Barack and Michelle Obama want to invest in the next generation of leaders.

Obama-Chesky Voyager Scholarship

Alongside Airbnb co-founder and CEO Brian Chesky, the Obamas have established the Obama-Chesky Voyager Scholarship program for second-year undergraduate students and community college transfer students who are entering their junior year in the fall. The program will provide scholarship winners with real work experiences rooted in “understanding, empathy, and cooperation,” with hopes of establishing long-lasting change, according to a statement shared from the Obama Foundation on LinkedIn.

“We are looking for young people from every corner of this country who share a curiosity about the world and the conviction to want to make positive change within it—just like the scholarship’s founders. Students should have a passion for helping others, experience serving in or building community, and an expansive view of what’s possible through public service,” a statement on the scholarship program’s website reads.

It is a two-year leadership development and scholarship program that will provide students with access to powerful leaders and mentors, as well as global travel to engage with new communities. Students can receive up to $50,000 for their junior and senior years, per the scholarship’s website.

Furthermore, participants will be awarded a $10,000 stipend and free Airbnb housing for work-related travel during the summer between their junior and senior years. Students can curate this summer voyage to gain exposure to specific communities or build experience in their chosen field. There is also an optional in-person convening where students can connect with others in the program, build leadership skills, and gain access to expanded learning opportunities with leaders in public service, notes the scholarship website.

Beyond the program, students will join the Obama Foundation’s global community and also receive a $2,000 Airbnb travel credit each year for 10 years after graduation.

Apply Today

Applications are open until Tuesday, March 17, 2026, at 11:59 p.m. Central Time. Visit the scholarship website to apply.