Obama Foundation Scholars Program 2024 at Columbia University

Columbia University is pleased to accept qualified and eligible candidates from across the globe for the Obama Foundation Scholars Program 2024 /2025 academic session. Candidates form all courses are eligible to apply.

This Full funding scholarship is an opportunity offered to students in all courses. This program is sponsored by Obama Foundation and is to be taken at Columbia University, New York City. The program is a full-time, fully-funded leadership development program that brings together rising leaders from the United States and around the world who demonstrated a commitment to finding solutions to challenges in their communities, countries and regions. The program which is an initiative of the Columbia University through Columbia World Projects targeting young and energetic people across the globe who can take up the challenge of studying at Columbia University and in return contribute to the development of their communities.

The Barack Obama Foundation is a Chicago-based nonprofit organization founded in 2014. It oversees the creation of the Barack Obama Presidential Center, runs the My Brother’s Keeper Alliance (a program Barack Obama began while he was president), and operates a scholarship program through the University of Chicago’s Harris School of Public Policy. The foundation held its inaugural summit on October 31, 2017, in Chicago. According to Barack Obama, he intends for his foundation to be central to many of his post-presidential activities, which he sees as having the potential to be more consequential than his time in the White House. In 2018, contributions and in-kind gifts totaled $164.8 million, according to its filed annual report in June 2019 – a drop of $67.8 million from the $232.6 million raised in 2017.

Columbia University, officially titled as Columbia University in the City of New York, is a private Ivy League research university in New York City. Established in 1754 as King’s College on the grounds of Trinity Church in Manhattan, it is the oldest institution of higher education in New York and the fifth-oldest in the United States. Columbia was established as a colonial college by royal charter under George II of Great Britain. It was renamed Columbia College in 1784 following the American Revolution, and in 1787 was placed under a private board of trustees headed by former students Alexander Hamilton and John Jay. In 1896, the campus was moved to its current location in Morningside Heights and renamed Columbia University. Columbia is organized into twenty schools, including four undergraduate schools and 16 graduate schools. The university’s research efforts include the Lamont–Doherty Earth Observatory, the Goddard Institute for Space Studies, and accelerator laboratories with Big Tech firms such as Amazon and IBM. Columbia is a founding member of the Association of American Universities and was the first school in the United States to grant the MD degree. The university also annually administers the Pulitzer Prize. Its endowment stands at $13.3 billion as of 2022, which is among the largest of any academic institution.

Scholarship Summary:

Scholarship Sponsor(s): Obama Foundation

Scholarships to be taken at: Columbia University, New York City.

Scholarship Type: Full funding.

Scholarship Worth: See Scholarship Benefits (below)

Slots: Several Scholarships available.

Study Level: All Courses.

Nationality: Students worldwide.

Requirement and Eligibility Criteria for Obama Foundation Scholars Program 2024:

Have a proven commitment to service and leadership within a community, region or country outside the United States, coupled with a demonstrated commitment to return to these communities following their completion of the program and apply their enhanced training, skills and connections on a long-term basis for the benefit of these communities
Are emerging leaders who have made meaningful contributions to their field and are now at a “tipping point” in their careers
Have the ability and inclination to positively shape the future of their community
Have a demonstrated commitment to humility, integrity, inclusivity, stewardship, fearlessness, imagination and teamwork
Are fluent in English (verbal, written and spoken)

Scholarship Benefits

The Obama Foundation Scholars Program comes with the following benefits for the scholars:

Monthly stipend to assist with living expenses in New York City.
A furnished studio apartment within walking distance of Columbia University
All tuition and fees for up to four courses at Columbia University
Basic medical, dental and life insurance for the duration of the program in New York City
Air travel to and from home country and any program-related activities

Application Procedures for the 2024/2025 Obama Foundation Scholars Program (how to apply):

To apply for the Obama Foundation Scholars Program 2024/2025, applicants are to: complete the online application form and submit the following materials:

Resume/curriculum vitae: The resume/curriculum vitae should be a chronological listing of your employment and academic history, and other significant activities, including any awards, publications, or other achievements․
Personal video statement: The personal video statement should be a short video (no longer than five minutes in length) introducing the applicant and their work to the selection committee. Applicants will upload their video statement to a video hosting service, like YouTube or Vimeo, and will include a link to their video in the online application. Additional information on the requirements for the personal video statement can be found in the online application.
Responses to short essay questions: The short essay questions help the selection committee understand the applicant’s work, their motivation and how the program fits into their career trajectory. Applicants will submit their essay questions in the online application.

Application Deadline: December 12, 2023 at 5PM ET.

For more information about this opportunity, Visit the Official Webpage.

Obama Foundation Scholars Program 2024 at Columbia University