Karla Topolka Scholarship Programs

Eligible Countries

Argentina, Austria, Australia, Belgium-Flanders, Belgium-Wallonia, Brazil, Chile, China, Czech Republic, Denmark, Ecuador, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, India, Italy, Japan, Korea, Latvia, Netherlands, Norway, Paraguay, Poland, Romania, Serbia, South Africa, Spain, Switzerland, Thailand, United Kingdom, Uruguay

Please refer to individual country pages for program duration and departure times. Applicants will be notified via email, and scholarship programs are subject to change or cancellation without notice. For more information, feel free to call 1.800.TEENAGE or email info@yfu.org

Programs

Fall Semester, Fall Year

Deadline

February 28, 2025

Scholarship Amount

This is a $5,000 scholarship that covers a portion of your tuition.

Tuition Includes

Remaining tuition after the scholarship award
Round-trip airline travel (domestic & international)
Placement with a carefully selected host family
School Placement
National pre-departure orientation for recipient
Preparatory materials
24-hour student support services in the host country
Comprehensive Insurance

Eligibility

Sophomore or Junior standing at the time of application
Must enroll in a semester or year-long study abroad program (summer and short-term programs not eligible)
Students must demonstrate financial need; please see the link to the FACTS application. FACTS is an independent, third-party that assesses student eligibility for tuition assistance. For information about FACTS and the application process, please download the FACTS Information Sheet

Age Requirements

Students must meet the age requirements listed on the individual country pages.

Scholarship Recipients are Responsible for

Passport
Visa fees (if necessary)
Any excess luggage tariffs
Personal spending money
Final program report and photos, due within one month of return, detailing the exchange experience that will be shared with the Topolka Family

Study Abroad Participants

What to Expect

Apply Now

Frequently Asked Questions

To be eligible for the Karla Topolka Scholarship, students must be in their sophomore or junior year at the time of application. They must enroll in a semester or year-long study abroad program (summer and short-term programs are not eligible) and demonstrate financial need, as assessed through the FACTS application. The FACTS application is an independent, third-party assessment of student eligibility for tuition assistance.

Yes, applicants must meet the age requirements specified on the individual country pages.

A complete application for the scholarship includes an online YFU application, a host family letter, a health certificate, a parent-student agreement, a school certificate, one teacher recommendation, responses to three short answer essay questions, five candid photos, one profile picture (headshot), and a completed FACTS application.

There is a $10 nonrefundable YFU Application Fee (paid directly to YFU) and a $40 FACTS Application Fee to Assess Financial Need (paid directly to FACTS).

The scholarship covers round-trip airline travel (both domestic and international), placement with a carefully selected host family, school placement, local pre-departure orientation for recipients and parents, national pre-departure orientation for recipients, preparatory materials, 24-hour student support services in the host country, and comprehensive insurance.

Scholarship recipients are responsible for obtaining a passport, paying visa fees if necessary, covering any excess luggage tariffs, having personal spending money, and providing a final program report and photos within one month of return, detailing the exchange experience to be shared with the Topolka Family.

COUNTRIES

SCHOLARSHIPS