Scholarships

AFS is committed helping young people to go abroad regardless of their financial situation. That’s why AFS works with corporate and community sponsors and individual donors to help finance AFS programs through full and partial scholarships.

Kennedy-Lugar Youth Exchange and Study (YES) Program

Kennedy-Lugar Youth Exchange and Study (YES) Program is a full scholarship program funded by the U.S. Department of State, awarded to Indonesian High School students, with an aim to bridge mutual understanding between countries with significant Muslim population and American people. The YES Program was established in 2003, and has sent more than 1500 Indonesian students. Since 2009, American high school students also got the same opportunity

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CLOSE APPLICATION for KL-YES
Year Program 2025-2026

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Kennedy-Lugar Youth Exchange and Study (YES) Program is a full scholarship program funded by the U.S. Department of State, awarded to Indonesian High School students, with an aim to bridge mutual understanding between countries with significant Muslim population and American people. The YES Program was established in 2003, and has sent more than 1500 Indonesian students. Since 2009, American high school students also got the same opportunity.

The YES Program gives the opportunity to active and accomplished students, with significant achievements, both academic and non-academic, and coming from families with economic limitations. This program encourages students with disability to apply (blind/visually impaired, deaf, mute, and physically disabled), as well as students from areas outside of our 20 Chapters and areas outside of Java.

The YES Program gives you an opportunity to develop your personal skills, as well as your leadership skill. This program also gives you an opportunity to be an ambassador of peace and friendship between Indonesia and the US, by bridging mutual understanding between American and Indonesian communities, and acknowledging each other’s life and culture.

During the program, you will go to American high school and live with American family with various backgrounds, spread through all states in the US.  You will experience and learn about life in the US and getting a chance to interact directly with your community through enrichment activities arranged by the program.

Each year Bina Antarbudaya sends selected students who are eligible, regardless of their religious, racial, and ethnical background, to be the young Indonesian ambassador in this program.

Requirements:

  1. First grade and second grade in High School (SMA/ SMK/ MA) (not accelerated & homeschooling student) 
  2. For 2025– 2026 Year Program, born between 15 January 2008 – 15 August 2009 by the start of the program (August 15, 2025)-Be between the ages of 16-17.7 years old
  3. Minimum average grade in academic report: 80 for all subjects
  4. Active and accomplished, with achievements in both academic and non-academic fields, in the past 5 (five) years Achievements and accomplishments in academic and non-academic field at least in city/township level

OR

OSIS and/or MPK main board (Chairman, Vice Chairman, Secretary, Treasurer).

5. Agreements and consent from natural parents (proven in written, signed in an available form) 

6. Agreement and consent from school (proven in written, signed in available form) 

7. Citizen of Indonesia, proven by birth certificate 

8. Reside in and still enrolled in a school in Indonesia at the time of application, and will still be enrolled in Indonesian school after the program 

9. Does not hold American passport, was not born in the US, and one or both parents are not American citizen(s) 

10. Physically and mentally fit for the program (YES Program encourages students with disability to apply) 

11. Participate in selection stages conducted by Bina Antarbudaya. Only selected candidates will be invited to the National Selection Camp in Jakarta 

12. Registration and application start in August

13. Registration will only be conducted through Online Registration accessible through a link in afsindonesia.org 

14. Do not have family members who work as staff of the embassy of the United States and Yayasan Bina Antarbudaya

15. Does not have any family members who previously were on the YES Program (parents, siblings).

What the YES Program provides and what the Scholarship covers (for selected finalists):

1. US Visa
2. International travel between home country and the US, including only one checked luggage
3. Domestic travels:
a. From and to your hometown, for visa interview at the US Consulate & Embassy
b. From and to your hometown, for Orientation and Reorientation
c. From and to your host community in the US
4. Placement in a host family and US high school
5. Orientations in home country and in the US (Pre-Departure Orientation, Arrival, Mid- Year, End of Stay, and Reorientation)
6. Program enrichment activities
7. Medical insurance, except for pre-existing conditions, eyes, and dental care
8. Monthly allowance.

What has to be prepared by program finalists (not included in the Scholarship):

  1. Passport
  2. Medical examinations, including but not limited to TB tests 
  3. Immunizations and vaccinations that are mandatory (including, but not limited to Polio, DTaP, MMR, Varicella, Hepatitis A, Hepatitis B, and Meningitis – (COVID-19 Vaccination is included) 
  4. Pre-existing medical conditions and allergies, dental care, and eye care 
  5. Excess or overweight baggage cost 
  6. Personal expenses and trips during program.