U.S. Department of State Kennedy-Lugar Youth Exchange and Study (YES) Program 2025-2026 (Fully-funded)

Applications are open for the U.S. Department of State Kennedy-Lugar Youth Exchange and Study (YES) Program 2025-2026. High school students from countries with significant Muslim populations live and study for an academic year in the United States through the U.S. Department of State’s Kennedy-Lugar Youth Exchange and Study (YES) program.

YES students serve as “youth ambassadors” of their home country, promoting mutual understanding by forming lasting relationships with their host families and communities. Participants live with a host family, attend an American high school, acquire leadership skills, and engage in activities to learn about U.S. society and values; they also help educate Americans about their home country and culture.

The program officially launched in Nigeria in 2003 in hopes to expand communication between the people of the United States and Nigeria in order to promote mutual understanding and respect. Since then, over 402 Nigerian students have completed the YES program and now participate as alumni. The YES program is administered in partnership with the U.S. Department of State by a consortium of non-profit organizations led by American Councils for International Education. In Nigeria, IRIS manages the YES program in partnership with the local U.S. Embassy, Public Affairs Office.

Costs of Lugar Youth Exchange

The YES scholarship covers costs related to:

• round-trip airfare from your home country to the United States;
• the cost of a Pre-Departure Orientation;
• placement with a U.S. host family for 10 to 11 months;
• a modest monthly stipend;
• health insurance; and
• the cost of program activities and materials.

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Eligibility for Lugar Youth Exchange

• Be between the ages of 15-18 by the start of program (August 15, 2025);
• Must be enrolled in a secondary school in Adamawa, Bauchi, Katsina, or Taraba states;
• Must have completed JSS 3 class by August 2025;
• Have the equivalent of a B average or better without failing grades;
• Not have spent a total of more than 90 days in the U.S. in the last five years;
• Meet U.S. J-1 visa eligibility requirements (for instance, U.S. citizens are not eligible for J-1 visa);
• Be a resident and citizen of Nigeria.

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Application

There are multiple rounds to the YES selection process, the first of which is a pre-selection exam. The pre-selection exam, a Math and English test, serves as a screening tool as only candidates who score well on the test are invited to fill out the official YES application.

For the 2025-2026 program year, the pre-selection exam will take place in November and they will be recruiting finalists and alternates in Gombe, Katsina, Kebbi, and Taraba states. Students who are interested in taking the pre-selection exam and who meet the eligibility requirements listed above should email IRIS Country Director, Dr. Saidu Yakubu at [email protected] for specific dates and testing sites.

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