Near East and South Asia (NESA) Undergraduate Exchange Program

PROGRAM DESCRIPTION

The NESA UGRAD Program aims to award scholarships to outstanding students from non-elite and disadvantaged backgrounds for one-year of undergraduate, non-degree studies programs in the United States at a diverse network of accredited two- and four-year institutions. Participants will be enrolled full-time and will live on-campus with an American roommate. Participants will not select host institutions and placements will not be changed.     

PROFESSIONAL TRAINING

Community Service: To expose participants to the principles of community service and social responsibility in the United States, NESA UGRAD participants will be required to perform a minimum of 20 hours of community service at local organizations during their first semester.

Part-Time Internship: Internships provide an essential opportunity for participants to gain professional experience and skills that can be applied to their future careers in their home countries. NESA UGRAD participants will be required to intern 8-20 hours per week during their second semester. Each participant’s internship must be related to their field of study. Internships will be unpaid and take place in the local community.

Program Details

1. The Fulbright Commission in Nepal will nominate up to 10 Nepali students, for a possible 5-7 student awards, to undertake one-year of undergraduate non-degree studies in the United States at a diverse network of accredited two- and four-year institutions. 
2. The grants are to fund studies in the US beginning in the fall semester for one year. 
3. All applicants must: possess Nepali citizenship; have a high level of competence in speaking, reading and writing English (short-listed candidates will be called to take an English language proficiency test, which is administered free of cost by the Commission, soon after the application submission deadline); and be in excellent health (selected candidates may be required to undertake a medical test to see if they are fit to undertake further studies in the US).
4. Only those students who are completing final year of Grade 12 (I.Sc., I.Com, “10+2” etc.) or enrolled in first-, second- or third-year full-time Bachelor’s degree study at the time of application at a registered academic institution in Nepal and are in good academic standing are eligible to apply. Students taking a gap year after their high school before joining Bachelor’s degree study are also encouraged to apply.
5. Applications will be accepted in any field, and participants will take part in community service as well as part-time unpaid internship.
6. Credits for academic courses taken in Nepal by the selected candidates will not be transferred to US institutions; nor should it be expected that credits earned in US educational institutions during the grant period will be transferred to Nepali educational institutions.  Neither the administrating agencies in the US nor this Commission can make credit transfer arrangements for applicants.
7. The Commission will merely nominate candidates for the grants; the final selection is done in the U.S.  A formal award of the grant is also dependent upon acceptance to a U.S. institution and eligibility for a visa to the U.S.  As such, initial selection in Nepal does not guarantee a final placement and an award.

Click here to visit the global website for the NESA-UGRAD program.