The Youth Exchange and Study YES Program was launched in 2003 to foster communication and promote mutual understanding and respect between the US and countries with high Muslim populations.

The US Department of State’s Kennedy-Lugar Youth Exchange and Study (YES) program masterminds this initiative. In the program, High school students from different high Muslim-populated countries live and attend school in the US for a year. In the course of the program, successful applicants are taken in by the host family and community.

The YES Program empowers students to learn about the US and its value system while providing an opportunity for the exchange students to educate the US community about their home countries and all they represent.

Beneficiaries of the YES program acquire leadership skills and become the youth ambassadors of their various countries. The Exchange program Partners with the US Department of State through non-profit exchange organizations to execute its affairs. Each government in eligible countries set up a body and a country director who manages the YES program liaising with the US embassy.

You need to know a lot of information to apply for the YES abroad scholarship. Therefore, you might be wondering, what is the application process of the exchange program, the eligible countries, and the eligibility and criteria. So, keep reading to find out.

YES program Eligibility Criteria

The eligibility for the YES Program for youth is country-specific. However, if you are a Nigerian with an interest in applying for the Exchange Program to get a fully funded scholarship to study in the US, here is the breakdown of the eligibility criteria.

• At the beginning of the program in August 2025, you must be between 15-18 years old
• Have B equivalent in grades or preferably without failing grade
• Enrolled in secondary school
• Meet the requirements of a US J-1 visa
• Completed study in JSS3
• Be an indigene of an eligible country, residing in the country
• Without spending over 90 days in the US for the past five years.

Application Process for the Fullyfunded YES Exchange and Study Program

The application process for the YES exchange program involves pre-selection exam testing for math and English. A successful pre-selection exam gives an applicant access to fill the YES program application form which marks the application proper.

Students with an interest in the pre-selection exam need to reach out to their country director for dates and sites for the test. The YES program final applicants take an English proficiency test, participate in writing proctored essays, engage in group activity, and attend physical interviews.

Requirements for the Fullyfunded YES program

There are different requirements for the YES student exchange Program, which include

• Pre-selection Exam
• A or B-average equivalent grade
• English proficiency test
• Proctored Essay
• Group activity
• In-person Interview

Eligible Countries For The YES Program

Application for YES program is open to students in countries like

• Nigeria
• Turkiye
• Albania
• Lebanon
• Tunisia
• Bahrain
• Thailand
• Bangladesh
• Tanzania
• Bosnia and Herzegovina
• Senegal 
• India
• Sierra Leone
• Ghana
• South Africa
• Gaza
• Suriname
• Egypt
• Saudi Arabia
• Cameroon
• Philippines
• Bulgaria
• Pakistan
• Indonesia
• North Macedonia
• Indonesia
• Mozambique
• Israel (Arab Communities)
• Morocco
• Jordan
• Mali
• Kenya
• Malaysia
• Kosovo
• Libya
• Kuwait
• Liberia
• West Bank

Eligible States in Nigeria for the YES fully funded scholarship program

• Taraba
• Bauchi
• Adamawa
• Katsina

Summary

Youth Exchange and Study Program Overview

Eligibility and Criteria for the YES program

Application Process  for the fully funded Exchange and Study program

Requirements for the fully funded Exchange program

Eligible Countries for the YES Program

Eligible States in Nigeria for the YES  fully funded scholarship program

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the full form of yes in Nigeria?

The full form of YES in Nigeria is Youth Exchange and Study Program

What happens in YES program?

High school students from different high Muslim-populated countries live and attend school in the US for a year. The successful applicants are taken in by the host family and community during the program,