Yale Young African Scholars Program 2027 for African Secondary School Students (Travel Grant Available)

Yale Young African Scholars Program 2027

Yale Young African Scholars Program 2027

Applications are open for the Yale Young African Scholars (YYAS) Program 2027, an intensive academic and enrichment programme for African secondary school students preparing for university. YYAS offers two tuition-free options: an online College Prep Workshop admitting around 240 students, and a nine-day Residential Leadership Summit admitting around 110 students with free housing, meals and academic materials.

Participants sharpen their academic skills, receive guidance on university admissions and financial aid applications, and join a pan-African network of young leaders. Applicants must be citizens or permanent residents of an African country, aged 14 to 18 on the first day of the programme, currently in 10th or 11th grade, and able to follow a rigorous English-language curriculum.

Early Action: 20 October 2026 — Regular Decision: 20 January 2027

Contents

• Programme overview
• The two programme options
• Eligibility requirements
• Application timeline
• How to apply

Programme overview

Item	Details
Programme	Yale Young African Scholars (YYAS) 2027
Host	Yale University
Eligible group	African secondary school students (10th–11th grade)
Age	14–18 on first day of programme (typically 16–17)
Options	Online workshop or residential summit
Cost	Tuition-free for both options
Early Action deadline	20 October 2026
Regular Decision deadline	20 January 2027

Yale Young African Scholars is designed for African secondary school students who plan to pursue tertiary education and want to make a meaningful impact as young leaders on the continent. Participants enhance their academic skills, receive university admission and financial aid guidance, and join a network of young leaders from across Africa.

Students may attend only one session but can indicate their preferred session or sessions on the application form.

The two programme options

YYAS College Prep Workshop (online)

Admits about 240 students from all African countries and is entirely free of charge. Participants need access to Zoom on a phone, tablet or computer, with reliable internet for the duration of the programme.

YYAS Residential Leadership Summit

Admits about 110 students from across Africa for a nine-day stay on a residential school campus. It covers the same college prep topics as the online workshop, plus leadership, innovation, design and 21st-century skills. The summit is tuition-free and provides free housing, meals and all academic curriculum materials.

For the Residential Summit, students must be able to travel to and from the host country and are responsible for arranging and funding their own travel documents, such as a passport and travel visa. Families should factor this cost in before applying to that option.

The online workshop removes that barrier entirely: no passport, no visa, no travel. For a student in Yaoundé or Douala with a stable internet connection, it is the more accessible of the two routes, and it covers the same university preparation content.

Eligibility requirements

To apply, candidates must meet all of the following:

Criterion	Requirement
Age	14–18 years old on the first day of the programme (15 July 2027)
Language	Able to follow a rigorous academic curriculum in English
Citizenship	Citizen or permanent resident of an African country (refugees living in an African country are also accepted)
School location	Currently attending school in an African country
Grade level	Current 10th or 11th grade student (or international equivalent)

Graduation date. Students in the Northern Hemisphere must graduate secondary school between May/June 2028 and May/June 2029. Students in the Southern Hemisphere must graduate between November/December 2027 and November/December 2028.

Applicants in their final year of secondary school, those who have already graduated, and university students are not eligible.

The programme looks for students with strong academic records, demonstrated leadership potential, solid written and verbal communication in English, the ability to work cooperatively with peers, and a genuine interest in intellectual, moral and political issues in Africa.

Application timeline

Applicant Pool 1 – Early Action

Stage	Date
Application deadline	20 October 2026 (11:59 PM ET)
Decision release	By 18 December 2026
Deadline to accept or decline	5 January 2027

Applicant Pool 2 – Regular Decision

Stage	Date
Application deadline	20 January 2027 (11:59 PM ET)
Decision release	By 20 March 2027
Deadline to accept or decline	25 March 2027

Applying in the Early Action round costs nothing extra and gives you a second chance: if you are not selected in October, you still have the Regular Decision round in January. Waiting until January removes that fallback.

How to apply

Applications are submitted through the official YYAS application form on the Yale Young African Scholars website. Choose your preferred session or sessions and your application round when completing the form.

Visit the official YYAS page

Secondary school students who want to keep building their profile can also explore other fully funded scholarships for African students. Those looking ahead to graduate study in the United States may be interested in the Knight-Hennessy Scholarship Program at Stanford, while young professionals should keep the YALI Mandela Washington Fellowship on their radar for later in their careers.

Read also

• Fully funded scholarships for African students
• Knight-Hennessy Scholarship Program at Stanford
• YALI Mandela Washington Fellowship

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