Scholarship Amount

Up to six (6) full scholarships available for summer study abroad programs

Applicant Eligibility

• Must be entering Sophomore, Junior, or Senior year in high school

• A U.S. Citizen

• Reside in one of the following counties: Sacramento, El Dorado, Placer, Nevada, Alpine, Amador, Calaveras, Sutter, Yuba, or San Joaquin in California, or Washoe County, Nevada

• Meet the age requirements outlined on each country page 

• Approved to go on the program through YFU's standard application procedure

• Demonstrate financial need through completion of a 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.

Complete Application Includes

• Complete Online Application

• 3 Short Answer Essay Questions

• $75 Application Fee (non-refundable)

• Candid and Headshot photos

  Additional required information post-application submission includes:

• Teacher Recommendation

• Health certificate

• School certificate

• Parent-student agreement

• Interview by YFU Volunteer1 Headshot

• Completed FACTS application (due date March 15) to assess financial need

Application Fees

• $75 Nonrefundable YFU Application Fee (paid directly to YFU)

• $40 FACTS Application Fee to Assess Financial Need (paid directly to FACTS)

Scholarship Covers:

• Round-trip international airline travel

• Round-trip domestic airline travel

• Placement with a carefully selected host family

• Regional orientation for scholarship recipients and parents

• Preparatory materials

• Pre-departure orientation

• Support services in host country

• Comprehensive Insurance

A Note From WEH Foundation, Scholarship Sponsor

The William E Hixson Foundation supports exploring new ideas and doing things a little differently.  We want to give high school students the opportunity to see possibilities outside their everyday world and inspire them to dream.  Through cultural and language exchanges, the opportunity to see the same thing in a different light can be amazing, even for something as simple as an advertisement on a billboard.  Travel and exchanges can create awe in the mundane and we want to help students have that experience over the summer in the country of their choosing.   

Scholarship Recipients are Responsible for

• Passport

• Visa fees (if necessary)

• Any excess luggage tariffs

• Personal spending money

• Upon returning home, scholarship winners are expected to complete at least one presentation in their school or community to share their experiences, teach others about the culture in their host country, and encourage other students to participate in foreign exchange

• Within one month of returning home, the student must provide a report and photos detailing their exchange experience to YFU, to be shared with WEH Foundation

Notes

• All applicants will be notified of their status (via email) in April

• Scholarship programs are subject to change or cancellation without prior notice

• Educators, a downloadable flyer is available for your use.

• The FACTS application (due March 15) fee for financial aid assessment is an additional $40, paid to FACTS directly. The applicant can pay $40 and apply for as many financial-need-based scholarships as they qualify and YFU offers. Students must be approved to go on a YFU program before YFU can consider them for financial aid scholarships. For this reason, students may want to wait to submit their FACTS application until after they are accepted into the YFU program.

PLEASE KEEP A COPY OF THIS PAGE AND YOUR APPLICATION MATERIALS FOR YOUR REFERENCE.

If applying for multiple scholarships, please indicate each scholarship's name and code on your application. All scholarship recipients are required to travel on the YFU group travel dates and to complete the entire program. For more information regarding YFU and the scholarship selection process call 1.800.TEENAGE or refer to the Scholarships Overview section of this website.