Iraq Scholars and Leaders Program

The 2008 application deadline has been extended to October 31, 2008. 

The Iraq Scholars and Leaders Program (ISLP) is a competitive scholarship program which provides select graduate (Master's or Doctoral) and current or prospective undergraduate students from Iraq with a fully-funded scholarship towards the completion of a degree at a college or university in the United States. Funded by a U.S. corporation and administered by the Institute of International Education (IIE), the goal of the program is to provide the Iraqi scholarship recipients with the opportunity to pursue study at a U.S. college or university, develop new leadership and cultural skills, and to build closer ties between the people of the U.S. and the future leaders of Iraq.

What?

Recipients of the Iraq Scholars and Leaders Program Receive:

  • Full tuition to attend a U.S. university;
  • Placement assistance into a U.S. university;
  • Academic and visa support;
  • Housing and living expenses while in the U.S.;
  • Transportation to the U.S. at the beginning of the program and return to Iraq at the completion of the program;
  • English Language training;
  • Summer Programs and;
  • Medical insurance while in the U.S.
Please click here to review the ISLP Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

When?

The third annual application cycle will be open from July 15-October 31, 2008. The selection process will begin in October of 2008, with English language training beginning in June of 2009. Academic instruction will begin in August of 2009 through the completion of an undergraduate, Master's or Doctoral degree program.

Who?

Applicants must meet the following requirements to be eligible:

  • Doctoral candidates must hold at least a Master's degree
  • Master's candidates must hold at least a Bachelor's degree
  • Undergraduate candidates must have at least a High School diploma or be currently enrolled in an undergraduate program.
  • All applicants must be Iraqi citizens currently residing in Iraq
  • Demonstrate a minimum 580 TOEFL paper based score/213 TOEFL computer based score or 6.5 -7.0 on the International English Language Testing System (IELTS) exam. Testing information for both the TOEFL and IELTS exams can be found at:

  • Graduate (Doctoral and Master's) applicants must also register for the Graduate Record Exam (GRE). For details on test preparation and registration, please visit: AMIDEAST Testing Iraq. Some undergraduate recipients may be required to take the Scholastic Assessment Test (SAT) or American College Test (ACT) test. Individual testing instructions will be given to undergraduate recipients.
  • A willingness and ability to reside in the United States for the full duration of study; dependents may not accompany the ISLP student to the U.S.
  • Major in one of the following fields of study: business, economics, education administration, engineering, geology, geophysics, law, public health or public policy (preference will be given to candidates pursuing study in business, engineering and geosciences);
  • Have basic level of proficiency in both written and oral English and

All applicants MUST submit TOEFL scores by the application deadline, October 31, 2008.  The 2009 competition will start accepting application on July 15, 2008.