Established in 2010 with generous support from the Malú and Carlos Alvarez Family, the Student Scholars Program offers 25 undergraduate students from Council communities the opportunity to attend the National Conference at no cost. WACA also supports the travel, room, and board of program participants.
While in Washington, the students also attend Scholar Day, an exclusive excursion into DC that includes visits to think tanks, embassies, international organizations, and more. Through these experiences, students map their global futures and take important next steps in their education and careers.
Links to nomination forms for Councils and students are below. Also, to help Councils recruit and nominate Student Scholars, WACA has created a flyer below.
Please note: The forms below are not for local selection and submissions will not be forwarded to Councils for their selection process. Councils must solicit their own documents for local selection. Thus, students only submit the nomination form after their Council has informed them they are the local nominee.
WACA provides $1250 to the nominating Council to defray travel and lodging (double occupancy) costs for their Scholar. Councils are responsible for arranging transportation and hotel reservations that must include attendance all three days of National Conference. To help Councils find Scholar roommates, WACA shares the list of accepted Scholars with sponsoring Councils.
Eligibility
Each Council may nominate one undergraduate student 18 years or older from a local college or university. Multiple nominees from the same Council will not be considered.
To broaden the reach of the WACA network, we appreciate local Councils promoting the Student Scholars opportunity widely among local institutions of higher education. Among equally-qualified applicants of promise, preference is given to nominees who may not yet have significant local Council involvement.
The following are not eligible to apply:
- High school students
- Graduate students
- College students in Greater Washington, DC (“the DMV”)
- Prior nominees who were not selected
Nomination Process
Once a nominee has been chosen, the Council must submit a(n):
- Online nomination form (link above)
- Endorsement Letter
- Letter of recommendation from a professor (preferred) or another professional who can attest to the nominee’s preparation and the value they would gain from the opportunity (Optional but highly encouraged)
(It is the responsibility of the student to ensure the letter is sent to the Council in time)
The nominated student must submit a(n):
- Online application form (link above)
- Current resume
- 1-2 page Letter of Intent
Application Deadline: Friday, September 25, 2026, 11:59 PM EDT.
Nominated students will be reviewed by the national office in consultation with the WACA Board of Directors. Selections will be announced within 2 weeks after the application deadline.
As part of their participation requirement, Student Scholars submit a brief evaluation and report on their experience no later than two weeks after National Conference.
For further questions, please email waca@worldaffairscouncils.org.
