SHE-CAN Scholarships Program 2025-2026

About the program

SHE-CAN empowers young women leaders from Cambodia, Liberia, and Guatemala by helping them earn full-ride scholarships to top U.S. colleges. Scholars receive mentorship, leadership training, and the education needed to return home and drive positive change.

Eligibility criteria

A woman between the ages of 17-20
Passionate about improving your country
High school graduate or graduating high school by October 2024 (Guatemala), December 2024 (Cambodia), or January 2025 (Liberia)
Living within 1 hour of capital city (Note: Guatemala location is dependent on applicants)
From a low-income household
Interested in pursuing an undergraduate degree at a U.S. college or university (SHE-CAN does not work with students seeking graduate degrees)
Have less than 1 year of university or other post-secondary credits
Already a leader in your school or community
A strong English speaker: Your ability to speak and write in English is critical because all U.S. universities require a high score on the TOEFL or IELTS language exam. Therefore, if your English is not strong, we recommend that you spend a year studying and apply next year
Academically strong: Consistently ranked high in your class with strong grades and a strong score on National Exam or WAEC/WASSCE
Dedicated to this program: Able to dedicate your days in January – June to SHE-CAN’s pre-college program (accepted scholars must not work full-time during this period)
Able to access a strong internet connection and computer daily to check emails

Benefits

For selected individual :

College-Funded Scholarship: Every scholar applies for and is awarded a full-ride scholarship from a U.S. college, which pays for the cost of tuition, a place to live, and meals while in school.
SHE-CAN: The organization funds test preparation classes and costs not covered by your scholarship that your family can’t afford, including passport and visa fees, flight (one to U.S. and one home), textbooks, health insurance, etc.
Scholar & Family: Scholars fund travel to and from test preparation classes in your country’s capital city. When you arrive in the U.S., you are expected to work on campus to fund your personal expenses (toothpaste, shampoo, etc.). While SHE-CAN funds your health insurance, the organization is unable to fund medical expenses outside of what the insurance covers, including dental and vision expenses.

Required documents

High school transcripts for grades 10, 11, and 12
National exam score report or WAEC score report
English translations of transcripts or exam scores if necessary (can be self-translated)
Estimate of family’s monthly income
Score reports for the SAT, ACT, IELTS, TOEFL if you have taken them
No application fee – free to apply!
There are templates for the applications. They are not the actual applications themselves but can be used to help you prepare your answers. Make sure to transfer your answers into the live application link listed in official link.