Thomas Jefferson Scholarship Program

Students in Tunisia Through academic opportunities, professional engagement, and leadership training, the Thomas Jefferson Scholarship Program (TJSP) primarily aims to promote economic growth, stability, and democratic development in Tunisia by empowering a network of youth with the necessary skills to lead positive change in their professional fields and communities. Through the United States Department of State and IREX, the American people have generously donated to sponsor this scholarship program.

Participants will be guided by the leadership and goal-setting components of the program as they complete up to 80 hours of professional internships in the United States in their chosen fields of study. Nearly 50% of Tunisian university graduates do not have jobs. However, all TJSP graduates who claim to have finished their education also claim to have found employment. Therefore, the program seeks to accomplish and prepare young people for Tunisia’s professional job market and roles. Create networks of upcoming young leaders from throughout Tunisia and the US. Develop young people’s capacity and motivation to hold leadership roles in Tunisia.

Candidates will be subjected to the U.S. standard of academic integrity throughout the application and program as a candidate for an international bachelor scholarship program. The content is concentrated on academic honesty as it relates to your application for an international bachelor scholarship. To properly finish the program, all participants are required to return to Tunisia and attend compulsory re-entry training there. Extensions of visas won’t be approved. The two-year home residency requirement applies to all participants and states that they cannot return to the US on certain types of visas unless they have lived in Tunisia for at least two years following the program’s conclusion.

Program Details

• Host Organization: IREX
• Host Country: United States of America
• Scholarship type: Undergraduate
• Eligible Institutions: 70 different institutes
• Fields of study: Broad range of fields which include; Humanities, Social sciences, Applied sciences, Natural and physical sciences, Arts, and other standard fields.
• Eligible areas: Tunisian Students
• No. of Scholarships: Various

Eligibility Criteria

There is no discrimination against applicants in the Thomas Jefferson Scholarship Program on the grounds of race, religion, sex, age, national origin, handicap, or any other protected characteristic as defined by U.S. law.

• Anyone who is a Tunisian citizen currently resides in Tunisia
• is enrolled as a full-time undergraduate student in good standing at a registered academic institution in Tunisia at the time of application
• is NOT in their undergraduate program’s final year and is eligible to compete for the Thomas Jefferson Scholarship Program.
• Students studying architecture who are in their first, second, third, or fourth year of study are eligible.
• In their first or second year of undergraduate studies (preparatory coursework), as well as their third and fourth year, engineering students are eligible.
• is qualified to obtain a U.S. J-1 visa;
• reaches the age of 18 by July 1, 2025;
• is devoted to going back to Tunisia after the program is over;
• possesses a TOEFL score of at least 500;
• completes the academic year in good standing with a passing grade point average (a.k.a the “general average”) before studying in the United States.

Please be aware that you are not required to take the TOEFL to apply for this program. The TOEFL will be given for free to semi-finalists, who are the only ones who must take it.

Scholarship Benefits

• J-1 visa assistance
• round-trip transportation from the student’s city to the American university serving as their host
• Health and accident insurance
• a meager budget for culturally enlightening activities
• networking possibilities for alumni
• The Thomas Jefferson Program will offer chances to full-time undergraduate students in universities or other institutions
• Students who complete the program will have a better awareness of the United States as well as new leadership skills, knowledge, and abilities that will enable them to support Tunisia’s economic development
• tuition and other required educational costs
• meals and lodging (housing and meals)
• a little stipend for unplanned expenses
• a little budget for books
• The United States Department of State and IREX jointly administer the Thomas Jefferson Scholarship Program, a fully funded scholarship made possible by the kind support of the American people

How to Apply

Visit the Official Link of the scholarship.

Online submission of the application is required. The application must be fully completed by applicants, who must also include the contact information for two references. References 1 and 2 must be completed by two distinct people who can attest to your eligibility to receive a scholarship. Professors, advisors, managers, mentors, and other professionals could offer references.

Scan any handwritten references you choose to submit and upload them to your online application.

Log into your application and visit the reference area if your evaluator did not receive the reference form. There is a box to click to resend the reference form in the bottom right corner. Reference requests may end up in your email’s spam or garbage folder. Ask your assessor to look at these folders. If this email is not received by your evaluator, you can download a PDF reference form to give to them instead for your assessor to finish. Select “No” when asked if you want the evaluator to send a reference to download the form. A link to download the form will then appear.

Deadline

By Wednesday, November 30, 2024, at 5 p.m. Tunis time, complete copies of all application materials must be submitted in a single package per the application guidelines. The selection committee will only be notified of applications that are fully submitted, which include a completed application form and two reference forms.