Submissions open for Global Undergraduate Program (Cambodia)

The 2025-2026 Global UGRAD program provides one-semester scholarships to approximately 250 outstanding undergraduate students representing all world regions to study in the U.S colleges and universities. The program includes pre-academic English language training, academic coursework, service learning opportunities, professional development workshops, and cultural enrichment activities. Global UGRAD participants will be enrolled full time in undergraduate course work at the host institution to allow ample opportunity for substantive interaction with U.S. faculty and student peers, and for exposure to U.S. academic and classroom culture.

All academic fields of study are eligible. Per J-1 visa regulations, interested applicants in medicine, nursing, veterinary medicine, pharmacology or other clinical fields of study, should be made aware 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.

Students cannot choose their host institution. The cooperating agency World Learning will place students at the most appropriate host institution based on students’ academic interests. Students who are not enrolled in pre-academic English may indicate a preference for a Fall or Spring semester placement, but final placement will be made by the cooperating organization in conjunction with ECA. This is a non-degree program – it is the students’ responsibility to check with their home institutions whether any credits accumulated during the Global UGRAD program will be transferred. Please note that World Learning cannot guarantee the availability of specific courses to students.

Students are required to enroll in at least two courses in their major and at least one course in a U.S. Studies field, such as U.S. history, literature, art, or government. Students will also be required to take one, 3-credit U.S. studies course to enhance their understanding of the United States.

Participants will live in campus housing facilities with American peers, and will be required to participate in a minimum of twenty hours of community service. There will also be a virtual arrival orientation and an in-person end-of-program workshop.

Eligibility Criteria

• Eligible applicants must:
  • Be a Cambodian citizen with at least 18 years of age when beginning the UGRAD program in the United States.
  • Be currently enrolled in full-time undergraduate degree program in Cambodia and must have completed a minimum of their first semester of study by January 2025.
  • Have at least one full academic year of undergraduate study remaining after May of the relevant academic year that you participate in the Global UGRAD Program. For example, if you are applying to participate in the program for the 2025-2026 academic year, you must have at least one full year of undergraduate study remaining after May 2026.
  • Be highly motivated and demonstrate leadership through academic work, community involvement, and extracurricular activities.
  • Demonstrate a command of written and spoken English. The TOEFL exam will be required of those selected as finalists or alternates. Applicants must achieve a minimum TOEFL score of 48iBT to be considered. Students who score between 48-60 will be considered for the virtual English Language Training prior to the exchange portion of the program. Students must achieve a minimum score of 61 to be eligible to participate in the exchange portion of the program in the United States.
  • Preference will be given to students from non-elite or less-privileged backgrounds, from both rural and urban areas, who have had little or no prior experience in the U.S. or elsewhere outside of their home countries.
  • Applicants must be committed to return directly to their home country after the completion of the program.

Application Requirements

• Please read all instructions carefully before completing the application, and review all fields before making any submission online. The application can be saved and submitted at a later time. All forms in this application are to be completed in English.
• Incomplete or incorrect applications will not be considered.
• A complete application package includes:
  • Online application.
  • Academic transcripts (with English translations), first-year students can submit their school certificate with grades.
  • Two letters of reference (with English translations). One recommendation should come from your university teacher, and the other should be written by a professor/teacher, OR an employer, coach, or any supervisor or authority familiar with your extra-curricular activities.
  • Copy of passport biographic information page.

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