The Paul & Daisy Soros Fellowships for New Americans program honors the contributions of immigrants and children of immigrants to the United States. Each year, the program supports thirty New Americans, immigrants or the children of immigrants, who are pursuing graduate school in the United States. The application for the 2020 Fellowship is closed. The application for the 2021 Fellowship will open in the spring of 2020.
Each Fellowship supports one to two years of graduate study in any field and in any advanced degree-granting program in the United States. Each award is for up to $25,000 in stipend support a year, as well as 50 percent of required tuition and fees, up to $20,000 per year, for one to two years. The first year of Fellowship funding cannot be deferred.
Most importantly, new Fellows join a strong community of current and past Fellows who all share the New American experience. There is an alumni association, The Paul & Daisy Soros Fellows Association (PDSFA), which actively engages current and past Fellows in events held across the country.
Full eligibility requirements can be found here. If you are interested in connecting with a university fellowship advisor, you can find a list of university's with advisors here.
The competition is merit-based. Selection criteria emphasize creativity, originality, initiative, and sustained accomplishment. The program values a commitment to the Constitution and the Bill of Rights. The program does not have any quotas for types of degrees, universities or programs, countries of origin, or gender, etc. Unsuccessful applicants are welcome to reapply in subsequent years if they are still eligible.
What is required of Fellows? Over the two years of the Fellowship, Fellows are required to attend the annual Fall Conference in New York City, which is fully paid for by the program. The Fall Conference takes place over a weekend in late October and is an opportunity for the new Fellows to get to know one another and the Fellowship staff, alumni, and community, celebrate, and examine the New American experience. In addition, the director or deputy director of the Paul & Daisy Soros Fellowships will visit each Fellow on their respective campus during the first fall semester of their Fellowship. The Fellowship funding should allow Fellows to focus on their studies full-time, which is why Fellows are not able to work full-time during their graduate program. Finally, Fellows are required to remain in good standing in their graduate program while receiving funding. At the close of their two years as an active fellow, Fellows must submit an exit report. More details on the visit and the requirements of the Fellowship are provided when selected applicants sign a contract with the Fellowship.
Application Cycle
The application for the 2020 Fellowship was due on November 1, 2019 at 2 pm ET. The top 77 applicants for the 2020 cycle will be designated "finalists" and will be asked to appear for interviews in New York City or California in late-January or early-February of 2020. The Fellowship program will cover travel and accommodation for the interviews. The 30 2020 Fellowship winners, selected from among the 77 finalists, will be notified in March of 2020. They will begin to receive stipend and tuition support from the program in the fall of 2020.
2020 Fellowship Application Deadline: November 1, 2019 2:00 pm ET
Interviews in New York City and Los Angeles (all expenses paid): Late January and Early February, 2020
2020 Fellows Announced: Mid-April, 2020
2021 Fellowship Application Launches: April, 2020
2020 Fellowship Begins: Fall, 2020
Current and Former Soros Fellows:
Saúl Ramírez (2020, Heritage: Mexico)
Jenna Cook (2018, Heritage: China)
Van Tran (2004, Heritage: Vietnam)
Allison Binns (2003, Heritage: Jamaica)
Richard Mora (2000, Heritage: Mexico)