The United States gave good news to students studying in high schools in Bangladesh
October 1, 20244 Mins Read
International Desk: The Kennedy-Lugar Youth Exchange and Study or YES (YES) program gives students studying in high schools in Bangladesh the opportunity to study in the United States. Selected applicants through this program will spend an academic year with host families in the country and have the opportunity to study at an American high school. Last date of application is 27th October 2024 till 4 pm Bangladesh time.
student
Funded by the United States Department of State, this merit-based scholarship will be awarded to students there for integrated study and intellectual development. Disabled students will also have the opportunity to participate in this program. According to the notification of the US Embassy in Dhaka, under the YES program funded by the US Department of State, scholarships are awarded to high school students in grades 8-11 of Bangladesh to stay in the United States for one year.
Applications are invited for study through the Kennedy-Luger YES program for the 2024-25 academic year. YES Scholarship is a merit based and open program. It can be applied for free. Since 2004, more than three hundred Bangladeshi high school students have participated in the YES program.
Opportunities :
The costs of the YES program, i.e. airfare, US visa fees, accommodation and meals in the US, tuition fees and a monthly stipend of $125, are covered by the US Department of the Interior. Among these, the participant does not have to bear the cost of air fare to and from Bangladesh to America, cost of predeparture orientation, cost of placement in an American host family, monthly stipend, health insurance and ancillary activities of the program. Each student will live with an American host family. The student may be required to reside in any US state, which is arranged by an American placement agency.
However, it is impossible for students to stay in the US after the program ends. This is against program rules and violating these rules will make the student a federal criminal. The student will not receive a US visa again.
Qualifications:-
* Applicant age should be between 15 to 17 years as on 15 August 2025.
* Must be currently enrolled in 8th, 9th, 10th or 11th class of Bangladeshi high school.
* Bangladeshi nationals studying abroad will not be eligible to apply.
* Marksheets/marksheets for 2022, 2023 and 2024 academic year must be submitted at the time of application.
* Annual results should have at least 'B' grade average.
* Applicants will be considered ineligible if there has been any academic break or repetition of any class within the last three academic years.
* Must be eligible for a US J-1 visa (US citizens are not eligible for a J-1 visa).
* Applicants will be considered ineligible if they have resided or traveled to the United States for a total of more than 90 days within the past five years.
* Applicant must be a permanent citizen residing in Bangladesh.
* If a person has dual citizenship or is permanently residing abroad, his/her application will be considered invalid.
* Must have sufficient English language skills to speak and study in English.
* Either or both of the applicant's parents cannot be current employees of the US Embassy or US Mission.
Application and Selection Process:
Apply online www.iearnbd.org for detailed information from YES program website. Necessary documents must be attested by a gazetted officer of first class or a school official. Then those documents should be scanned and uploaded along with the online application. Merit list will be released after initial application and invited for phone interview as per merit list. The interview will be three minutes long. Detailed result of interview will be sent to eligible candidates only.
A limited number of candidates selected from the phone interview will have to take part in the ELTiS test and in-class essay writing. ELTIS has two parts—Listening (25 minutes) and Reading (45 minutes). Applicants participating in the in-class essay must produce three essays. Time for each will be 15 minutes.
Final Application and Interview:
The successful candidates of ELTIS examination and in-class essay writing examination will submit the final application. Students will be notified of the final application process if they are deemed eligible. Applicants who submit the final application form will be invited for a final interview. The election process will be completed by January 2025.
The list of finalists and alternates from YES program will be announced after the final interview. Selected applicants will be notified and will be required to participate in enhancement activities, PDO, and travel orientation prior to departure to the United States. Both orientations are mandatory for the program.
YES program details and detailed application instructions can be found on the website. Apart from this, you can contact by mail.
