Guidelines

Application Guidelines | Selected Grantees | Case Studies

Please note: The application deadline for the 2010-11 academic year has passed. Please check back again in fall 2010 for the next call for applications.

The Undergraduate Exchange Program (UEP) supports students from Bosnia and Herzegovina, Kosovo, Moldova, Mongolia, Serbia, and Ukraine* in the United States for one-year of non-degree academic studies and service learning and one subsequent year in their home country leading a community service project of their own design.

*Applicants from Ukraine must be studying in the regions of Dnipropetrovska, Donetsk, Kharkiv, Khersonska, Luhansk, Mykolaivska, Odeska, Poltava, Sumy, or Zaporizhzhya to be eligible.

The program seeks to assist educational and civic development in Southeastern and Eastern Europe and Mongolia by exposing participants to a liberal arts curriculum, different models of classroom instruction, community service work, and civil society related programming. UEP combines the U.S. liberal arts academic experience with exposure to American social issues and civic development through involvement in community service related work. The program aims to create lasting ties among participants and their American colleagues thereby contributing to cultural understanding and tolerance.

Fellows attend a university or college in the United States for one year. While in the U.S., grantees agree to complete 25 hours a semester (a total of 50 hours for the academic year) of community service work in an area of interest to them. At the end of the year, they are required to return home to complete their degrees. Once back in their home country, grantees are expected to carry out a community-based service project of their own design, addressing an issue of importance to them. Throughout the term of the fellowship, grantees will attend bi-annual conferences to support their professional development and share personal experiences.

Applicants must currently be enrolled as a second-year student at a university in their home country to be eligible. Participant selection and university placement is determined by a panel of experts in the United States. Candidates do not apply to a specific university.

Eligibility

In order to qualify for the program, an applicant must:

Be a resident of Bosnia and Herzegovina, Kosovo, Moldova, Mongolia, Serbia, or Ukraine.
Be a current second-year undergraduate student studying American Studies, Art History, Classical Studies, Cultural Anthropology, Economic Theory*, Fine or Performing Arts, History, International Relations, Journalism, Law, Literature and Languages, Philosophy, Political Science, Sociology, or Women’s or Gender Studies. *Please note that economic theory does not include business administration or management.
Be enrolled in an accredited university in his or her home country. Ukrainian applicants must be studying at a university in Dnipropetrovsk, Donetsk, Kharkiv, Kherson, Luhansk, Mykolaiv, Odessa, Poltava, Sumy, or Zaporizhia to be eligible.
Be in the second year of study when applying and return to their home country to complete their degree following the program.
Have an outstanding academic record.
Demonstrate leadership or leadership potential and have a history of community and/or extracurricular involvement.
Have spent previous two years in residence in home country.
Have not attended a university in the United States.
Have not attended high school in the United States for more than one academic semester.
Be fluent in reading, writing, and speaking English.
Be able to begin studies in the summer of 2010.

Selection Process

Selection is based on academic merit, extracurricular and community activities, leadership potential, and knowledge of English. The number of awards varies by country, with approximately three to seven awards granted per country.

Participant selection is conducted in four stages. All applicants which meet the above criteria will have their applications reviewed and evaluated by a U.S.-based team of university representatives. Semi-finalists are invited for English language exams and an in-country interview conducted by U.S. education professionals. Applications, interview evaluations, and exam results are all considered by a final selection team, which will then recommend university placements for finalists. Final placements are determined by the U.S. universities. Students cannot determine their own university placements.

Financial Terms

Program participants receive a full scholarship that covers tuition, room, board, living stipend, textbooks, transportation, and health insurance. No financial support or special provisions are provided for dependents or family members.

Participant Responsibility

All participants must attend the pre-departure orientation program for one week in July 2010 (transportation, room, and board are paid for by the program), as well as conferences and other program activities throughout the academic year. While in the United States, students must uphold the academic standards of the host institution and undertake full-time study for the duration of the program. Students are advised to take courses of interest to them outside of their field of study in order to diversify and broaden their perspectives. English language courses (as opposed to English literature classes) are discouraged. Students should elect classes that are at a junior or advanced level. No more than one language course or two introductory level courses of any discipline per semester will be allowed.

While in the U.S., grantees agree to complete 25 hours of community service related work per semester, a total of 50 hours of service per academic year. The type of work will be chosen by the student and opportunities can be arranged with the help of the host university..

At the end of the year, fellows are required to return home to complete their degree at their home universities.

Application Forms

Application forns are available for download at this bottom of this page and from the local scholarship contact offices listed below. Applications may also be submitted electronically through the Online Application System at http://oas.soros.org/oas/.

Deadline

The application deadline for the 2010-11 academic year was December 1, 2009.

Contact Details

BOSNIA AND HERZEGOVINA
SRCe – Student Resource Center
Univerzitetski kampus
Zmaja od Bosne BB
71000 Sarajevo
Tel: 387 33 206 048
Fax: 387 33 212 032
Muhamed@soros.org.ba
www.srce.ba

KOSOVO
Kosova Academic Services
Anton Çetta, 3, Fahu Postal 357
10000 Prishtinë
Tel: 381 38 248 887
Fax: 381 38 248 886
office@kas-ks.org
www.kas-ks.org

MOLDOVA
Educational Advising Center
148 Stefan cel Mare Bd., of. 22
2012 Chisinau
Tel: 373 22 221172
Fax: 373 22 221167
amuset@eac.md
www.eac.md

MONGOLIA
Educational Advising & Resource Center
Sukhbaatar District, Khoroo 8
Students Street MKM-24, 1st Floor
Ulaanbaatar 210648
Tel: 976 11 319016
Fax: 976 11 326941
ariunaa@earcmn.org
www.earcmn.org

SERBIA
Belgrade Open School
Masarikova 5/16
11000 Belgrade
Tel: 381 11 30 61 371
Fax: 381 11 36 13 122
ena@bos.rs
www.bos.rs

UKRAINE
Dnipropetrovsk, Zaporizhia and Donetsk oblasts
Educational Information & Advising Center "Osvita"
60 Karl Marks Avn., Office 74, 75
49000 Dnipropetrovsk
Tel: 380 56 726 51 39
Tel/Fax: 380 56 744 62 42
center-osvita@ukrpost.ua
http://www.center-osvita.dp.ua/

Kharkiv, Poltava, Sumy and Luhansk oblasts
Kharkiv "Osvita" Educational Advising Center
13 Chernyshevskogo Str., Office 701
61057 Kharkiv
Tel: 380 57 756 756 2
bulgakovanb@gmail.com
www.osvita.kharkiv.org

Odessa, Mykolaiv and Khersonsk oblasts
Educational Advising Center "Osvita"
Pasteur Str., 42/1p
65023 Odesa
Tel/Fax: 380 48 718 5391
grade@farlep.net
http://www.centerosvita.od.ua