USA Tomorrow’s Leaders Scholarship 2027-2028 for Undergrad Admissions

The Tomorrow’s Leaders Program 2027–2028 is accepting applications from eligible students in the Middle East and North Africa. This undergraduate scholarship program combines university study in Lebanon with leadership development and support for key study costs.

If you are finishing high school and have a record of academic achievement and community involvement, check the country and graduation-year rules first: they determine whether you can apply.

What is the Tomorrow’s Leaders Program?

Tomorrow’s Leaders is a U.S. Department of State Middle East Partnership Initiative (MEPI) program administered by FHI 360. It offers undergraduate scholarships and leadership development for selected students from eligible MENA countries and territories. Scholars study at either the American University of Beirut or the Lebanese American University.

You may indicate which partner university you prefer, but you must be willing to attend either one. The university makes its admission decision according to its own requirements and the program’s selection process. Applicants submit one Tomorrow’s Leaders application; a separate application to AUB or LAU is not required. Medicine is not an eligible field, so check the program’s current list of eligible fields before choosing a major.

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What does the scholarship cover?

The program’s published support package includes tuition and enrollment fees for up to four academic years, university housing, health insurance, visa and residence permit fees, a textbook allowance, and a laptop for use during the program. Scholars also receive a monthly living stipend when participating in program activities.

• Two round-trip tickets to the scholar’s home country, territory, or place of residence per year
• Career-focused workshops, internship opportunities, and faculty mentorship
• An opportunity for undergraduate participants to apply for a semester of study at a U.S. university

The program does not publish a fixed monthly stipend amount on the information reviewed for this article. Applicants should check the official award terms for the latest explanation of support and any conditions attached to it.

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Who can apply for the 2027–2028 intake?

You must meet the program’s citizenship or residency rules and its high-school graduation-year requirement. The listed eligible origins are Algeria, Egypt, Iraq, Jordan, Lebanon, Libya, Morocco, Syria, Tunisia, Yemen, and the West Bank. Palestinian students living in a third country with legal residency status may also apply. U.S. citizens and U.S. permanent residents are not eligible.

For the undergraduate route, applicants must be current high-school seniors or have graduated in 2026. Applicants from Iraq, Libya, Syria, the West Bank, eligible Palestinian students living in a third country, and Yemen may also qualify if they graduated in 2025. Current seniors must maintain strong academic performance and pass their final examinations.

The program looks for strong academic credentials, English proficiency, maturity, adaptability, and leadership potential. Its FAQ says applicants should generally have an academic average of 80% or higher, while final admission depends on the partner university’s requirements. Current undergraduates may ask to be considered, but the partner universities review those cases individually.

Students currently residing in Gaza cannot apply for this intake because the program says it cannot guarantee that they will be able to travel in time to start in August 2027. It states that this is a travel-access limitation; eligible Palestinian students originally from Gaza who now live legally in a third country may apply if they meet the other requirements.

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How do you apply?

Complete the online application through the official program website and prepare your supporting material before you begin. The application requires:

1. School transcripts for grades 10 and 11, plus grade 12 when available, and your high-school graduation certificate or diploma if you have graduated.
2. English translations alongside documents written in another language. Official translations are preferred, but the program says they are not required.
3. Information or documents about your extracurricular and volunteer activities.
4. The program’s online English assessment, completed as part of the application. Use the same email address for the assessment and application account.
5. Two recommendations. At least one should be an academic reference; friends and family members cannot recommend you.

If shortlisted, you may later need to provide TOEFL or IELTS results by March 8, 2027. SAT results are required by March 26, 2027 for selected majors and students attending American-style high schools. The program says shortlisted candidates will be contacted for interviews in January 2027; conditional university offers are expected to begin in May and continue on a rolling basis.

Submit through the link on the official Tomorrow’s Leaders website. Review the eligibility and field-of-study pages carefully before selecting your intended major.

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Do you need IELTS or TOEFL before applying?

No, you do not need a TOEFL or IELTS score to submit the initial application. All applicants must complete a free online English assessment provided by Arizona State University. If shortlisted, you will be asked to take TOEFL or IELTS and submit the result by March 8, 2027. The program says it will cover testing costs for shortlisted finalists. An existing TOEFL or IELTS result less than two years old may be submitted with your application.

The eligibility page lists a minimum TOEFL iBT score of 4.0 on its new 1–6 scale, or 80 on the old 0–120 scale. Applicants should also check the English requirements for their chosen degree and partner university. “No IELTS at application” does not mean English testing is waived.

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When is the Tomorrow’s Leaders Program deadline?

The last date to submit an application for the Tomorrow’s Leaders Program 2027–2028 is November 18, 2026. Shortlisted applicants must submit TOEFL or IELTS results by March 8, 2027, and any required SAT results by March 26, 2027. Start your application early enough to request recommendations and arrange any translations before the deadline.

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