Bezos Scholars Program - 2026 Cohort

Applications for this opportunity open on November 18, 2025. To be considered, all components must be completed and submitted by 8:00 p.m. Pacific Time (PT) on January 15, 2026.

The Bezos Scholars Program is a transformative, yearlong, no-cost leadership development program. Our mission is to champion changemakers to act on issues they care about by developing leadership skills and supporting youth-led community projects.

Each year, 12 juniors from the U.S. and five from Africa, along with educators from their respective schools, are selected as Bezos Scholars. They engage in building leadership development skills while being challenged to create Community Change Projects—fresh and sustainable approaches to meeting community needs.

The program does not offer scholarships for higher education, but it does provide free, personalized college advising, which helps students access financial resources for higher education.

To learn more, go to: https://www.bezosscholars.org/apply

While in the program, student scholars receive:

• Connection to a diverse and compassionate community of student and educator Scholars from across the U.S. and Africa.

• Dynamic programming centered on building leadership skills through civic engagement projects.

• An all-expenses-paid week-long trip and experience, which includes access to the Aspen Ideas Festival in Aspen, CO.

• Free, personalized college advising, including support in finding and applying for scholarships and financial aid.

• $1,000 grant to fund their projects. Future student leaders of Scholar-founded projects will be invited to apply for continued funding annually.

• Upon successful completion of the program, Scholars receive ongoing leadership opportunities through their participation in our Alum Network.

Apply now and become the leader we need!

To start an application, a student must be enrolled in and attend an eligible U.S. public high school that meets ONE or more of the following criteria: 

• At least 30% of the school’s students qualify for free or reduced lunch. 

• The school is designated as a Title I school. 

• The state has identified the school as economically underserved; it meets the threshold for a state or district “high need” or meets the equity index used to allocate additional funding. 

  This means the state identified a school as needing additional financial support because a large portion of its students come from low-income families or face other significant challenges that can hinder their learning. 

Students currently attending a school from which a Scholar was selected in 2024 or 2025 are not eligible to apply for the 2026 cohort. This policy encourages fairness of opportunity, allowing us to bring the Scholar experience and the projects Scholars create to more schools and geographic locations. 

If unsure whether your school qualifies, applicants are encouraged to ask someone at their school for help verifying eligibility using the most appropriate measure available in their state. Contact [email protected] for support on how to verify eligibility.   

Additionally, students must: 

• Be a junior at the time they apply to the program. 

• Have a minimum unweighted GPA of 3.0. 

• Be enrolled in or have taken at least one advanced course (Honors, Advanced Placement, International Baccalaureate or College Level). 

• Be available to fully participate in the year-long program and attend all dates for the all-expenses-paid trip to Aspen, Colorado, June 24 through June 30, 2026. 

• Nominate an educator, a willing and supportive adult from their school, to serve as a mentor, who will fully participate in the program and go on the trip to Aspen with them.  

If they meet the program eligibility requirements, students with disabilities are fully encouraged to apply. BSP is committed to ensuring reasonable accommodations so that every Scholar can fully participate — this may include sign language interpreters, accessible materials, lodging adaptations while in Aspen and/or following what is in a student’s IEP or 504 Plan. We aim to ensure all eligible students can engage in the program, grow as leaders, and create meaningful change in their communities.

Using a holistic selection process that considers multiple aspects of a candidate, our selection committee evaluates and scores candidates based on three main criteria:

1. Intellectual Curiosity and Commitment to Education. Bezos Scholars are committed students. They have taken challenging classes, persevered and strive to push the boundaries of their learning in and out of the classroom.

2. Demonstrated Leadership and Community Engagement. Scholars are passionate young people who are rising leaders in their schools and communities. They inspire and motivate others through their actions and commitment. They enjoy converting ideas into action and lead with humility, compassion and a sense of purpose to help others and the world around them.

3. Readiness and Capacity to Engage in the Program. Scholars can balance academics, extracurriculars, family, and community commitments. They communicate authentically, thrive in collaboration, and embrace challenges that push them beyond their comfort zone.

Our volunteer Selection Committee members are leaders in education, youth leadership and development, science and the arts. We aim for committee members to reflect the identities of those who apply, and members share a strong commitment to supporting and championing young leaders. Members are trained to score applications using our rubric, which is focused on the selection criteria described above.