Applicants must be 27 years old or younger as of July 1, 2026 and in possession of a bachelor’s degree from a U.S. institution (completed between January 2023 and June 2026) with a GPA of no less than 3.7 on a 4.0 scale. Knowledge of French is not required for acceptance into the Lafayette program. 

Candidates must apply for admission to one of the French partner universities in addition to completing a Lafayette Fellowship application. The awarding of the scholarship is conditional upon admission to one of the partner institutions.

Applications open on August 29, 2025, and close at 11:59 PM on November 30, 2025.

• August 29, 2025, 10:00 p.m. ET – Opening of call for applications 
• November 30, 2025, 11:59 p.m. ET – Application deadline 
• December 10, 2025 – January 15, 2026 – Local selection and online interviews 
• End of January 2026 – National jury 
• February 2026 – Announcement of laureates 
• July 4–25, 2026 – French-American Leadership Program (Paris, Avignon, Arles, and Marseille) 
• Mid-December 2026 – One-week program in Strasbourg 
• June 2027 – Three-day program and Lafayette closing event in Paris 

MORE – https://lafayette.villa-albertine.org/about-the-lafayette-fellowship/