Administered by the Obama Foundation and funded by a $100 million contribution from Brian Chesky, Airbnb Co-Founder and CEO, The Voyager Scholarship: Obama-Chesky Voyager Scholarship for Public Service helps students eligible for need-based financial aid pursue careers in public service by providing access to travel and education.
With a budget of $10,000, 100 students will design their own summer voyage between their junior and senior year of college. The experience will allow students to pursue internships or mentorship opportunities anywhere in the world that will broaden their horizons and prepare them for careers in public service. Students will also be able to stay in homes on Airbnb using credits provided by Airbnb.
Deadline: Wednesday, March 22, 2023 (US Central Time)
Eligibility Requirements:
- Students who completed their sophomore year and will be Juniors in Fall 2023 with GPA of 3.0
- Demonstrated commitment to public service and plan to pursue a career in public service
- US citizens, permanent residents (Permanent Resident Card), or holders of deferred action status through Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA)
- Demonstrated financial need through submission of 1040 tax forms of the student (and parent(s) if the student is a dependent)
- Preference may be given to applicants with no or limited prior engagement with other leadership programs in their undergraduate experience
Recipients will receive the following:
- Financial aid up to $50,000: Students will receive up to $25,000 per year in “last dollar” financial aid to cover remaining tuition and/or living costs for their junior and senior years of college (Applicants should check with their Financial Aid Officer to understand how this aid might affect their Penn financial aid package)
- Summer Voyage: With a budget of $10,000, students will design their own summer voyage between their junior and senior year of college. The experience will allow students to pursue internships or mentorship opportunities anywhere in the world that will broaden their horizons and prepare them for careers in public service. Students will also be able to stay in homes on Airbnb using credits provided by Airbnb
- 10-year travel stipend: After graduation, Airbnb will provide the students with a $2,000 travel credit every year for 10 years, totaling $20,000. This will allow students to continue to broaden their horizons and forge new connections throughout their public service careers
- Fall Summit: Voyagers will be invited to an annual Fall Summit. This fall, the summit will include a meeting with President Obama, Brian Chesky, and other leaders. They will also get access to a network of other Voyagers and alumni with whom they can connect with at the summit and beyond
- A network of leaders: Throughout the program, students will be invited to an ongoing speaker series, giving them access to a network of leaders. This network of leaders will expose them to new areas of service and innovations happening in their fields. After graduation, they will join the Obama Foundation’s global community, providing them with Foundation resources and programming
More information: https://www.obama.org/voyager-scholarship-faqs/
Application and required materials: https://learnmore.scholarsapply.org/obama-chesky-scholarship/
Sophomores who apply for the Voyager Scholarship who are planning graduate study in preparation for a career in non-profit or public service work (broadly defined) are strongly encouraged to consider applying for the Truman Scholarship for Public Service during the fall of their junior year.
Contact Information
Application questions may be directed to: obama-chesky-scholarship@scholarshipamerica.org
Details:
Location
USA, United Kingdom, International (Not UK), Africa, Asia, Europe, Latin America, Middle East
Type
Project, Undergraduate Tuition, Work/Service
Eligibility
Second-Year