How to Find Study Abroad Scholarships

The consensus among experts on how college students who want to study abroad should approach searching for scholarships is simple: Do it early.

Just as with coursework, finances and opportunities throughout a college career, it’s important to look for scholarships and plan out the financial implications of studying abroad as soon as possible, experts say.

“It seems crazy, but we tell students to plan for studying abroad in their first year,” says Nyoka Joseph, assistant director of student services at New York University’s International Exchange Program.

NYU, like many colleges, doesn’t allow students to study abroad their first year on campus. However, it’s important to start exploring right away if a student intends to study internationally, Joseph says.

Scholarships based on academics or personal background are available.

Academic, or merit-based, scholarships typically consider a student’s GPA, past and future coursework, past projects or research, and standardized test scores, says Nick Gozik, dean of global education and an assistant professor at Elon University in North Carolina, where 84% of students study abroad at some point in college.

“There’s also identity-based opportunities available for African American students, for LGBTQIA students, for students of certain ethnicities,” he says. “There’s opportunities for students from certain states, students in certain majors or areas of interest. Those ones really depend largely on the organization or the donor and what they’ve specified.”

Gozik says students often don’t realize they qualify for scholarships, and even one that’s a small financial amount can make a difference.

Another reason to apply early for study abroad scholarships is so that students can effectively plan their college course schedule.

“Planning and applying early allows you to figure out when you can go abroad, what courses you need to take before you go so that you can map out the courses in upcoming years,” Gozik says, “and you can start saving financially in advance and have that conversation with a parent or guardian.”

This is a reason why students who study abroad tend to be good planners, says Margaret Wiedenhoeft, executive director of the Center for International Programs at Kalamazoo College in Michigan.

“It takes a lot of work to prepare to go off campus, and to make sure that it’s going to be a part of your curriculum plan as a college student, and not something that is going to end up preventing you from graduating on time,” she says.

Students also should reflect and be honest about how they budget and manage their money, Wiedenhoeft says.

“Think about what you usually spend on a weekly basis when you’re on campus, and then think about how and if you’re going to be able to do that when you go abroad,” she says. “Are you savvy in where you’re choosing to study abroad, because there are some places where the cost of living is maybe lower than actually where you’re studying on campus and so your money might go further.”

For example, Joseph says the cost for NYU students studying away in Prague, the capital of the Czech Republic in Europe, is typically cheaper than if they were on campus in the heart of New York City.

Colleges usually have internal scholarships that can be navigated with help from academic advisers and the study abroad office, experts note.

For external scholarships, go to study abroad fairs and information sessions, and do some digging in online search engines, experts recommend. Many of these types of study abroad scholarships are sponsored by independent foundations and groups.

“Students have to take a bit of ownership, because even if we provide the information on the scholarships that are available, it’s impossible to tell every student every scholarship they qualify for,” Joseph says. “So we definitely recommend looking early on if you have interest in studying abroad.”

Here are nine sources of funding, mostly competitive, that can help pay for your travels to learn outside the U.S.

Joseph says she always recommends students attend information sessions for the Gilman Scholarship Program, which allocates nearly 3,000 scholarships a year.

To be eligible, recipients must be U.S. citizens receiving the federal Pell Grant.

Award amounts are up to $5,000 a semester, with the potential to earn an additional $3,000 Critical Need Language Award for students studying certain languages, and up to an additional $1,000 STEM Supplemental Award for students studying STEM abroad.

The scholarship prioritizes first-generation college students, those with a diverse background, the impact of the program and students studying STEM or a critical need language.

The deadline to apply for the scholarship is March 7, 2024.

Boren Scholarships are focused on language, culture and service.

Eligible candidates are undergraduates planning an overseas program in a country outside of Western Europe, Canada, Australia or New Zealand. The organization gives preference to programs based on their duration, focus on intensive study of a preferred language in a preferred country, and the applicant’s field of study.

