 500 word essay and submission of portfolio works. Awards of $3500 and $2000. At least one parent must be an AFSA member.		https://afsa.org/afsa-scholarshipsMarch 14, 2022
American Foreign Service Association Community Service Awards
AFSA offers one-time only, competitive merit awards to high school seniors graduating in 2022. Requires a 500 word essay and submission of 150 word explanation of each service activity undertaken. At least one parent must be an AFSA member.		https://afsa.org/afsa-scholarshipsMarch 14, 2022
American Foreign Service Association Finanical Aid Awards
The AFSA Scholarship Fund offers one-time only financial aid scholarships to High School seniors, college freshmen, sophomores, and juniors. Requires minimum 2.5 GPA and submission of the FAFSA to prove financial need. Awards approximately 60 need-based scholarships ranging from $2,000-$6,000 .At least one parent must be an AFSA member.		https://afsa.org/afsa-scholarshipsMarch 14, 2022
Foreign Service Youth Foundation Scholarship
FSYF annually offers three academic Scholarships of $2,000 per award. Family must be current members of FSYF by the deadline		https://fsyf.org/Scholarship/March 2, 2022
Foreign Service Youth Foundation Essay Contest
Middle and high school students are invited to reflect on their experience by responding to an essay prompt. Prize amounts vary. Family must be current members of FSYF by the deadline		https://fsyf.org/EssayMarch 30, 2022
Foreign Service Youth Foundation Community Service Contest
Recognizes Foreign Service youth who demonstrate outstanding volunteer efforts in service to their community or to their peers. Prize amounts vary. Family must be current members of FSYF by the deadline		https://fsyf.org/CSAMarch 23, 2022
Associates of the American Foreign Service Worldwide Merit Scholarship for College Students
AAFSW offers two current college freshmen, sophomores or juniors continuing college scholarships of $2,500 each.		https://www.aafsw.org/aafsws-scholarships-2/annually in April
AAFSW’s Twice Exceptional Merit Scholarship
Rewards academic excellence for high school seniors and/or college students who have shown resilience and have academically overcome adversity due to special needs. The AAFSW Merit Scholarship is meant for high school seniors and/or college students who already have an Individualized Education Program (IEP). a 504, or an equivalent program in place. Two scholarships are available for $2,500 each.		https://www.aafsw.org/aafsws-scholarships-2/annually in April
AAFSW Judy Felt Memorial Volunteerism Scholarship
Students who submit an application for the AAFSW Merit Scholarship or the Twice Exceptional Scholarship are automatically considered for the Judy Felt Scholarship. Awards of $1000		https://www.aafsw.org/aafsws-scholarships-2/annually in April
State Department Federal Credit Union (SDFCU) Scholarship Fund
Awarded to current university students who have completed at least 12 credits and achieved a GPA of at least 2.5. Award amounts vary each year. Applicants must be current SFFCU members.		https://www.sdfcu.org/scholarship-programApplication season opens in February
Sherry Barndollar Rock Scholarship for Meeting the Education Needs of Foreign Service Spouses and Partners from Dacor Bacon House
Privodies up to $4,000 annually to the spouses and partners of Foreign Service employees assigned abroad to pursue educational goals which may have been disrupted by the spouse’s Foreign Service career. Applicants must be members of Dacor.		https://dacorbacon.org/sherry_barndollar_rock_scholar.phpJanuary 31, 2022
Dreyfuss Scholarships from Dacor Bacon House
for dependents of the Foreign Service at Yale and Hotchkiss
Applications for grants for study at Yale must be submitted directly to DACOR by May 1. All eligible applicants receive an award; the amount is dependent upon how many eligible applicants there are. Hotchkiss applications are made directly to the Office of Financial Aid at Hotchkiss.		http://www.dacorbacon.org/scholarships_fellowships.phpMay 1 Annually
OPM Tuition Benefit Partners
Several universities around the US have partnered with the OPM to offer spouses and dependents of government employess discounted tuition. Discounts and benefits vary by institution. Some programs are in person, some are online. 		https://www.opm.gov/wiki/training/our-academic-partners.ashxno deadline
Clements Expat Youth Scholarship
has been on hiatus for several years. Clements is considering bringing back the scholarship program in 2022. Sign up at this link to receive updates on the new program.		https://www.clements.com/expat-youth-scholarship

Make this a Summer of Discovery

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What are your goals for summer? Do you want to:

  • Relax poolside?
  • Take a break from the routine of school?
  • Visit family, friends or someplace new?

