U.S. Senate Youth Program

A picture of the capital building in blue with text that reads

The 2025 United States Senate Youth Application is now closed. The 2026 application will be available August 2025.

Program Information

The United States Senate unanimously passed a resolution in 1962 creating the UNITED STATES SENATE YOUTH PROGRAM (USSYP), a national non-partisan initiative to provide an annual opportunity for talented high school students with demonstrated leadership abilities to deepen their understanding of America’s political processes and strengthen their resolve to pursue careers in public service.

The USSYP brings the highest-level officials from each branch of government to meet with this outstanding group of young leaders-two high school juniors or seniors from each of the fifty states, the District of Columbia, and the Department of Defense Education Activity (DoDEA) - for an intensive week-long education and leadership program held in Washington, D.C. The program is merit-based and highly competitive. Each student will also receive a $10,000 undergraduate college scholarship with encouragement to pursue coursework in history and political science. Now in its 6rd year, the program has been fully funded since inception by THE HEARST FOUNDATIONS as an enduring commitment to preparing young people for civic leadership in our participatory democracy.

Numbering more than 6,200, USSYP alumni serve the country in many ways. They have become leaders in government, law, business, education, journalism, the military, medicine, health care, higher education, and many other fields. Alumni serve as elected and appointed officials at all levels of government, including two current United States senators, many congressional staff members, a former governor, former senior political advisors to the president of the United States, former ambassadors, and former federal judges. The commonality to all their successes is the desire to serve.

The 63rd Annual United States Senate Youth Program Washington Week is being planned for March 1–8, 2025.

All eligible students are encouraged to apply. Students must attend the program to receive the scholarship. All student delegates will partake in a comprehensive, interactive leadership program in the stated timeframe, and each will receive the $10,000 college scholarship in the name of the United States Senate.

Download the 2025 US Senate Youth Official Program Brochure (PDF)

Eligibility Criteria

Eligible high school juniors and seniors must hold a high-level leadership position in any one of the following student government, civic or educational organizations during the entire 2024-2025 academic year:

Student Body President, Vice President, Secretary, or Treasurer;
Class President, Vice President, Secretary, or Treasurer;
Student Council Representative;
National Honor Society officer (including discipline-based Honor Societies such as the National English and Social Studies Honor Societies that include service components); or Student representative elected or appointed (appointed by a panel, commission or board) to a local, district, regional or state-level civic, service and/or educational organization approved by the state selection administrator, where the student holds a high-level position of representation to a constituency in a year-round capacity providing service to others.

Each student must be a legal permanent resident or citizen of the United States at the time of application. The student must be enrolled for the entire academic year in a public or independent high school located in the state (including for these purposes, the District of Columbia) in which at least one of their parents or guardians currently resides.

Selection will be based on academic accomplishments, community service, and demonstrated qualities of leadership for the current school year. For more information, please visit the Colorado USSYP Planning Document.

Delegates

Read about Colorado’s 2024 Delegates USSYP experience:

2024 Student Delegate Essay – Siddharth Nareddy

USSYP Yearbooks

Washington Week Slideshow

Questions? Please contact

Patty Gleason
Grants Program Administration
[email protected]
303-910-5721 (c)