CFAs: Global Undergraduate Exchange Program (Uzbekistan)

The program is designed to increase participants’ understanding of the United States and enhance their leadership skills through academic coursework, community service and professional development activities. The program is administered by World Learning.

During the exchange semester, Global UGRAD students live and learn on-campus alongside their American peers, complete 20 hours of community service, and enroll in full-time undergraduate coursework, including one U.S. Studies course. Students also participate in an end-of-program workshop in Washington, DC, to develop their leadership skills further, network with their global cohort, and prepare for re-entry. Upon returning home, Global UGRAD students apply the new knowledge and skills gained during the program to enact positive change in their local communities and join a global network of over 3,000 UGRAD alumni.

All academic fields of study are eligible. Per J-1 visa regulations, applicants interested in medicine, nursing, veterinary medicine, pharmacology or other clinical fields of study should note that direct patient care, including animal care, is not permitted, and therefore academic coursework and/or program activities at participating U.S. institutions may be limited.

Global UGRAD is a fully funded exchange program that covers students’ travel to/from the United States, university tuition, room and board, health insurance, required books, and monthly stipend for incidental expenses. Participants will live in campus housing facilities with American peers and will be required to participate in twenty hours of community service.

Goals

• To promote mutual understanding between the people of the United States and the participating countries:
  • Provide a fulfilling exchange experience to drive academic, cross-cultural, and leadership competencies for students from participating countries
  • Enhance students’ academic knowledge and professional skills needed to pursue long-term academic and career goals
  • Cultivate students’ comprehensive and nuanced understanding of the United States
  • Facilitate opportunities for students to establish social networks with U.S. host institutions and local communities
  • Empower students to engage constructively in the civic life of their local and global communities.

Eligibility Criteria

• Competition for the Global UGRAD Exchange Program is merit-based and open to anyone who:
  • is at least 18 years old at the start of the program
  • is a citizen of Uzbekistan, currently residing and studying in Uzbekistan
  • is currently enrolled as a full-time undergraduate student in good standing at any accredited university, public or private, in Uzbekistan
  • will have at least one academic year to complete at their home institution after the Global UGRAD program. The Global UGRAD program cannot be the final academic term of a student’s undergraduate study
  • can demonstrate leadership potential through academic work, community involvement, and extracurricular activities
  • can demonstrate English language proficiency; finalists and alternate candidates will be required to take TOEFL iBT to be considered. The cost of the TOEFL exam will be covered by the program
  • is able to begin studies in the United States in August 2025 (fall semester) or January 2026 (spring semester)
  • Applicants are required to return directly to their home country after completing the program.

Ineligibility Criteria

• Individuals in the following circumstances are not eligible for the Global UGRAD Program:
  • U.S. citizens and permanent residents of the United States
  • Individuals currently studying, residing, or working outside of Uzbekistan
  • Individuals currently in their final year of undergraduate studies
  • Alumni of the Global UGRAD Exchange Program
  • Individuals who have participated in an Exchange Visitor program sponsored or funded by the U.S. government (e.g., U.S. Department of State including U.S. Embassies, U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID), or other U.S. government agency) for a period of more than six weeks and who have not fulfilled their two-year home residency requirement by the application deadline
  • Individuals who have applied for U.S. permanent residency in the past three years
  • Local employees of U.S. missions abroad who work for the U.S. Department of State or USAID are ineligible during the period of their employment and for one year following the termination of employment
  • Immediate family members (i.e., spouses and dependent children) of U.S. Department of State employees and/or USAID are ineligible for a period of one year following the termination of such employment. This provision does not disqualify self-supporting members of families who live apart from their parents.

For more information, visit U.S. Embassy in Uzbekistan.