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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. 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.