Refugees – Persons who have been forced to flee their home country due to persecution or a well-founded fear of persecution because of their race, religion, nationality, political opinion, or membership in a particular social group. They have received official recognition as refugees by the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees.

Asylees – Persons who are already present in the U.S. and have received official legal recognition as an asylee from the U.S. government due to persecution or a well-founded fear of persecution in their home country because of their race, religion, nationality, political opinion, or membership in a particular social group.

Asylum Seekers – Persons who are already present in the U.S. or have sought admission at a port of entry due to persecution or a well-founded fear of persecution in their home country because of their race, religion, nationality, political opinion, or membership in a particular social group , and who are seeking safe haven in the U.S., but have not yet received official legal recognition as an asylee from the U.S. government. NOTE: To be eligible for this scholarship, a person’s petition for asylum must have been placed prior to the time of application.

Temporary Protected Status (TPS) – A temporary status provided to nationals of certain countries due to conditions that temporarily prevent the countries’ nationals from returning safely or, in certain circumstances, where the countries are unable to handle the return of their nationals adequately.

Internally Displaced Persons (IDP) – Persons who have been forced or obliged to flee their homes or places of habitual residence, in particular as a result of or in order to avoid the effects of armed conflict, situations of generalized violence, human rights violations, or human-made disasters, and who have not crossed an internationally recognized border into a different country.

Afghan Nationals on Humanitarian Parole – Afghan nationals who have been granted humanitarian parole in the U.S. in response to their need for rapid evacuation and relocation from Afghanistan.

Afghans Nationals with Special Immigrant Visas – Afghans who were employed by (or on behalf of) the U.S. government, the International Security Assistance Force, or a successor mission in Afghanistan between Oct. 7, 2001 and Dec. 31, 2023, for a minimum of one year, and experienced serious threats as a consequence of employment. Applicants must have already received a Special Immigrant Visa.

Ukrainian Nationals on Parole – Ukrainian nationals who resided in Ukraine immediately before the Russian invasion, were displaced by the invasion, and who have been granted parole in the U.S.