Overview
Scholarship type
Merit based
Number of scholarships to award
One
Grant
USD $10,000
Scholarship coverage
- tuition fee reduction
Description
The program brings together an interdisciplinary group of promising eligible University of Chicago Obama Foundation Scholars and empowers them with the education, skills, relationships, and perspectives they need to tackle their communities’ most pressing challenges.
During this one-year program, participating students will develop a distinctly interdisciplinary approach to advancing social change and will leave the University prepared to address even the most complex social challenges through impactful careers in a wide range of settings.
Benefits
Each participating student will receive $10,000 of financial support in the form of a stipend to defray tuition costs and living expenses in their final year.
Eligibility
The program seeks emerging leaders from the United States and around the world who meet the following criteria:
- UChicago students entering their final year of study at the Harris School of Public Policy; Crown Family School of Social Work, Policy, and Practice; and/or the Booth School of Business;
- Have at least 3 years of demonstrated leadership experience with clear traction tackling a particular social challenge and are now at a “breakthrough moment” in their careers;
- Have a demonstrated commitment, following their completion of the program, to apply their enhanced training, skills, and connections to tackling this social challenge in their community;
- Are seeking to refine their approach to tackling this challenge by including feedback and ideas from a variety of contexts around the world;
- Have demonstrated academic success;
- Have a demonstrated commitment to hope, community, courage, resilience, inclusivity, integrity, imagination, strategy, accountability, and empathy; and
- Will not be engaging in an electoral campaign for political office during the program term.
Scholarship requirements
Disciplines
Any
Locations
United States
Nationality
226 nationalities
Study experience required
Bachelor
Age
Unknown
Application
Application deadline
25 Mar 2026
A complete application, submitted entirely online, includes the following materials:
Resume/curriculum vitae.
Responses to short essay questions.
Two letters of recommendation.
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