United States Senate Youth Program (USSYP)
Offered by The Hearst Foundations (United States Senate Youth Program) · Free to apply
The United States Senate Youth Program, created by Senate resolution in 1962 and funded by The Hearst Foundations, picks two high school students from each state, the District of Columbia and the Department of Defense schools for a week in Washington, DC. Each delegate receives a $12,500 college scholarship, plus all travel, hotel and meals for Washington Week, where students hear from senators, cabinet officials and usually a Supreme Court justice. Juniors and seniors qualify only if they hold an elected or appointed leadership post for the whole school year, such as student body officer, National Honor Society officer, or a student seat on a local, regional or state civic or education board. Club officers, Model UN, debate and Boys/Girls State do not count. Applicants must be US citizens or green card holders. Each state's education department runs its own application and picks its delegates, and state deadlines fall in September and October, so families should ask the school principal or counselor early in the fall.
Other deadlines near this one
- YoungArts National Arts CompetitionDue October 6, 2027 · $250-$10,000
- Connecticut Minority Teacher Incentive ProgramDue October 15, 2027 · Up to $5,000/yr for two years, plus $2,500/yr loan reimbursement for up to four years teaching
- Florida First Generation Matching GrantDue October 15, 2027 · Varies by institution (state matches private contributions raised by each campus)
How hard is the United States Senate Youth Program (USSYP) to win?
A large applicant pool chases this award. Apply if the student is a genuinely strong fit, but build the plan around better-odds awards first.
- Estimated odds
- roughly 1 in 433 applicants
- Modelled applicant field
- ~45,000 students
- Awards each cycle
- 104
- Payoff per hour of work
- $4 / hr
What drives the odds here
Odds on a scholarship are mostly a question of how many students can enter. Each rule below changes the size of that field.
- More rivalsOpen nationwide, so the field is large
- More rivalsA five-figure award attracts a bigger field
How Solyo estimates this: We model the applicant field from how narrow the eligibility rules are, then divide the awards available by that field. Requirements such as essays and recommendation letters improve a serious applicant’s odds, because most browsers never complete them. These are estimates derived from each award's published structure, not reported acceptance rates, which almost no scholarship provider discloses. Treat them as a way to rank where the hours go, not as a guarantee.
Who can apply for the United States Senate Youth Program (USSYP)?
These are the eligibility rules Solyo verified against the official award page, translated into plain English. Your student must meet each one.
- Open to high school juniors and high school seniors
- Open to U.S. citizens or permanent residents (green card)
- Must hold an elected or appointed leadership position that represents a constituency (student body officer, NHS officer, or student representative to a local, regional or state civic or education body) for the entire school year
- Must attend all of Washington Week to receive the scholarship
- Academic club officers, Model UN, debate, mock trial and Boys/Girls State or Nation positions do not qualify
- Must attend high school in the state where a parent or guardian lives; past delegates are not eligible
- Each state sets its own application, which may include essays, an exam or interviews
Personalized matching
Does your student actually qualify?
Not sure your student clears every rule above? Solyo checks 20+ criteria against their real profile: GPA, state, grade level, intended major, and more, across every award in this directory at once.
What the application takes
No essay, recommendation letters, or transcript are required. This is one of the lighter applications in the directory.
Deadline and application cycle
The next projected deadline is October 9, 2027 (estimated). The last verified deadline has passed; the next cycle is projected from this award's usual October 9 deadline. Confirm the exact date on the official site. Applications open State applications posted by August 1. Deadlines are set by each state and ran from September 10 to late October for the 2027 program; the date shown is the most common one (October 9). Check your state on the USSYP site in August of junior or senior year.
- Washington Week
- Early March (March 6-13, 2027)
- State applications posted
- By August 1, 2027
- State application deadlines (vary by state)
- October 9, 2027 (estimated)
- States name delegates to The Hearst Foundations
- December 1, 2027
Free to apply. Legitimate scholarships never charge a fee. We use your student's information only to build their plan.
Common questions about the United States Senate Youth Program (USSYP)
How much is the United States Senate Youth Program (USSYP) worth?
The United States Senate Youth Program (USSYP) awards $12,500. 104 awards are made each cycle.
When is the United States Senate Youth Program (USSYP) deadline?
The next projected deadline is October 9, 2027 (estimated). The last verified deadline has passed; the next cycle is projected from this award's usual October 9 deadline. Confirm the exact date on the official site. Applications open State applications posted by August 1. Deadlines are set by each state and ran from September 10 to late October for the 2027 program; the date shown is the most common one (October 9). Check your state on the USSYP site in August of junior or senior year.
When do United States Senate Youth Program (USSYP) applications open?
Applications open State applications posted by August 1, and close October 9, 2027 (estimated). Deadlines are set by each state and ran from September 10 to late October for the 2027 program; the date shown is the most common one (October 9). Check your state on the USSYP site in August of junior or senior year.
Who is eligible for the United States Senate Youth Program (USSYP)?
Key requirements: Open to high school juniors and high school seniors; Open to U.S. citizens or permanent residents (green card).
Does the United States Senate Youth Program (USSYP) require an essay?
No essay is required. The application is light on requirements. Expect to spend about 8 hours on it.
How hard is it to win the United States Senate Youth Program (USSYP)?
Solyo estimates the odds at roughly 1 in 433 applicants, against a modelled field of ~45,000 students. At 8 hrs of work, that is about $4 of expected value per hour. This is an estimate from award structure, not a published acceptance rate.
Is the United States Senate Youth Program (USSYP) free to apply?
Yes. The United States Senate Youth Program (USSYP) is free to apply. Legitimate scholarships never charge an application fee, and Solyo verifies every listed award against its official page.
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Lists this award appears on
Award details are curated by Solyo and verified against the official scholarship page. Deadlines and requirements can change between cycles, so always confirm on the provider's site before applying.