MEPI Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

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General

Thank you for your interest in our programs. Due to budget constraints, we are unable to support all countries in the Middle East and North Africa.  Only those countries listed in the specific announcement are eligible.

  • DOS and USAID employees and their immediate family members (spouses and dependent children) are NOT eligible to apply to any of the MEPI exchange programs (Tomorrow’s Leaders Program, Leaders for Democracy Fellowship Program, and Student Leaders Program).
  • If a State Department Officer or Locally Employed Staff and/or his or her immediate family members would like to apply to a DOS-funded MEPI exchange program, the applicant(s) may only do so after a period of one year after termination of DOS employment.

Current employees (and their immediate family members) of any private and public agencies under contract to DOS that perform administrative, implementation, and/or screening services on behalf of DOS for the exchange program (e.g. AMIDEAST, the American University of Beirut, and the Lebanese American University for the Tomorrow’s Leaders Program; World Learning and sub-awardees for the Leaders for Democracy Fellowship Program; and Georgetown University and sub-awardees for the Student Leaders Program) are NOT eligible to apply to the program that the employee works on.

 


2019 MEPI Tomorrow’s Leaders Program

The Tomorrow’s Leaders Undergraduate Program (TLU) supports students in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region by providing undergraduate level academic matriculation, civic education, and leadership development.  TLU is a leadership-training program, partnering with leading U.S.-accredited American universities in the MENA region to build a cadre of community, business, and national leaders who are civic-minded, intellectually able, and professionally trained.

TLU targets students from the MENA region who are academically qualified, but who are otherwise unable to afford American-style higher education. Students will enroll at the undergraduate level in a four-year program in one of the host institutions: The American University of Beirut (AUB), The Lebanese American University (LAU) in Lebanon and The American University in Cairo (AUC) in Egypt.  Each host university offers a civic awareness and leadership-based component as well as mentoring and internship opportunities with local civil society, business, and non-governmental organizations. In addition, each student has an opportunity to study abroad in the U.S. for one semester.

Tomorrow’s Leaders may pursue an eligible undergraduate degree in a selected field at one of the host institutions and should be prepared to begin the program in the Fall 2021 term. Participants are expected to maintain at least a 3.0 GPA, engage in community service activities, and participate in career-relevant internships. Students may also have an opportunity for a study abroad semester in the U.S.. Students are expected to have strong English language skills; however, limited English- language training will be provided for some participants.

Participation in the program includes: Full tuition coverage (for a maximum period of four academic years) at one of the participating universities, health insurance, housing,  monthly living allowance, a semester study abroad in the U.S., yearly round trip tickets from and to your home country, civic leadership and career-oriented workshops, internship opportunities, and faculty mentorship and guidance.

  • This program is open to high school graduates in the Middle East and North Africa, who are qualified but unable to afford a college education.  For the Fall 2021 enrollment class, applicants must be citizens of Algeria, Bahrain, Egypt, Jordan, Iraq, Lebanon, Libya, Morocco, Tunisia, (Syrians residing outside of Syria), and Yemen. U.S. Citizens or U.S. Legal Permanent Residents are not eligible to apply.

    Applicants must meet the following criteria:

    • Be a high school senior or recent high school graduate at the time of application;
    • Demonstrate strong leadership potential;
    • Be proficient in written and spoken English;
    • Demonstrate strong academic performance;
    • Ability to start the program in August/September 2021.

Deadline for the Tomorrow’s Leaders Program is December 4, 2020.

To apply, go to this website: www.amideast.org/tl
At the bottom of the page, click the drop down list to select your country for country-specific contact information and application criteria.
For French and Arabic information, please see these websites:
(French) http://www.amideast.org/fr/
(Arabic) http://www.amideast.org/ar/

Please contact the local AMIDEAST office for your country. They will be able to assist with your question. You can find their contact information on this website: http://www.amideast.org/


2020 MEPI Student Leaders Program

The Student Leaders (SL) program is an intensive 5-week training program in four U.S.-based universities for about 60 undergraduate and graduate students (age 20-24) from the Middle East and North Africa (MENA). Students learn about leadership, civil society, and government processes and how they may apply these skills in their home countries.

