Apply for Thomas Jefferson Scholarship Program (Tunisia)

TJSP focuses on leadership capacity and professional preparation for highly motivated and academically successful students, shaping future leaders from throughout Tunisia to contribute in a meaningful way to Tunisia’s democratic and economic development. The Thomas Jefferson Scholarship Program is made possible by the generous support of the American people through the United States Department of State.

The 2025-2026 Thomas Jefferson Scholarship Program provides opportunities for highly motivated and academically successful undergraduate university/institute students from Tunisia for one academic year of full-time, non-degree study at accredited four-year colleges and universities in the United States. Students will attend four-year universities and colleges and will live in on-campus housing (dormitories). Participants may submit U.S. transcripts to their home institution for review upon completion of the program to determine if the credits are transferrable. The program will provide students a deeper understanding of the United States, as well as new skills, knowledge, and leadership development to help them contribute to Tunisia’s economic growth. Participants may not choose their U.S. host university/college.

Focus Areas

• A broad range of academic fields of study are eligible, including humanities, social sciences, applied sciences, natural and physical sciences, arts, and other standard university fields of study. Students should identify their program field of study on their application. This field should be drawn from the standard undergraduate university/college curriculum within the United States. Please note that students may not enroll in clinical coursework while on the Thomas Jefferson Scholarship Program.

Components

• To support students in the development of the skills, knowledge, and leadership skills needed to build strong foundations for professional leadership success contributing to Tunisia’s development, participants engage in experiential learning components in addition to their academic programs:
  • Cultural Engagement: To develop students’ interpersonal and cross-cultural skills, participants will be required to give a minimum of one country presentation during their program; complete cross-cultural activities each semester; and develop a virtual cultural exchange activity.
  • Community Service: To expose students to the principles of community service and social responsibility in the United States, participants will be required to perform a minimum of 20 hours of community service with local organizations during their academic year.
  • Part-Time Internship: Internships provide an essential opportunity for participants to develop key personal soft skills and gain professional experience and skills that can be applied in their future careers in Tunisia. Program participants will be required to intern a total of 80 hours during their second semester; each participant’s internship must be related to their program field of study.

Benefits

• J-1 visa support;
• Round-trip travel from participant’s home city to host institution in the United States;
• Health insurance;
• Tuition and mandatory university fees;
• Room and board (housing and meals);
• Small incidentals allowance;
• Limited allowance for books;
• A wide variety of alumni networking and training opportunities

Eligibility Criteria

• The Thomas Jefferson Scholarship Program does not discriminate against applicants on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, age, national origin, disability, or any other protected characteristic as established by U.S. law.
• Competition for the Thomas Jefferson Scholarship Program is merit-based. To be eligible, a candidate must:
  • Be a Tunisian citizen;
  • Currently reside in Tunisia;
  • Be enrolled as a full-time, undergraduate, university/institute student in good academic standing at the time of application at a registered academic institution in Tunisia:
    • All applicants must be in their second year of undergraduate education or above. Students in their first year or final year of undergraduate study at the time of application are not eligible for the program
    • Architecture students are eligible in their second-, third-, fourth-, or fifth-year of study. Engineering students are eligible in their second-year (preparatory classes), and third- and fourth-year of undergraduate study;
  • Be able to receive a U.S. J-1 visa;
  • Be at least 18 years old by July 1, 2025;
  • Be committed to returning to Tunisia after completion of the program for a period of two years in accordance with the United States Department of State’s J-1 visa regulations.
  • Be able to achieve a Duolingo English Test (DET) score of at least 100; and
  • Complete the academic year prior to study in the United States in good standing with a passing average (aka moyenne générale).

Ineligibility Criteria

• Individuals in the following circumstances are not eligible for the Thomas Jefferson Scholarship Program:
  • Part-time students;
  • U.S. citizens or permanent residents of the United States;
  • Individuals who have applied for U.S. permanent residency in the past three years;
  • Employees of non-profit organizations that administer the Thomas Jefferson Scholarship Program on behalf of the U.S. Department of State and their families. This provision does not disqualify self-supporting members of families who live apart from their families;
  • Locally employed staff of the U.S. Embassy in Tunisia and their immediate family members. This applies to the staff’s period of employment and one year following the termination of employment; or
  • Persons arrested for, charged with, or convicted of a crime.

Selection Criteria

• TJSP is conducted as a merit-based open competition. After the deadline, all eligible applications will be reviewed by a panel of academic specialists. Chosen semi-finalists will be interviewed in Tunisia by a bi-national committee of U.S. Embassy representatives, USG exchange alumni, and/or U.S. specialists. Chosen semi-finalists must take the Duolingo English Test (DET) in early 2025.
• TJSP is conducted as a merit-based open competition. Selection panels for TJSP semi-finalists and finalists will use the following criteria to evaluate applications (not in order of importance):
  • Academic excellence;
  • Expressed commitment to contribute to Tunisia’s development;
  • Demonstrated leadership potential and commitment to community engagement;
  • Proficiency in written and spoken English;
  • Flexibility and adaptability as an exchange student.

For more information, visit IREX.