Study Opportunities in the USA: Kerže Foundation Scholarships for Music, Engineering, and Physics
Are you dreaming of studying in the United States? We are excited to share excellent news for Slovenian students who want to pursue academic paths at prestigious California universities. The Kerže Foundation is offering scholarships for study at renowned institutions like the University of Southern California (USC) and the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA).
The application deadline for the 2026/27 academic year is December 1st, 2025.
1. Music Studies at the USC Thornton School of Music
If you are a talented musician, the Kerže Foundation can financially support your undergraduate or graduate studies at the Thornton School of Music at USC. Two funds are available, which typically cover tuition and living expenses:
- The Therese Kerze Cheyovich Endowment Fund: This is primarily for undergraduate and graduate cello students (BA, MA, doctoral, and certificate students).
- The Frank Kerze and Florence Kerze – Dunphy Scholarship Fund: This is for graduate students in all musical fields (master’s, doctoral, and specialist certificate students).
For more information on the application process and study programs, visit the USC website. For international students, additional requirements are listed here.
Important: Students who apply to USC and indicate they are from Slovenia will be automatically considered for funding from the Kerže funds.
2. Engineering and Physics Studies at UCLA
A scholarship from the Kerže-Cheyovich Fund is also available for one Slovenian graduate student at UCLA, within the field of transport phenomena in complex systems. This includes disciplines such as:
- Mechanical engineering (heat transfer, fluid mechanics);
- Nuclear engineering;
- Chemical engineering;
- Physics.
Studies will take place at the Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering.
Important: Before applying to UCLA, contact the Slovenian Embassy in Washington at sloembassy.washington@gov.si or nuska.zakrajsek@gov.si. The embassy will connect you with a university mentor (this is not required for USC).
The application deadline for UCLA is December 1st, 2025. Information and application forms are available on the following websites:
Information Session
In late October, two professors from USC will visit Ljubljana to present the study programs and application procedures for both USC and UCLA at the Academy of Music in Ljubljana. The exact date and time will be announced later.
For any additional questions, you can contact the Slovenian Embassy in Washington at sloembassy.washington@gov.si or nuska.zakrajsek@gov.si.