• Civil Society and Governance
  • Civil Society and Governance Overview
  • Institutional Capacity Building
  • Civic Education
  • Citizen Participation
  • Advocacy
  • Democratic Governance
  • Grants Solicitation and Management Capacity
  • Women's and Minority Rights
  • Disenfranchised Groups
• Education
  • Education Overview
  • Basic Education
  • Higher Education
  • Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages
  • Education for Vulnerable Groups
• HIV/AIDS
  • HIV/AIDS Overview
  • HIV/AIDS Prevention
  • Orphans and Vulnerable Children (OVC)
  • Grants Solicitation and Management Capacity
  • Institutional Capacity Building
• International Visitors Exchanges
  • International Professional, Academic, and Cultural Exchanges Overview
  • Undergraduate and Graduate Academic Exchanges
  • Professional Exchanges
  • Youth Exchanges
• Capacity Development and Training
  • Capacity Development and Training Overview
  • Participant Training
  • Institutional Capacity Building
  • Undergraduate and Graduate Academic Exchanges
  • Grant Solicitation and Management Capacity
  • Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages

Hosting Sponsored International Students

Thank you for your interest in partnering with World Learning as a host institution for sponsored international students.  Sponsored student programs provide student leaders with unique opportunities to attend U.S. colleges and universities for degree and non-degree, undergraduate and graduate studies.

Why Host Sponsored Students?

• Students are selected through rigorous application and interview processes.
• They add diversity to your international student population (participating countries frequently change, see links to current programs below).
• World Learning manages all aspects of students’ J-1 visa status, and DS-2019 issuance.
• Students are excellent cultural ambassadors and actively engage in campus and community life, participating in community service, internships, and cultural activities.

World Learning recruits host institutions for a changing portfolio of undergraduate sponsored student programs on a rolling basis.  Interested institutions should complete and return the Common Host Institution Application (available for download below).  Host institution selection and student placement customarily take place between January and May.

Undergraduate Host Institution Selection Criteria:

• Appropriate accreditation.
• High-quality academic programs matching students’ needs.
• Superior international student support and personalized attention for sponsored students.
• Ability to provide significant cost-share and good educational value for overall cost.
• Availability of on-campus housing, with U.S. student roommates, and single-gender and substance-free living options.
• Access to comprehensive meal plans with provisions for special diets.
• Campus connection to the wider community.
• Availability of intensive English Language Training (ELT) Programs.
• Coordination and availability of community service and internship opportunities.
• Geographic and institutional diversity: two- and four-year, public and private institutions are encouraged to apply.