The Barack Obama Scholars Program at Occidental College was launched in 2017 to empower the next generation of leaders to actively pursue the public good. The scholarship provides a comprehensive experience for exceptional students of all backgrounds who seek the opportunity to create lasting and meaningful change.
Obama Scholars benefit from the same educational mission—excellence, equity, community and service—that President Obama has cited as crucial to his own development during his years at Occidental. The program provides exceptional students from all backgrounds with a carefully crafted set of curated experiences over the course of two years to help propel them toward leadership and impact for the public good. Applied for in the Fall of sophomore year and beginning in the summer between sophomore and junior year, the program is designed to enable its Scholars to create lasting and meaningful change.
Obama Scholars, who can pursue any field of study Occidental offers, are selected on the basis of a strong record of academic achievement and a demonstrated commitment to the public good, with an emphasis on first-generation students, veterans, and community college transfers.