Paul & Daisy Soros Fellowships for New Americans
The Paul & Daisy Soros Fellowships for New Americans program honors the contributions of immigrants and children of immigrants to the United States. Each year, it invests in the graduate education of 30 New Americans who are poised to make significant contributions to US society, culture, or their academic field.
📖 About the Fellowship
- Date Published: June 20, 2025
- Application Deadline: October 30, 2025
- Category: Fellowship
- Opportunity Location: United States
- Eligible Locations: United States
Each Fellow receives up to $90,000 in financial support over two years and joins a lifelong community of New American Fellows. The competition is merit-based and highly competitive, with over 2,600 applications received last year. Out of these, 77 finalists are selected for interviews, and 30 Fellows are chosen.
🎁 Benefits
- Financial Support: Fellows receive stipend and tuition support starting in the fall of 2026.
- Fall Conference: Fellows attend the Fellowship’s Fall Conference in October 2026, with all expenses paid.
✅ Eligibility Criteria
Age Requirement
- You must be 30 years or younger as of the application deadline (October 30, 2025).
- There is no minimum age requirement.
New American Status
- You are an immigrant or the child of immigrants.
- If you are an immigrant, you must be a naturalized US citizen, a green card holder, an asylee or refugee, or someone who graduated from both high school and college in the United States.
Academic Standing
- You will have a bachelor’s degree as of fall 2026.
- You must be planning to enroll in a full-time degree-granting graduate or professional program in the United States during the 2026-2027 academic year.
- Online programs are eligible for funding.
- If already in graduate school, you must not have started the third year of the degree program you are seeking funding for as of the application deadline.
Parental Immigration Status
- Your birth parents must have both been born outside of the US as non-US citizens and must not have been eligible for US citizenship at the time of their births.
- Your parents’ current immigration status or location is not relevant.
📝 Application Process
Required Information
- Confirm your eligibility.
- Provide demographic and contact information.
- Submit higher-education history.
- Specify the graduate program(s) for which you seek support.
- Submit 3 required recommendations (up to 5 accepted).
- Upload the following:
- Resume
- Two essays
- Transcripts (college, graduate)
- Scores of standardized tests (if required for admission to your graduate program).
Essay Questions
Essay One (Maximum length: 1000 words)
- Discuss your experiences as a New American.
- Share how these experiences have shaped your accomplishments and identity.
- Highlight the impact of people, institutions, laws, culture, or society on your journey.
Essay Two (Maximum length: 1000 words)
- Describe your career-related activities and goals.
- Explain why you chose your graduate program(s) and school(s).
- Discuss how your current work and study inform your early career goals.
Returning Applicants
- You cannot resubmit your previous application.
- You must upload new documents (resume, essays, transcripts, test scores) through the application system.
- Recommendations must be submitted online via the application system.
📅 Important Dates
- Application Deadline: October 30, 2025, at 2:00 PM ET.
- Applications are reviewed after the deadline (not on a rolling basis).
- It is strongly recommended to submit before the deadline to avoid system delays.
🔗 Application Portal
- View details of the Paul & Daisy Soros Fellowships for New Americans.
- Apply directly via the Paul & Daisy Soros Fellowships Application Portal.
🌟 Contact Information
For further inquiries, visit the official Paul & Daisy Soros Fellowships website.
This fellowship is a unique opportunity to support and celebrate the contributions of immigrants and their children to the United States. Don't miss the chance to apply!
- Each Fellow receives up to $90,000 in financial support over two years.
- Attend the Fellowship’s Fall Conference, all expenses paid, that October.
