Frequently Asked Questions

The Bezos Scholars Program is a transformative, yearlong, no-cost leadership development program that amplifies youth voice and action—empowering young people with passion to start making a difference today.

Each year, 17 exceptional high school juniors from the U.S. and Africa, along with an educator from each of their schools, are selected as Bezos Scholars.

Student Scholars build leadership skills through project-based learning and receive free college advising. At the center of the program are Community Change Projects—innovative, sustainable initiatives designed and launched by Scholars to address needs in their own communities, with our ongoing support.

Thirty scholars are selected each year. Cohorts are comprised of:

• Five students and one educator from the African Leadership Academy in Johannesburg, South Africa.
• Twelve U.S.-based high school students and a nominated educator from each of their schools.

To be eligible to apply, a student must be enrolled in and attend an eligible U.S. public high school that meets ONE or more of the following criteria:

• At least 30% of the school’s students qualify for free or reduced lunch.
• The school is designated as a Title I school.
• The state has identified the school as economically underserved; it meets the threshold for a state or district “high need” or meets the equity index used to allocate additional funding.

The Bezos Scholars Program prioritizes serving students attending public high schools that serve communities facing economic barriers. By centering eligibility on economically under-resourced schools, we aim to ensure that the program’s benefits—mentorship, resources, leadership opportunities and Community Change Projects designed by Scholars—reach students and educators whose schools often have fewer resources.

Students currently attending a school from which a Scholar was selected in 2024 or 2025 are not eligible to apply for the 2026 cohort. This policy promotes fairness of opportunity, enabling us to extend the Scholar experience and the projects Scholars create to more schools and geographic locations.

If unsure whether your school qualifies, applicants are encouraged to ask someone at their school for help verifying eligibility using the most appropriate measure available in their state. Contact scholars@bezosfamilyfoundation.org for support on how to verify eligibility.

Additionally, students must:

• Be a junior at the time they apply to the program.
• Have a minimum unweighted GPA of 3.0.
• Be enrolled in or have taken at least one advanced course (Honors, Advanced Placement, International Baccalaureate or College Level).
• Be available to fully participate in the year-long program and attend all dates for the all-expenses-paid trip to Aspen, Colorado (see exact dates on the apply page.)
• Nominate an educator, a willing and supportive adult from their school, to serve as a mentor, who will fully participate in the program and go on the trip to Aspen with them.

If they meet the program’s eligibility requirements, students with disabilities are fully encouraged to apply. BSP is committed to ensuring reasonable accommodations so that every Scholar can fully participate—this may include sign language interpreters, accessible materials, lodging adaptations while in Aspen, and/or following what is in a student’s IEP or 504 Plan.

African Leadership Academy (ALA) students must be year one students and apply through the process shared at their school. Any students residing outside of the U.S. who don’t attend ALA are not eligible to apply.

Our application is on Kaleidoscope, a scholarship and opportunity platform. We review each application holistically to gain a full understanding of every applicant. To be considered, all components must be completed and submitted by the application deadline listed on the Apply page. The application has several parts designed to help us get to know you as a student and leader:

• Review & Submit: Check all sections for accuracy and completeness before submitting by the deadline.
• Eligibility & Personal Info: Confirm you meet the requirements and share basic details about yourself.
• School & Courses: Provide your school info, confirm a GPA of 3.0 or higher, and list four challenging classes you’ve taken or are taking.
• Extracurriculars & Employment: List two current activities that show your leadership. You can also include any job you’ve held during the school year for more than a month (optional).
• One-Minute Video: Record an unedited video answering: “What personal experiences or values inspired you to want to become a Bezos Scholar?”
• Essay Responses: Answer three short questions about your values, experiences, and growth as a leader.
• Educator Nominee: Nominate a trusted educator from your school. If selected, they’ll participate in the program with you and submit a confidential recommendation form.
• Review & Submit: Check all sections for accuracy and completeness before submitting by the deadline.

We use a holistic approach to evaluate each candidate on three main criteria:

• Intellectual Curiosity and Commitment to Education
  Scholars are motivated students who challenge themselves in and outside the classroom. If you have faced academic challenges while in high school, share how you persevered, what you learned, and how those experiences shaped you in one or more of your application essays.
• Demonstrated Leadership and Community Engagement
  Scholars are rising leaders in their schools and communities. They inspire others through their actions and ideas and are independent, creative thinkers who lead with humility, compassion, and purpose.
• Readiness and Capacity to Engage in the Program
  Scholars can balance academics, extracurriculars, family, and community commitments. They communicate authentically, thrive in collaboration, and embrace challenges that push them beyond their comfort zone.