Students are divided up among U.S. academic institutions where they develop leadership skills and expand their understanding of civil society, as well as the democratic process and how both may be applied in their home communities. Participants have the opportunity to meet their American peers, engage in local community service activities, and observe and take part in the governmental process on the local, state, and federal levels.

The institutes include academic coursework, as well as site visits to local and regional community organizations in the United States. Upon completion of the U.S.-based programs, host institutes work with participants to implement civic engagement programs in their home communities.

After the U.S. program concludes and as funding allows, the U.S. Department of State may hold follow-on trainings and events overseas in the region that program alumni can apply for through a competitive, application-based selection process.

Expenses for the U.S. program are fully paid by the U.S. Department of State.

Applicants must hold citizenship of Algeria, Israel, Jordan, Lebanon, Morocco, Tunisia, Iraq, Bahrain, Kuwait, Qatar, or Libya; Applicants cannot hold U.S. citizenship and cannot be a U.S. Legal Permanent Resident.

  • Must have ability to fully participate in the program in the USA in late June 2020 to the end of July 2020;
  • Are 20 to 24 years of age as of the program start date of June 24, 2020 and end date of July 29, 2020 (birthdates falling between July 29, 1996 and June 24, 2000);
  • Demonstrate the strong English language skills needed to participate in a U.S. academic program;
  • Are committed to returning to their home country/community following completion of the program;
  • Demonstrate strong leadership potential;
  • Indicate a serious interest in learning about the United States;
  • Are not a third country national of the nominating country;
  • Have a sustained high level of academic achievement and currently attending an undergraduate or graduate program, have graduated from an undergraduate program within 6 months or less from the program start date of June 24, 2020 or will commence graduate studies in the fall 2020 semester in their home country; will not be commencing study in an undergraduate or graduate degree program in the USA during the fall 2020 USA academic semester;
  • Demonstrate a commitment to civic engagement;
  • Preference will be given to those who have no prior travel experience in the United States or Canada and limited to no study or travel experience outside their home country;
  • Are willing and able to participate fully in intensive academic, community service, and educational travel activities;
  • Are comfortable with campus life, sharing living accommodations while traveling with a multinational group of participants from the Middle East and North Africa region and with U.S. citizens, and making adjustments to cultural and social practices different from those of their home countries/communities; and
  • Are comfortable living with another program participant of the same sex in a shared room as well as traveling to the USA and participating in the program without any accompanying friends or family members.

Due to significant budget constraints in 2017, the Middle East Partnership Initiative (MEPI) Student Leaders Program is limited to 60 students and has been shortened to 5 weeks. MEPI will also not be able to offer the program in all MENA countries this year.

Applications for the Student Leaders Program will be accepted starting on October 1, 2019 and the deadline for applications is December 3, 2019 for Bahrain, Iraq, Israel, Jordan, Kuwait, Libya, Morocco, Qatar, and Tunisia. The deadline for applications from Algeria and Lebanon is December 17, 2019.

Some students will be invited by their U.S. Embassy or Consulate to do interviews in January 2020. All students will hear the results of their application no later than April 2020 via email sent through the Fluid Review application database. Due to the volume of applications, U.S. Embassies and Consulates will only reach out to short-listed candidates for interviews. Being selected for an interview does NOT mean that a candidate is then automatically selected as a Finalist or Alternate for the program. U.S. Embassies and Consulates will notify those short-listed candidates selected for an interview whether or not they are selected as a Finalist or Alternate candidate by the end of April 2020.

Yes, your recommender has to fill out the provided recommendation form.

Please use the required recommendation format that is provided. The answers can be hand-written or typed by the recommender.

A recommender should be someone other than a friend or family member, who knows you well and has observed your academic, professional, or volunteer work (ex. professor, supervisor, co-worker).

If you choose to “invite a recommender” an email will be sent to your recommender asking him/her to fill out a recommendation form and submit it on your behalf through the link provided.

No, applicants are required to submit a recommendation letter.

You aren’t required to upload actual transcripts but are required to upload documentation (which could include transcripts) to demonstrate your academic results from your most recent year of university studies.

