For the 2025–2026 academic year, Vassar was awarded renewed funding and cohort support for its six Davis United World College Scholars representing Europe and Asia, as well as the USA, from the Davis United World College Scholars Program. The Program provides scholarship funding to financial aid-eligible Davis United World College Scholars, students from the 18 international UWC high schools who attend 106 American post-secondary partner institutions, including Vassar. In 2025–26, the Davis Program is supporting a record number of first-year Scholars—1,235 young people—attending more than 100 partner institutions. Across years of beneficial participation in the Davis UWC Scholars Program, Vassar has been enriched by the international, cross-cultural perspectives that UWC graduates bring to campus while receiving crucial support for enrolled Davis United World College Scholars.

The Davis United World College Scholars Program was founded by Shelby Davis and Phil Geier, who were inspired by the “United World College” movement launched by Kurt Hahn in 1962. Hahn’s aspiration was, “if young people from different backgrounds were educated together, they could build an understanding which could prevent future conflicts.” Every UWC high school partners with the Davis UWC Scholars Program to place their students in American colleges and universities. Today, the Davis UWC Scholars Program is based at Middlebury College, where it thrives under the continued leadership of the program’s co-founders.