Scholarships for young leaders
Conditions of the Charity Program
- science (Olympiad winners, participants in research projects);
- art (music, painting, literature, theater, cinema, etc.);
- sports (competition champions);
- social activities (volunteering, leadership initiatives).
💡 As part of developing leadership skills and gaining practical experience, you will be invited to participate in volunteer activities.
🤝 Having prior volunteer experience or a willingness to obtain it is a mandatory requirement for participation in the program.
📄 You may be exempt from this requirement upon providing supporting documents (confirming existing experience or eligibility for exemption).
- committed plagiarism in scientific or creative works (over 30% of borrowed material without proper citation);
- deliberately exaggerated their achievements in applications;
- participated in corruption schemes (attempts to influence the admissions committee, purchase of competitive places);
- made public statements containing insults based on gender, race, religion, or health condition;
- had disciplinary violations at educational institutions;
- participated in unauthorized mass events accompanied by violations of public order;
- had criminal convictions or were under investigation for criminal offenses;
- engaged in fraud, financial fraud, or other illegal activities.
What is required to receive assistance:
• send an email to sofiia@solidarity.org.ua with:
• documents confirming your achievements (diplomas, awards, certificates);
• information about your social status and supporting documents;
• a certificate or a copy of the educational institution’s order on the award of a state academic scholarship (if applicable);
• a motivation letter (description of your goals, development plans, and the need for financial support).
Priority in considering applications for assistance: the highest score according to the evaluation system.
Scoring:
Maximum score — 100.
• Achievements: up to 50 points
• Social status: up to 30 points
• State academic scholarship: up to 10 points
• Motivation letter: up to 10 points
Achievement evaluation scale:
• International level: 41–50 points
• National level: 25–40 points
• Regional level: 8–24 points
Social status (up to 30 points):
• Children of deceased military personnel — 30 points
• Persons with disabilities (Groups I–II) — 25 points
• Orphans — 25 points
• Internally displaced persons — 20 points
• Children from low-income families — 15 points
• Children from large families — 10 points
State academic scholarship (up to 10 points):
For students of vocational (vocational-technical) education institutions:
• Ordinary (regular) academic scholarship — 2 points
• Named and academic scholarships established by the Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine — 8 points
• Academic scholarship of the President of Ukraine — 10 points
For students of professional pre-higher education institutions:
• Ordinary (regular) academic scholarship — 3 points
• Increased academic scholarship for outstanding academic achievements — 5 points
• Named and academic scholarships established by the Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine — 8 points
• Named academic scholarship of the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine — 10 points
• Academic scholarship of the President of Ukraine — 10 points
For students of higher education institutions:
• Ordinary (regular) academic scholarship — 4 points
• Increased academic scholarship for outstanding academic achievements — 6 points
• Named and academic scholarships established by the Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine — 8 points
• Named academic scholarship of the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine — 10 points
• Academic scholarship of the President of Ukraine — 10 points
Scoring rules:
• only one — the highest — scholarship is counted; points are not cumulative;
• the scholarship must be valid at the time of application or awarded during the current academic year;
• social scholarships are not scored in this section, as social status is already assessed in a separate section;
• the absence of a state scholarship means 0 points and is not a ground for rejecting the application.
Motivational letter evaluation (up to 10 points):
• Clarity of goals — 0–3 points
• Realism of the plan — 0–3 points
• Social orientation — 0–4 points
Total score calculation formula:
Total score = (Achievements × 50%) + (Social status × 30%) + (State academic scholarship × 10%) + (Motivation letter × 10%)
Achievement level evaluation:
| Level | Science | Sport | Art | Social activity |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| International | Victory at an International Olympiad | 1st–3rd place at the World/European Championship | Victory in an international competition | Leadership of an international project (involving 2000+ individuals) |
| National | 1st–3rd place at the Junior Academy of Sciences of Ukraine (finalist) | 1st–3rd place in the Ukrainian Championship | Victory in a national competition | Leadership of a nationwide project (involving 500+ individuals) |
| Regional | 1st–3rd place in the regional Olympiad | Prize winner in regional competitions | Exhibition at a regional museum | Leadership of a regional project (involving 100+ individuals) |
Engagement in Volunteer Activities Upon Approval of the Scholarship Application
If the application is approved, the scholarship recipient may be involved in volunteer activities as part of developing leadership skills, gaining practical experience, and fostering active civic engagement. The approximate number of hours depends on the scholarship level:
- ₴10,000 — for the “Distinction” scholarship — 8 hours of volunteering;
- ₴7,000 — for the “Achievement” scholarship — 6 hours of volunteering;
- ₴5,000 — for the “Potential” scholarship — 4 hours of volunteering.
To confirm volunteer activity, a document issued by the organization or institution engaging volunteers must be provided.
In the absence of prior volunteer experience, the candidate must be willing to obtain it after the application is approved. In such cases, candidates will be offered volunteering opportunities both within the Foundation and through other non-profit private organizations, as well as public institutions, municipal bodies, executive authorities, or local self-government bodies.
The following categories are exempt from mandatory participation in volunteer activities:
- persons with disabilities (Group I or II);
- pregnant women;
- individuals performing military service.