Now Seeking Emerging Leaders for 2025 Luce Scholars Program

What is the Luce Scholars Program? An Immersive Experience in Asia

The Luce Scholars Program is a 13-month leadership development experience for young Americans who have limited exposure to Asia. Designed to deepen understanding and forge meaningful connections, the Program combines language training, cultural immersion, and a full-time professional placement aligned with your interests.

Through this immersive experience, you’ll gain firsthand insight into daily life in a new country while developing the global fluency, adaptability, and leadership skills needed to make an impact across cultures.

The Luce Year begins in late June with an Orientation Program in Singapore, followed by two months of intensive language training in your host country. You’ll then begin your work placement, where you’ll contribute to a local organization while learning from mentors in your field.

As a Luce Scholar, each day offers new opportunities for growth both personally and professionally. You’ll build lifelong relationships with colleagues and the local community, the Scholars in their cohort and the global network of over 800 Luce alumni.

There is no better way to foster mutual understanding and shared purpose than through sustained, face-to-face engagement. The Luce Scholars Program provides the structure, support, and freedom to explore, contribute, and grow.

Program Benefits

Scholars receive a generous stipend to cover living expenses paid monthly by the Luce Foundation, 2 months of intensive language training, and an individualized professional placement.

• The gross amount of the stipend is $32,000 with an increased base amount for those placed in countries with a higher cost-of-living. Scholars placed in Japan, South Korea, China, or Taiwan receive an additional $6,000 ($38,000 total): Scholars based in Singapore receive an additional $10,000 ($42,000 total). We have established this three-tier system for stipends to assure basic parity of purchasing power among all Scholars during the Luce year in Asia. The stipend is for expenses and is not payment for services.
• $1,000 discretionary funds given before departure to prepare for a year in Asia
• Scholars may submit a proposal to receive an additional grant of up to $1,000 to fund a leadership or professional development opportunity during their Luce year.

Additional Covered Expenses

• Airfare to Asia and the return to the US, and travel to all meetings
• Intensive Language Training
• Insurance coverage in Asia
• Wellbeing Support
• Support for continued language
• Travel to renew the visa covered by Luce

Eligibility

• Applicants must be U.S. citizens or permanent residents with at least a bachelor’s degree completed before the Program begins.
• Applicants must be under the age of 32 or have received a bachelor’s degree within the past three years.
• Applicants who have spent 18 weeks or more (since beginning college) in one of the countries where Scholars are placed are eligible to apply, but will not be placed in that country.
• Applicants are not eligible to apply if they have spent 18 weeks or more (since beginning college) in more than one of the countries where Scholars are placed.

Reach Out with Your Questions! https://lucescholars.org/request-info/

How to Apply

The application includes 8 required tasks, and if you choose 1 optional task:

1. Personal & Background Information
2. Academic Information
3. Professional Information
4. Personal Statement
5. Three Short Answer Questions
6. 1–2 Minute Video
7. Two Letters of Recommendation (LORs) – We require two letters of recommendation (LORs), with a MAXIMUM of one academic letter and AT LEAST one professional letter.
8. Signature

• Optional Supplemental Materials Upload

Transcripts are no longer required.

Application Deadline

All application materials, including letters of recommendation, must be submitted by the September 15, 2025 deadline date.