Your passport or identification card copy as well as academic records supporting your academic results from your most recent year of university studies do not need to be translated into English. However, other documents like your recommendation letter should be submitted in English.

The cost of the program is fully covered by the U.S. Department of State.

Yes, you can apply and upload a copy of your identification card if you do not have a passport. If you do not have a passport OR if your passport has expired, please provide a copy of your national ID instead. In the meantime, be sure to apply for your passport or passport renewal, because, if selected as a program participant, you will need a passport valid for at least 6 months after the program end date.

It does not make you ineligible. You can still apply for MEPI programs, although generally we give priority to people who have never visited the United States before.

Each applicant will receive an email notifying them of the result of their application through the Fluid Review online application database by the program implementer Georgetown University.

Only undergraduates and graduate students ages 20-24 at the time they participate in the program may apply. Individuals ages 28-35 may be eligible for a different program called the Leaders for Democracy Fellowship (LDF) Program. Please view: https://mepi.state.gov/education/student-leaders-program/ to see whether you may be eligible for that program.

No, you cannot. Only applicants who were born between July 29 1996 and June 24, 2000 may apply. You must be 20 to 24 years of age as of the program start date of June 24, 2020 and end date of July 29, 2020.

Yes, you can apply. If a student graduates before the Student Leaders Program begins in late June 2020, they must not graduate more than 6 months before the Student Leaders Program begins. In other words, they must not graduate before January 2020 (unless they will be enrolled in a Graduate program in the August/September fall 2020 semester – see next question below).

Students must be currently enrolled in an undergraduate or graduate program when they apply. If a student is accepted to a Graduate program but has not started it yet and will start the Graduate program the semester immediately following the Student Leaders program (in the fall 2020 semester, starting August/September 2020), the student can apply.

Yes, you can enter your scores as shown in your school transcripts or as shown in your other academic records. You can also use this calculator to convert your scores into a GPA: http://www.wes.org/students/igpacalc.asp


2020-2021 Leadership Development Fellowship

Since 2007, the Leadership Development Fellowship (LDF Fellowship) has provided leaders from the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region with the opportunity to complete training in civic engagement, social entrepreneurship, and leadership. Emerging civic engagement and social entrepreneurship leaders across sectors from the MENA region will participate in a 5-stage, 12-month Fellowship to identify innovative ways to address social and economic challenges in local communities. The LDF Fellowship is funded by the U.S. Department of State’s U.S.-Middle East Partnership Initiative (MEPI) and implemented by World Learning.

The LDF Fellowship is an intensive civic engagement and social entrepreneurship fellowship and selected candidates are expected to fully participate in each stage of the LDF Fellowship. Starting in 2020, the LDF Fellowship will take place over 12 months and include 5 stages:

1. Stage One: Fellowship begins with two weeks of in-person workshops and trainings in the U.S. with World Learning and Duke University focused on: studying the systems that contribute to societal challenges; building effective partnerships for social change; and developing inclusive and equitable interventions.

2. Stage Two: Fellows refine interventions and complete exercises that provide local focus on systems analysis, inclusive interventions, building partnerships, and other acquired tools and knowledge from Stage One.

3. Stage Three: Fellows spend three weeks in the United States as part of the English Track (for high-proficiency English speakers), or in Tunisia as part of the Arabic Track (for high-proficiency Arabic speakers), to gain academic and local insights into civic engagement and social entrepreneurship and to report and reflect on the findings of their Stage Two activities.

4. Stage Four: Over six months, Fellows apply the lessons of the LDF Fellowship and report on results to strengthen their ongoing civic and social entrepreneurial activities. During this stage, Fellows may apply for small grants or technical assistance.

5. Stage Five: In the twelfth month, the Fellows reconvene for three days to learn and share the impact of their LDF experience.

The 2020-2021 LDF Fellowship is approximately twelve months in total starting in February 2021.

Participants from the following countries are eligible to apply to the English Track of the 2020-2021 LDF Fellowship: Algeria, Israel, Jordan, Kuwait, Lebanon, Morocco, and Tunisia.

Participants from the following countries are eligible to apply to the Arabic Track of the 2020-2021 LDF Fellowship: Iraq, Syria, Yemen, Algeria, Jordan, Kuwait, Lebanon, Morocco, and Tunisia.

