Paul and Daisy Soros Fellowship 2027 (Fully Funded)

The Paul and Daisy Soros Fellowship is a fully funded award for graduate study in the United States. It does not fund every applicant abroad. It supports New Americans only. This means immigrants or the children of immigrants already living in the US. Many students also compare it with other fully funded routes. For example, some look at the Harvard Radcliffe Fellowship, another major fellowship in the United States. Both programs draw applicants who want strong American academic backing.

Overview

• Host country, United States
• Level of study, Any full time graduate or professional degree
• Host school, Any accredited US university you choose
• Number of fellows, 30 chosen each year, from about 3,000 applicants
• Nationality, Restricted to New Americans, not open to applicants studying from abroad
• Funded by, The Paul and Daisy Soros Fellowships for New Americans

Benefits of the Paul and Daisy Soros Fellowship

First, fellows get real financial support. Also, they join a lasting community. Plus, they gain national notice. In short, the award covers this.

• Up to 90,000 US Dollars in support, spread across two years
• Funding for any full time graduate or professional degree, in any field
• Membership in a lifelong group of past and current fellows
• Mentorship from senior fellows in your field
• No quotas by race, ethnicity, sex, religion, or disability in the process

Who Should Apply

This award suits immigrants, or children of immigrants, already living in the US. Meanwhile, students applying from outside the US should look at the Fulbright Foreign Student Program. That program is built for applicants studying abroad, so it fits a different audience than this one does.

Eligibility Requirements

Overall, applicants must meet these points.

• Be 30 years old or younger by the deadline
• Be a naturalized US citizen, a green card holder, an asylee, or a refugee
• Or, have finished both high school and college in the US, as a child of immigrants
• Plan to start or continue a full time graduate degree in the US for 2027 to 2028
• Not have started the third year of that degree yet

No Quotas, Pure Merit

Notably, this award judges people only on creativity, drive, and real skill. Therefore, this merit only path is close to the setup used for the Knight Hennessy Scholars program, which also picks people without any set quota by region. Neither program weighs your background against you, which sets both apart from many other awards.

Required Documents

• Completed online form through the official portal
• Academic transcripts
• A resume or CV
• Two short essays
• Three to five recommenders, signed up online

How to Apply

First, check that you meet the New American rule before you start. Next, set up your online account. Begin your essays early. Then, sign up your recommenders well ahead of time, since strong letters take real effort to write. Also, this early step is close to the one used for the Harvard Radcliffe Fellowship. Finally, save a copy of every document before you submit your finished application.

Application Deadline

The 2027 application is open now. The deadline is October 29, 2026, at 2 pm Eastern Time. No extensions apply. So, this window is still open now, but you need to move fast, since the date is close. Starting your essays today gives you the best chance at a strong submission.

Apply Now

Final Thoughts

Overall, this fellowship gives strong, flexible funding to New Americans already based in the US. However, if you are applying from abroad, check other options too. For instance, the Fulbright Foreign Student Program is built for international applicants outside the US, and covers a much wider pool of countries.