fellowships for new americans

Every year, The Paul & Daisy Soros Fellowships for New Americans supports thirty New Americans, immigrants or the children of immigrants, who are pursuing graduate school in the United States.

The application for the 2023 Fellowship is now open.

Each Fellowship supports one to two years of graduate study in any field and in any advanced degree-granting program in the United States. Each award is for up to a total of $90,000. Here is the breakdown: Each Fellow receives $25,000 in stipend support a year (all stipend awards are capped at $50,000 per year), as well as 50 percent of required tuition and fees, up to $20,000 per year, for one to two years. The first year of Fellowship funding cannot be deferred.

Most importantly, new Fellows join a strong community of current and past Fellows who all share the New American experience. There is an alumni association, The Paul & Daisy Soros Fellows Association (PDSFA), which actively engages current and past Fellows in events held across the country. For example, in 2015 the PDSFA held events with former US Surgeon General Vivek Murthy (1998 Fellow) in both New York City and Washington, DC. In 2016, the PDSFA hosted events with Congressman Keith Ellison, Sachin Jain (2004 Fellow), Abdul El-Sayed (2012 Fellow), and Aarti Shahani (2010 Fellow) among others. They kicked 2017 off with an event in New York City co-hosted by the Marshall Scholars, which featured Thomas Friedman.

Full eligibility requirements can be found here. If you are interested in connecting with a university fellowship advisor, you can find a list of universities with advisors here.

The competition is merit-based. Selection criteria emphasize creativity, originality, initiative, and sustained accomplishment. The program values a commitment to the Constitution and the Bill of Rights. The program does not have any quotas for types of degrees, universities or programs, countries of origin, or gender, etc. Unsuccessful applicants are welcome to reapply in subsequent years if they are still eligible.