Some of the preferred languages of study are French, Swahili, Akan/Twi, Wolof, Zulu, Hindi and Urdu. Students entering a STEM field are given priority.

The deadline to apply for a Boren Scholarship is Jan. 31, 2024, and winners will be awarded up to $10,000 a semester.

The Fund for Education Abroad has numerous scholarship opportunities for various interests and backgrounds, including LGBTQI-based awards, one specific to students studying in Vietnam or Greece and a scholarship for students enrolled in a U.S. community college.

Scholarships are up to $5,000 a semester, and the nonprofit prioritizes first-generation and minority students. Most of the scholarships have more than one winner each year.

The application deadlines are typically in September.

Tortuga, a company that makes travel backpacks and luggage, offers $1,000 scholarships for students studying abroad. Winners of the scholarship also receive – perhaps not surprisingly – a travel backpack.

The application requires a short essay explaining what a student hopes to take away from the study abroad experience and how those lessons will be brought back home. Applicants must be undergraduates at a four-year U.S. school who have been accepted to a for-credit study abroad program.

The deadline to apply for the spring 2024 scholarship is Nov. 15, 2023, and the winner will be announced Nov. 30. Fall 2024 travelers must apply by April 15, 2024, and decisions are announced April 30.

The American Institute For Foreign Study offers several scholarships worth up to $5,000. The smallest scholarship is for $500, and deadlines vary depending on the scholarship.

While some scholarships are based generally on academic performance, others are specifically for students who are a part of underrepresented minority groups or attending historically Black colleges and universities, commonly called HBCUs.

There are several featured study abroad programs at the AIFS Global Education Center in Florence, Italy, including a summer program where students can earn up to 10 college credits; traditional fall and spring semester programs that allow students to earn up to 16 credits; and fall and spring study programs that include an internship and allow up to 12 credits.

Global Experiences, an AIFS program, has pledged $25,000 in scholarships each year “to engage a more culturally aware workforce,” according to the program website.

These scholarships are for summer or semester internship terms in various global cities, such as Barcelona, Berlin, Paris, Florence, Prague, Sydney, Edinburgh and Galway, Ireland.

Several scholarships and multiple $500 grants for on-site study abroad are intended to promote diversity, equity and inclusion. Scholarships are a minimum of $200, which is for a virtual study abroad experience, and a maximum of $2,500 per semester. Application deadlines vary.

CEA CAPA, an Arizona-based organization that promotes equity in study abroad opportunities, offers more than $2 million each year in scholarships, grants and affiliation programs.

Six scholarships and three grants are distributed for programs that last at least three weeks. Scholarship awards range from $100 to $5,000, and $500 flight credits are given to those who apply with a code by Nov. 17, 2023.

Scholarships, which are administered by the nonprofit Fund for Education Abroad, include those for first-generation college students, LGBTQIA+ students, students of color and more. Some applicants may also qualify for grants that help subsidize the costs of airfare, passport applications and loss of work-study income while studying abroad.

GPA requirements vary for the scholarships. Application deadlines range from Oct. 15 to May 1 for five study abroad terms: spring, late spring, summer, late summer and fall.

Named for Corinne Jeannine Schillings, a former executive assistant at the National Italian American Foundation and the CATO Institute, the foundation offers scholarships to former Girl Scouts who received a Gold Award or Silver Award and want to study abroad when they attend college.

The scholarships aim to help undergraduate women financially who are learning other cultures through study abroad for a summer, semester or entire year.

Scholarships are $1,000. Deadlines are in December and May.

Rotary International offers thousands of dollars in scholarships, including grants for graduate students studying abroad specifically for one of Rotary’s causes: promoting peace, fighting disease, saving mothers and children, supporting education, growing local economies, protecting the environment or providing clean water, sanitation and hygiene.

Scholarships last from one to four years for $30,000 to $40,000, and the deadline to apply is May 1, 2024.