For Slovenian Students studying in America:

Kerze Scholarships Support Slovenian Students Pursuing Music Studies in the U.S

Slovenian students interested in studying music in the United States have a unique scholarship opportunity at the USC Thornton School of Music at the University of Southern California (USC) in Los Angeles.

Scholarship support is available through two funds established by the Slovenian-American Kerze family to support Slovenian students pursuing music education at USC:

Therese Kerze Cheyovich Endowment Fund – primarily supports Slovenian undergraduate and graduate students studying classical music, including bachelor’s, master’s, doctoral, and certificate programs. Preference is given to students whose principal instrument is cello.

Frank Kerze and Florence Kerze-Dunphy Scholarship Fund for the Study of Music – primarily supports Slovenian graduate students in all areas of music, particularly those pursuing master’s, doctoral, and certificate programs.

Scholarship funding generally helps cover tuition and living expenses.

Several Slovenian students have already benefited from these scholarships, pursuing a variety of musical disciplines. Seven Slovenian students are currently studying at USC. Some former scholarship recipients have shared their experiences in a video available at:

Application Information

Students planning to begin studies at the USC Thornton School of Music in the 2027/2028 academic year should generally submit their applications by December 1, 2026. Because deadlines may vary by program, applicants should confirm the specific deadline for their intended course of study.

Information on programs, admission requirements, and applications is available at:

USC Thornton School of Music:

https://music.usc.edu/admission

International Student Information:

https://music.usc.edu/admission/international

Students who indicate in their USC application that they are from Slovenia will automatically be considered for scholarship funding from the Kerze funds.

Applicants are also kindly asked to notify the Embassy of the Republic of Slovenia in Washington, D.C. by sending a brief email to sloembassy.washington@gov.si after submitting their application.

Questions: nuska.zakrajsek@gov.si

For American Students studying in Slovenia:

Applications Open: ASEF Junior Fellowship Program – Visit Slovenia 2027

Submitted by Kaja Ravnak 

We are delighted to announce that applications are now open for the ASEF Junior Fellowship 2027 – Visit Slovenia program. This one-year program offers young individuals of Slovenian descent an extraordinary opportunity for a 10-week research or work visit at top Slovenian universities, companies, or research institutes. Immerse yourself in Slovenian culture, reconnect with your heritage, and advance your professional career through this unique experience.

Key Program Details and Dates

Be sure to mark these key dates on your calendar:

• Application Deadline: November 29, 2026
• Announcement of Final Selection Results: by January 31, 2027

Testimonials from Our Fellows

Our fellowship program is a unique journey that seamlessly combines academic excellence, cultural immersion, and personal growth. Here is what some of our recent fellows had to say about their unforgettable time in Slovenia:

“I was surprised by the breadth of the company SportRadar and the amount of products/service they were able to cultivate with predictive modeling and machine learning. I think something that I learned in Slovenia that I could not get at an internship at home was what corporate work settings look like in EU countries compared to the US. I value the collaborative approach to problems and the work life balance.”

— Nik Gestrich, ASEF Fellow 2026

“My research with ASEF is really about regional development – this is how countries make the quality of life for its inhabitants better. Slovenia is split up into smaller regions, and these regions have the job of improving well-being for their specific area. However, EU countries like Slovenia face many problems in doing this, like not enough funding or not enough data to track their progress. Since it can be helpful to learn from other countries, my project is about how Canada handles its own regional development, and what lessons Slovenia can take away from this system. I’m excited to be working on this research as it’s relatively new for me – I get to learn more about the economic challenges both Canada and Slovenia face in improving social and economic circumstances.”

— Kevyn O’Connell, ASEF Fellow 2026

“What surprised me most was how open the team at Celtra was and how quickly they involved me in real projects. I also gained a better understanding of how a global company approaches marketing, product positioning, and creative technology, which was extremely valuable for me.”

— Geronimo Miguel Comba, ASEF Fellow 2026

Are you ready to take the next step? Submit your application via the online application form: https://gddtzs4uo42.typeform.com/to/tBiNWXPi?typeform-source=www.google.com

Join us on this journey of discovery, heritage, research, and new career opportunities. Apply now and become part of the ASEF story!