American Foreign Service Association Scholarship
Scholarship Sponsored by American Foreign Service Association
Introduction
The AFSA Scholarship Program awards college support to children of American Foreign Service Association (AFSA) members whose parents are or were Foreign Service employees. The program distributes financial aid scholarships for undergraduates and presents graduating high school seniors with academic merit awards, art merit awards, and a community service award. These activities are funded entirely through gifts and bequests from the Foreign Service community—no AFSA membership dues are used. Since its inception, AFSA has awarded nearly $7.4 million to more than 3,000 young people.
Who is eligible
- Applicants must be the children of Foreign Service employees whose parent(s) are AFSA members.
- The parent/employee may be active-duty, retired, separated, or deceased.
- Financial aid scholarships are available to tax-dependent undergraduate students.
- High school seniors may compete for academic merit awards, art merit awards, and a community service award.
For the full list of eligibility requirements, visit the AFSA eligibility page.
Other programs
If a student’s parent is not a Foreign Service employee, AFSA runs a separate high school essay contest. See the essay contest page for details.
Key program information
- Scholarship Eligibility Criteria
- Summary of Programs
- Merit Award Scoring Procedures
- Frequently Asked Questions about Scholarships
About the scholarship program
Overview — The AFSA Scholarship Program supports the education of children from Foreign Service families through a mix of need-based financial aid and merit-based awards.
Governance — The program is administered according to AFSA’s established policies and overseen by its scholarship committee and governing procedures.
Award recipients
Each year AFSA recognizes a diverse group of high-achieving students. We follow recipients’ academic and professional progress after awarding scholarships and take pride in their accomplishments. To view recent honorees:
- AFSA’s 2025 Academic Merit Awards winners
- AFSA’s 2025 Art Merit, Community Service, and Best Essay Awards winners
Apply
We strongly encourage any eligible Foreign Service child to apply for AFSA scholarships and awards. It is our privilege to help support and recognize the next generation of leaders.