GRSP Standard Selection Scholarship

Application Period: June 1 to October 31

If accepted into GRSP you will be extended a one-year (August to May), non-renewable, non-degree seeking scholarship to a college or university here in Georgia. You will benefit from unique mentoring and networking provided by the Rotary Clubs and Georgia Rotary Student Program. You do not get to select the school you attend. That is determined by your host club.

You will live on campus in a dormitory, but you will be assigned a Rotary “host family” for the full year and make a commitment to participate in this aspect of the GRSP Program. The host families serve as your family away from home. They “adopt” you as one of their own family members and invite you to dinner periodically, and into their homes when campus is closed, over school breaks or at other traditional times as well as for eight student weekend events. It is an immersive life-changing experience that allows both the student and family to learn about each other’s experiences, cultures, and customs.

Awardee must be available for GRSP orientation in August plus participate in six GRSP student weekends and District Conference. Rotary will provide transportation to all student events.  Awardee will be required to make one presentation in Fall Semester and one in Spring Semester to each Rotary Club.

Application Requirements:

• Be between 18 and 24 years of age by August 1.
• Must not have previously studied in the United States longer than one year plus one semester.
• Not available to married or engaged students.
• Not available to candidates with dual U.S. citizenship.
• Not available to graduate students.
• All students must submit a letter of recommendation by a Rotary Club from your home country. If your parents or friends of the family are Rotarians, ask their clubs to sponsor you. If you have no connection to Rotary, click on the box to the right to find a Rotary Club near you to approach about a recommendation.

Please review the Application Guidelines Tab to the right for more information on the scholarship and application guidelines.

The GRSP scholarship pays scholastic costs, including tuition, dormitory, meal plan, and $500 per term toward medical insurance costs. Students are responsible for covering all transportation expenses to and from the United States, the required medical insurance costs, any income taxes imposed on non-scholarship income by the U.S. Treasury, any transcript translation and/or evaluation expenses, textbooks, passports, visas, inoculations, and personal spending money. It is important to do your research and ask questions early to make sure you understand all of your financial obligations. Students need to be prepared to bring $4,000 to $6,000 in reserve to cover expenses throughout the year and must verify that they have access to such funds as part of the visa application process. Your host families are not expected or prepared to support you in any way financially throughout the year.

College/University Testing Requirements:

We have 26 participating colleges and universities within Georgia. Some require SAT scores and some do not. Because students do not pick the college or the clubs that sponsor them, test scores are strongly suggested for the selection process, so the club reviewing the application would have an idea of the student’s ability to understand English. To meet these English proficiency requirements, schools will accept a TOEFL IBT of 74 or SAT Evidence Based Reading and Writing of 480. It is important that we have your TOEFL IBT and SAT Reading/Math scores at the time of your application submission or the date scheduled for your test(s), which should be taken before December 1 in order to have results returned prior to the GRSP student selection process. Not having the test scores sent to us in a timely fashion will greatly impact the likelihood of your acceptance. Please note the Test Requirements for our partnering colleges on the tab to the right.

If accepted and offered a scholarship, we will begin your admissions process with your assigned college or university. In the event that the school determines you do not meet its admissions standards, the scholarship offer will unfortunately have to be withdrawn.

What happens after you apply? 

• You will receive a confirmation email that your application has been received. If you do not receive a confirmation email, please verify that your application was received.
• If offered the scholarship, you will be contacted by email.
• If offered a scholarship and agreeing to the scholarship terms, you will be contacted by the local host family paired with you by GRSP.
• If offered a scholarship and agreeing to the scholarship terms, GRSP aids with college admissions process for non-degree seeking student.
• Trustee and Host Family reach out to student in welcome process.
• Students Arrive in August for Conclave (GRSP Orientation) and Begin Fall Semester.
• Scholarship funds are sent directly to the institution, not the awardee, and applied to the student’s account at the college or university in two payments (one in Fall and one in Spring semester).

If you meet our requirements, embrace our mission, and are all-in for a life-changing adventure, we encourage you to apply!

Please read the Application Guidelines and Scholarship Agreement before you begin the application process.

BEFORE APPLYING, BE AWARE: the application CANNOT be saved to continue later. We suggest you print it out, gather all supporting documentation, and finalize your short answer replies separately. Then, when ready, copy and paste your answers into the application. You will to need to have the contact information for a reference as well as a digital photo of yourself.

If you are unable to access the online application, please email grsp@grsp.org for assistance.