For the English Track, which includes a visit to the U.S. as part of Stage Three, applicants must:

  • Eligible Countries: Be from Algeria, Jordan, Morocco, Tunisia, Kuwait, Lebanon, and Israel.
  • English Fluency: Be able to function comfortably in English-speaking academic and professional environments. All U.S.-based activities are conducted in English.

For the Arabic Track, which includes a visit to Tunisia as part of Stage Three, applicants must:

  • Eligible Countries: Be from Syria, Yemen, Algeria, Jordan, Morocco, Tunisia, Kuwait, Lebanon, and Iraq.

Applicants for both tracks must meet the following eligibility criteria:

  • Age: Applicants must be between 28 and 35 years of age. Applicants cannot participate if they are born before January 1, 1985 or after December 31, 1992.
  • Professional Experience: Applicants must have at least five years of professional work experience in a relevant field.
  • Civic Engagement and/or Social Entrepreneurship Experience: Applicants must have a minimum of five years of relevant Civic Engagement and/or Social Entrepreneurship experience.
  • Academic Background: Applicants must have a bachelor’s degree.
  • Arabic Fluency: Applicants in both tracks must able to function comfortably in Arabic-speaking academic and professional environments.
  • Full Participation: Applicants must be willing and able to participate fully in all five stages of the LDF Fellows will travel out of the MENA region for two weeks at the beginning of the LDF Fellowship to the U.S., for three weeks to either the U.S. or Tunisia during Stage Three, and again for three days at the end of the LDF Fellowship.
  • Application: Applicants must have the capacity and ability to apply the knowledge and skills gained throughout the LDF.

Participants must be comfortable living with another participant of the same sex in a shared room, traveling internationally, and participating in the Stage 1, Stage 3, and Stage 5 of the LDF Fellowship without any accompanying friends or family members.

Applications for the LDF Fellowship was available online from January 20, 2020 to February 24, 2020.

The application for the 2020-2021 LDF Fellowship is now closed. The online application was live from January 20, 2020 and February 24, 2020. For the latest updates and announcements, please visit the LDF Fellowship Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/LDFFellowship/. If you cannot find an answer to your question on this page, please email ldf@worldlearning.org.

Applicants are free to submit separate applications to the English and Arabic Tracks of the LDF Fellowship. However, applicants will only be offered a spot in one of the tracks. The candidate’s preference may be considered during the interview process, if the applicant is selected for an interview and has the high English language proficiency required for the English Track.

Due to the volume of applications, we will only contact semi-finalists.

Due to significant budget constraints, the U.S.-Middle East Partnership Initiative (MEPI) LDF Fellowship was reduced in size. MEPI will not be able to offer the LDF Fellowship in all previous countries this year.

No, applicants are required to submit a professional reference form.

You aren’t required to upload actual transcripts but are required to upload academic documentation (which could include transcripts) to demonstrate that you hold a bachelor’s degree. If you hold a master’s degree, Ph.D. or another degree, please upload documentation to demonstrate that you hold these degrees.

Your passport or identification card copy as well as academic records supporting your academic degrees DO NOT need to be translated into English and can be submitted in the local language they are printed in. However, all other application documents such as your professional reference form, essay questions, video statement, and other application materials should be submitted in English for the English Track application, and Arabic for the Arabic Track application.

The LDF Fellowship, funded by MEPI, will cover the cost of international travel, lodging, and health insurance, and provide a modest living stipend to cover meals and incidentals during the in-person engagements.

Yes, you can apply and upload a copy of your identification card if you do not have a passport. If you do not have a passport OR your passport is expired, please provide a copy of your national ID instead. If you are selected, you will need to have a passport valid for at least 6 months after the LDF Fellowship’s end date in order to participate.

It does not make you ineligible. You can still apply for MEPI programs, although generally we give priority to people who have never visited the United States before.

Only applicants ages 28-35 at the time of the fellowship may apply for the LDF Fellowship. Individuals ages 20-24 may be eligible for the Student Leaders Program. Please view this website to read about the Student Leaders Program: https://mepi.state.gov/education/student-leaders-program/

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