Selection Process 

We work with a caring selection committee made up of former Scholars and professionals in the fields of civics, youth development, and education.

The process has two rounds:

• Application Review: Several readers review and score each application independently.
• Interviews: Semi-finalists are invited to a virtual interview.

Reviews begin in February, and applicants are notified by early March if they have been selected as semi-finalists. Finalists are confirmed once their school principal completes a short recommendation form for both the student and educator, and the nominated educator meets with our team. Once confirmed, new Scholars receive their official welcome to the program in April.

While the program does not award college scholarships, Scholars receive free, personalized college advising that helps them find and access financial aid and scholarship opportunities for higher education.

Each Student Scholar receives free, individualized virtual advising from our experienced, supportive college advisor. With a background in working with students around the world—representing a wide range of backgrounds and resources—our advisor helps Scholars explore and access diverse higher education opportunities.

The college advisor provides personalized support, including:

• Guidance on building college lists, writing essays, applying for financial aid, and making final enrollment decisions.
• A tailored letter of recommendation that explains the program, describes the Scholar’s Community Change Project, and highlights leadership qualities, skills, and achievements.
• Ongoing one-on-one advising throughout the program year and through high school graduation.

To see the impact of the Bezos Scholars Program—and the power of Scholars’ ideas and action—look no further than Community Change Projects. Each Scholar designs and leads a sustainable project that addresses a real need in their local community.

Projects are student-led and team-based, created with the help of peers and community partners. They offer fresh, lasting approaches to some of today’s most pressing challenges and are as varied as the Scholars themselves.

Many projects focus on areas such as arts, global issues, community building, the environment, education, health, and more—though some Scholars create entirely new categories.

Scholars receive workshops, coaching, and a $1,000 grant (renewable annually) to bring their ideas to life. After recruiting a team, planning, and submitting a grant proposal aligned with program milestones, projects officially launch by February of senior year. 

Continuing Projects are Scholar-founded projects that have sustained beyond their launch year. They are led by student leaders who were not Scholars, alongside an educator supporter, who is often but not always a former Scholar.

• On average, 70% of projects continue beyond their first year.
• Some Continuing Projects are in their tenth or even fifteenth year!
• Check out this story on the longest-running Scholar-founded continuing project. 
• These projects receive funding and ongoing support, strengthening the leadership skills of approximately 40 student leaders, 105 student team members, and 30 educators each year.
• Participants receive a virtual orientation about the grant proposal process, one coaching meeting, and feedback on their grant proposal before receiving project funding.

Piloting in the 2025-26 academic year, Continuing Project student leaders will be invited to join the Student Changemaker Cohort, an expanded offering that provides workshops on leadership development and project advancement, along with personalized coaching tailored to their needs.

Becoming a Bezos Scholar is just the beginning. After completing the yearlong program, Scholars join the Alum Network—a global community of more than 300 former students (ages 18–37) and 200+ educators who continue to lead, learn, and create change in their communities. The Alum Network offers multiple ways for former Scholars to stay connected and engaged:

• Alum Internships: Annual placements with Foundation partners such as TED Fellows and Aspen Challenge, giving alums professional experience with organizations driving global impact.
• BSP Alum App: The app connects alums and staff to share opportunities, make requests, and build community.
• Regional Gatherings: Alums can host local meetups with reimbursement support. Staff also host annual gatherings in cities with a strong alum presence.
• Alum Reunions: Large-scale reunions bring together alums from all cohorts—most recently in 2014 and 2023, each a three-day event engaging around 100 participants. Future reunions are planned every five to eight years to maintain meaningful connections and momentum.
• Alum Council: Launched in fall 2025, the Alum Council was created in response to alum feedback and a shared desire to strengthen connections across the growing network. The Council serves as a leadership body dedicated to fostering engagement, gathering and sharing feedback, and creating meaningful opportunities for alums to connect. Over a two-year term, six Council Chairs help shape programming, organize virtual and in-person gatherings, and guide the future direction of the Bezos Scholars Alum community.

Through these opportunities, former Scholars continue to grow as leaders and collaborators—expanding the impact of the Bezos Scholars Program long after their program year ends.