Study Abroad Scholarships
Studying abroad can be affordable, particularly if students plan ahead and apply for additional scholarships. Here is a list of some well-known resources, but students should also explore any scholarship and savings programs offered by their particular study abroad program. Students should also download our scholarship and money-saving tips handout.
III. General Scholarships
IWU Study Abroad Scholarship
Illinois Wesleyan, through the generosity alumni donors, is able to offer competitive need-based study abroad scholarships to qualified students who are participating in an IWU study abroad program, international May Term Travel Course, or approved affiliated study abroad program. Award amounts vary. Students awarded scholarships commit to documenting and sharing their study abroad experience during and/or after participation.
Eligibility: Applicants must
- Be a full-time enrolled student at IWU
- Have applied to an IWU program/exchange, international May Term Travel Course, or approved affiliated program
- Have demonstrated financial need
- Not have received an IWU Study Abroad Scholarship before
Social Media Requirement: Students awarded an IWU Study Abroad Scholarship commit to documenting and sharing their study abroad experiences with the wider IWU community using social media, which which the University can then share. Creativity is encouraged. For example, one past recipient studying in a non-English-speaking country, created a dedicated Facebook page and posted a new vocabulary word each day, often connecting them with a short anecdote about the day's events. More information can be found in the Study Abroad Scholarship guidelines.
Details on the social media platform(s) you will be using to post from abroad (e.g., blog addresses, URLs, user names, etc.) are to be submitted to and approved by the International Office before the end of the semester prior to studying abroad.
- March 1 for fall, summer, and academic year study abroad
- October 1 for spring study abroad
- November 1 for May Term travel courses.
Apply now for an IWU Study Abroad scholarship.
Luis Leal Endowed Scholarship
The World Languages, Literatures and Cultures Department at Illinois Wesleyan University is able to offer competitive scholarships to qualified students who carry out Hispanic Studies research off-campus in the U.S. or abroad while enrolled in an IWU-affiliated program. Two awards are available annually for $1000 and for $250, respectively. Students awarded scholarships commit to documenting and sharing their research during and/or after the off-campus experience.
The awards are named for Luis Leal, one of the foremost critics of Mexican, Chicano and Latin American Literature.
Eligibility: Applicants must
- Be a Hispanic Studies major or minor
- Be a full-time enrolled student at IWU
- Have applied or will apply to an IWU-approved affiliated program in a Spanish-speaking country or in the U.S.
Scholarship Project: Students awarded a Luis Leal Endowed Scholarship commit to documenting and sharing their research experiences with the wider IWU community. For example, a student might:
- Keep a blog or blog linked to the Hispanic Studies website
- Create digital stories, which can be posted on the Qu pasa? blog of the Hispanic Studies website
- Present in class or at some other university forum about your experience
- Present a research paper in a public venue on a Hispanic Studies topic written in Spanish.
Selection Criteria: The faculty of the World Languages, Literatures and Cultures Department will evaluate all applications. Recipients will be selected of the basis of their academic record, financial need, and demonstrated value of the program to the students’ course of study.
Deadline: May 15
Apply now to the Luis Leal scholarship.
Most third-party or affiliated study abroad programs have need-based or need-aware scholarships; some have merit-based awards, as well. Of note are the following:
- Arcadia Abroad offers semester scholarship awards range between $500-2,500 with an average award of $1,500. Summer scholarship awards range between $250-1,000 with an average award of $700. You may still receive a scholarship from Arcadia even if you already receive aid from your home school.
- CIEE offers GAIN Travel grants to all Pell eligible students and Go Global awards to all qualified Benjamin Gilman scholarship applicants, for a total of up to $4500 for a semester abroad.
- SIT matches Pell Grant awards for participants on selected programs
- IFSA-Butler's scholarships help students save for their study abroad program and matches savings up to $1000
- IES's Early Aid Program, which awards need-based aid prior to acceptance in an IES program
Check your program's website for details on available scholarships and the application process.
Benjamin A. Gilman International Scholarship Program -- The Benjamin A. Gilman International Scholarship program is sponsored by the Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs of the U.S. Department of State and administered by the Institute of International Education. This program seeks to lower barriers to undergraduate study abroad by offering scholarships to students with financial need (students must be receiving a Pell Grant in order to apply). The award is up to $5,000 for semester or academic year programs. Applications are due in late September for spring/summer study abroad and early March for fall/summer/academic year study abroad programs.
Boren Scholarship/National Security Education Program (NSEP) -- provide up to $20,000 to U.S. undergraduate students to study abroad in areas of the world that are critical to U.S. interests and underrepresented in study abroad. Students must study in a country deemed of national security interest (list updated annually on NSEP website) and agree to work in the Federal Government in a position with national security responsibilities after graduation.
BUTEX Scholarships -- 500 scholarships for North American students who will be studying abroad for a semester or year at any U.K. university that is BUTEX affiliated.
DiversityAbroad.com -- Study Abroad scholarships ($1000); economically disadvantaged are strongly encouraged to apply.
Fund for Education Abroad -- Study abroad scholarships for programs of 4+ weeks. FEA has strong preference for students studying a foreign language, studying in a non-traditional destination, and/or representing an under-represented group for education abroad.
International Education Financial Aid -- IEFA provides financial aid information for students wishing to study in a foreign country.
Phi Kappa Phi Study Abroad Scholarships -- Phi Kappa Phi Study Abroad Grants are designed to help support undergraduates as they seek knowledge and experience in their academic fields by studying abroad. Fifty $1,000 grants are awarded each year. Applicants must have applied to an approved study abroad program before submitting a scholarship application. See the Director of the International Office for more details.
Thomas R. Pickering Foreign Affairs Fellowship -- The Pickering Undergraduate Fellowship program provides funding to participants as they are prepared academically and professionally to enter the United States Department of State Foreign Service. Women, members of minority groups historically underrepresented in the Foreign Service, and students with financial need are encouraged to apply.
Bridging Scholarships -- For American students participating in study-abroad programs in Japan. Awards are $2,500 for one semester or $4,000 for a year. Applications are due in April for study abroad during the fall semester/academic year and early October for study abroad in the spring.
Critical Language Scholarships (CLS) -- For intensive summer language institutes overseas in thirteen critical need foreign languages.
Morgan Stanley Japan Scholarships -- For students with an interest in economics and international finance. Two awards are granted at $7,500 for the year and winners may be considered for a one-month internship at Morgan Stanley Japan's Tokyo headquarters. Applications are due in early April for the academic year.
British Council -- The British Council website has a searchable list of funding and scholarship information for study in the United Kingdom.
DAAD -- The German Academic Exchange Service (DAAD) offers a range of scholarships and grants for undergraduates to study, intern, or do research in Germany. Of particular note are the Undergraduate Scholarship program, RISE (Research Internships in Science and Engineerin) summer grants, and University Summer Course grants.