You can do all of that, and still have time to do a little something more. Summer isn’t endless, but it can be boundless, and sneakily productive. College admissions officers want to know who you are and who you’ll become. Summer is a great time (when you aren’t burdened by deadlines and tests) to try out some things you’ve always thought you’d love, those things that you have wished you’d have time for in college or as an adult, things you’ll be able to show off on those applications later. 

And, bonus, even if you start this because you think it might help you with your college applications, it should also be fun for you. That’s the point, after all… to discover what IS interesting and fun for you (and then be honest about it on your applications).

So, this summer, with its long, lazy days, why not take some extra time for yourself to discover new passions and knowledge that can change the rest of your life?

How can you have a summer of discovery? 

  1. Vow to pick up a book or magazine every day. Maybe you’ve gotten out of the habit of reading. Maybe you associate reading with projects and tests. Don’t pick those kinds of books. Pick things that look fun. Non-fiction, fiction, memoir, whatever, but something related to something you’ve always wanted to do or know.
  • You’ll likely learn a lot about what you like and what you don’t. 
  • You can use what you learn to infuse your conversations, future personal essays and college interviews with fascinating tidbits from your reading.
  1. Set short, specific reading goals. It might be something like, “Read one magazine article on bird-watching” if you have an interest in birds. Or you might say, “I will read for ten minutes a day the first week, 15 minutes daily the second week, and then 30 minutes daily from that point forward.”
  2. Use your breaks and moments of free time to gain knowledge. When you carry your book (or e-reader or phone) with you each day, you can steal a few moments throughout the day to read. 
  1. Your smartphone likely offers some great podcasts, either audible or video, that can educate you on a regular basis on topics of your choice. Try a podcast series about your curiosities, or try a different podcast episode every day.
  2. Visit museums. Explore via your senses on a museum tour. Whether your interest lies in history, art, or something else, plan trips to several different museums this summer. If you’re stuck inside or far from options, do virtual visits. With the lockdowns caused by Covid-19, many of the world’s best museums created virtual visits to bring you up close and personal with their collections, even if you live 1000s of miles away.
  3. View documentaries on television. With Netflix, Amazon, Youtube, CuriosityStream and the rest of the internet, you can definitely find something interesting to watch and learn about your fields of interest. Is it history, politics, science, or the modern world that fascinate you? Pick a theme for the week and watch a documentary a day. Write down some notes about it. Could you do this work every day? Could you write essays about it for the next 4 years?
  4. Ask questions and create opportunities to talk to real people in the field. You might have people all around you who know things you have no idea about. Use people as resources! 
  • Are you curious about what life is like as a professional bio-chemist? an Antarctic base staffer? a librarian? a game designer? Hang out on Reddit’s Ask Me Anything threads and get the inside scoop on real careers.
  • If you’ve always wanted to know more about art history and your uncle is a high school art teacher, ask him for some guidance in how to begin a self-study of art history.
  1. Start a feature film movie list. One way to learn about different locales, jobs, and life situations is to watch more films. Films aren’t only entertaining – they can also teach you something about people’s attitudes, relationships, and jobs. Some movies portray real people and true life situations. Consider these classic movies to give you an interesting start on your own list (ratings vary):
  • A Beautiful Mind (mathematics)
  • Pollock (art)
  • Rain Man (autism)
  • Amadeus (music)
  • Primary Colors (politics)
  • Good Will Hunting (genius)
  • Erin Brockovich (environmental and social activism, law)
  • Moneyball (statistics and data)
  • Selma (social activism, civil rights)
  • Spotlight (journalism and investigation)
  • Capote (authors and creative writing)
  • Just Mercy (social activism, racial injustice)
  • Apollo 13 (space flight, astronauts, aviation engineering)
  • The Social Network (entrepreneurship, social media, internet)
  • Gorillas in the Mist (animal research, conservation)
  • The Imitation Game (mathematics, genius, LGBTQ)
  • The Big Short (finance, Wall Street, housing)
  • The Theory of Everything (physics, personal/medical challenges)
  1. Take a MOOC. Choose a short course to start learning more about your potential major. Rather than paying and taking it for credit, choose the free option to allow you to take quizzes and read the essay prompts without grades or stress. Consider: How do classes in your field of interest work? What kinds of questions do the professors ask the students to ponder or to write essays about? What do the people who teach the MOOC do every day?

Summer programs can be self-created. You don’t need to enroll in a formal camp or group learning program. A self-created summer plan shows initiative and real personal interest in what you’ve chosen to do. And, with these kinds of options, your time can still be part of a fun, lazy and all things wonderful that summer should be.