Become a Fellow

start your journey with our support

Apply for a Paul & Daisy Soros fellowship and become one of the thirty New Americans— immigrants or the children of immigrants—who are pursuing graduate or professional school in the United States.

How to Apply
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Announcements

THE APPLICATION for the 2026 pd Soros Fellowship Opens in april of 2025

Once we receive and review the applications, the top 77 applicants will be designated “finalists” and will be asked to appear for virtual interviews in late January and early February of 2025. 30 of the the 77 finalists will be selected as Fellows and will be notified in March of 2025. The 2025 Fellows will be announced publicly in April of 2025 and they will begin to receive stipend and tuition support from the program in the fall of 2025. The application for the 2026 Fellowship will launch in April of 2025 and be due October 30, 2025.

All Applicants Notified of Finalist Status

Mid-January, 2025

Virtual Interviews with 77Finalists

February 2025

Fellows Notified

March 2025

2025 Fellows Announced & 2026 Application Launches

Mid-April, 2025

2025 Fellowship & Funding Begins

Fall, 2025

Apply By

October 30, 2025 at 2 pm ET

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Who We're Looking For

We are seeking the 30 most promising New Americans who will go on to make distinctive contributions to American society, culture or their field. Each Fellow serves as an example of the richness that refugees and immigrants bring to America.

What We Offer

Financial Support

The Paul & Daisy Soros Fellowships offers recipients unprecedented financial support so that they can navigate graduate school with confidence, taking risks on the opportunities that matter most. The Fellowship is much more than financial support though, it provides visibility and credibility, and a lifelong community.

Lifelong Alumni Community

Based on a shared connection to the immigrant experience and with a commitment to giving back, PD Soros alumni have a strong national network bolstered by our alumni association, the PDSFA.

In-Person Events

Every PD Soros Fellows takes part in two all expenses paid weekends in New York City during their first two years as a Fellow. The Director of the Fellowship will visit with each new Fellow on their campus to ensure they have what they need to succeed.

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We Are A Merit-Based Fellowship

The program seeks to create “a level playing field” for the consideration of applicants from different backgrounds, in different fields, at different stages in their educational development, and of different ages. Because New Americans and their families have had very different immigration experiences, we take those differences into account in assessing applicants’ success in meeting the selection criteria.

The Fellowship program looks at applicants holistically and has never had a preferred GPA or test score range. The program is interested in applicants who do the most with what they have, challenge themselves, and work hard to overcome obstacles.

Take the Eligibility Quiz

Financial Benefits

What We Provide To You

up to $90,000 =

Toward your graduate education over the course of one to two years

$50,000 +

Stipend support paid to the Fellow

$40,000

Tuition support paid directly to the university

Financial Benefits

Stipends

Each Fellow receives up to $25,000 per year in stipend support for up to two years. Stipends are paid directly to the Fellows.

Tuition

Each Fellow receives up to $20,000 per year in tuition support for up to two years. Tuition is paid directly to the university.

$25,000

per year in stipend support for two years

$20,000

per year in tuition support for up to two years

Defining A Paul & Daisy Soros Fellow

We recognize that there is no one-size-fits-all definition when it comes to immigrant excellence. Across disciplines, our Fellows demonstrate the incredible ways immigrants from all backgrounds contribute to our society through their work and immense achievements in a range of geographies, fields and communities.

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Selection Criteria

  • The candidate has demonstrated creativity, originality and initiative in one or more aspects of their life.
  • The candidate has demonstrated a commitment to and capacity for accomplishment that has required drive and sustained effort.
  • The candidate has demonstrated a commitment to the values expressed in the US Constitution and the Bill of Rights. This would include, but not be limited to, support of human rights and the rule of law, opposition to unwarranted encroachment on personal liberty, and advancing the responsibilities of citizenship in a free society.
  • The candidate gives promise of continued significant contributions. Those contributions are likely to reflect distinctive creativity, originality and initiative and will mark the candidate as a leading and influential figure within their fields of endeavor.
  • The candidate’s graduate training is relevant to their long-term career goals and is of potential value in enhancing their future creativity and accomplishment.

A Holistic Approach

The program seeks to create “a level playing field” for the consideration of applicants from different backgrounds, in different fields, at different stages in their educational development, and of different ages. Because New Americans and their families have had very different immigration experiences, we take those differences into account in assessing applicants’ success in meeting the selection criteria.

The program looks at applicants holistically and has never had a preferred GPA or test score range. The program is interested in applicants who do the most with what they have, challenge themselves, and work hard to overcome obstacles.

Ready to Apply?

We believe in the power of our immigrant journeys and the contributions that immigrants make to the United States. Our application is an opportunity to reflect on your New American story and your goals.

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