Win $1,000 and 7 Free Nights to Travel the USA, Age 18-30!

Help share this grant to support newer travelers who have financial need!

In the ten years I’ve run Teaching Traveling and worked in global education, I’ve become further and further impressed by the work that HI USA does to support people to find the money to make their travel dreams come true.

Thus it is with great excitement that I am partnering with HI USA now share with you their latest grant to help novice travelers with demonstrated financial need to explore more of our world! Please help share this amazing opportunity with young people whose life it could change.

I know I’m forwarding it to all my former students, many of whom have expressed a deep yearning to travel to other parts of our country, but who have been frustrated because they couldn’t afford it... until now!

To explain the scholarship, here is HI USA’s Tshego Letsoalo. She will explain how to apply, what the funding covers (it goes a long way!), why hostels are an excellent and affordable way to travel (I’ve stayed in many on my own world travels and loved them), and why HI USA chose to focus on the USA for this opportunity.

Details of the Explore America Scholarship:

Sometimes the idea and logistics of planning a trip overseas can be overwhelming. There are the long flights and big price tags, as well as the thought of navigating new cities and cultures that can be intimidating for a novice traveler.

That’s why it’s a good idea to encourage the adventure-curious young to start by traveling within America as a way to get their feet wet. There is so much to explore right here in our own country!

Starting small can lead to big things. This is why HI USA is offering 10 Explore America travel scholarships to people aged between 18 and 30 years. The program is designed to help novice travelers with financial need in order to kickstart their passion for travel by giving support in the planning and financing of a trip within the United States.

Recipients get $1,000 and up to seven FREE overnight stays at HI USA hostels across the country in places like New York, San Francisco, and New Orleans, as well as the smaller, more underrated destinations in between.

America is such a big country that it’s possible to have a wonderfully diverse range of experiences with different people and cultures because each state — and even each city and town within each state — has its own unique microculture.

The scholarship is an excellent opportunity for someone who may feel that travel is something out of their reach, whether it’s because of the cost or because they just don’t know where to start. Plus, HI USA hostels are the perfect place for the inexperienced traveler because they offer tours and activities, which make it easier to meet new people and explore the destination with in-the-know locals.

The shared accommodations attract young travelers from all over the world, giving access to a mix of cultures all in one space and fostering the kind of friendships that could inspire future adventures abroad.

HI USA recognizes the power of travel to change lives and create a deeper understanding of people and cultures, as well as ourselves. And they believe money or experience shouldn’t be the reason why young people are unable to discover themselves and the world around them.

The Explore America scholarship is just one of the organization’s programs that aim to empower and educate the next generation, and the hostels are always open for new and experienced travelers to have memorable adventures.

Find out more about the Explore America travel scholarship, including eligibility criteria and destination ideas, at hiusa.org/exploreamerica. Applications close at the start of March.

Feel free to connect with us at @HIUSA on Twitter and Instagram and @HostellingInternationalUSA on Facebook. We look forward to reading the applications as they come in!