Scholarships

• Description: Enables students who have limited financial means to participate in study abroad opportunities worldwide.
• Eligibility: Undergraduate students must be US Citizens receiving a Federal Pell Grant at the time of application and studying abroad in a country currently Level 1 or 2 under a US Department of State Travel advisory. Summer programs must be at least three weeks long.
• Deadlines:
  • Summer: early October
  • Fall and full year: early March
  • Spring: early October

Visit the Gilman Scholarship website for more information.

• Description: Promoting study of critical languages in countries outside of North America, Western Europe, Australia, or New Zealand. Summer scholarships are for STEM students only. US government program for US citizens.
• Commitment to government service: Recipients commit to working in the federal government for at least one year after graduation.
• Deadline: January for summer, fall, spring, and full year programs.
  View the Boren Scholarship applicant webinars for more information.

View the Boren Scholarship applicant webinars for more information.

Other general websites for study abroad scholarships and financial support include:

• fastweb!
• VolunteerForever
• Rotary International
• International Financial Aid and College Scholarship Search (IEFA)
• Diversity Abroad
• NAFSA
• Fund For Education Abroad
• Study Abroad 101 Scholarship Directory
• National Accounting and Business Scholarship Search
• Crowdsourcing: Increasingly, students are finding non-traditional ways to finance their abroad experience including crowdsourcing tools.
  • FundMyTravel
  • GoFundMe
  • Note: The money received through crowdfunding is considered taxable income. Before making a request, you need to consider how receiving such funds will affect you.

• Rainbow Scholarship: The Rainbow is awarded to LGBT students who want to pursue meaningful, intensive education programs abroad and is made possible by the generous donations and support of numerous international education professionals that are dedicated to helping LGBT students participate in international programs.
  • Awarded by the Fund for Education Abroad annually, this scholarship is part of the NAFSA Rainbow Special Interest Group, which is made up of professionals that are devoted to supporting and counseling LGBT students as well as combating discrimination against LGBT students.
• GoAbroad.com’s listing of 12 Study Abroad Scholarships for LGBT Students
• Gilman Scholarship: A U.S. Department of State scholarship program for students with limited financial means which has been successful in supporting students who have been historically underrepresented in education abroad.

• The Point Foundation – LGBTQ Scholarship: The Point Foundation is a national, publicly-supported, scholarship-granting organization focused on helping LGBTQ students. It seeks to empower promising LGBTQs to achieve their academic and leadership potential. Aside from financial support, the Point Foundation also provides mentorship, leadership development, and community service to LGBTQ students in high school and university. Each year the scholarship ranges from $5,000 to $28,000.
• Gamma Mu Foundation Scholarship: The Gamma Mu Foundation seeks to award individual scholarships to gay men who are interested on attending a postsecondary institution or a vocational school. The foundation supports a wide array of educational options, so that every gay student can pursue their specific educational aspirations, including associate degrees, bachelor’s degrees, graduate programs, and vocational and technical training. The foundation gives a $19,000 award each year.
• Pride Foundation Scholarships: Established in 1985, the Pride Foundation is a regional community organization that is dedicated to giving opportunity and equality to LGBTQs across the Northwestern region of the United States. The Pride Foundation has over 50 scholarships available for LGBTQ students. These scholarships are categorized by academic pursuits, community leadership, cultural identities, and geography, but are available to students at every degree level. The Pride Foundation’s scholarship awards range from $5,000 to $10,000.
• LEAGUE Foundation – LGBT Scholarship: Since 1996, the LEAGUE Foundation has been providing financial resources to American LGBT high school seniors who want to pursue higher education. The foundation has three separate scholarship awards: the Laurel Hester Memorial Scholarship, the Matthew Shepard Memorial Scholarship, and the LEAGUE Foundation Scholarship. Applications are accepted from January through April annually, and awardees are announced in July.
• APIQWTC Scholarship: Asia Pacific Islander Queer Women and Transgender Community (APIQWTC), pronounced as “Api-cutesy”, is a volunteer-based organization founded in 1987. The APIQWTC scholarship is awarded to two Asian Pacific Islander, lesbian, bisexual, queer, or transgender students pursuing technical or professional training or full degree programs at higher education institutions each year. The selected scholars receive a $1000 scholarship to go toward their educational endeavors.
• PFLAG National Scholarships: Founded in 1972, PFLAG is the largest grassroots based organization in the U.S. The organization is committed to advocating for equality and societal affirmation of LGBTQs. The PFLAG National scholarship is open to LGBT and allied students worldwide, who plan to pursue a higher education and demonstrate an interest in participating in the LGBT community. Awardees receive $1,000 to $5,000.
• Stonewall Foundation Scholarships: Since 1990, the Stonewall Foundation has been focusing on the needs of the LGBTQ community specifically in the state of New York. The foundation inspires meaningful change by creating scholarship opportunities for LGBTQ students. In 2015, the Stonewall Foundation offered four separate scholarships opportunities for LGBTQ students, each one reflecting the unique values of its donors.
• Colin Higgins Youth Courage Award: Established in 2000, the Colin Higgins Foundation gives away the Youth Courage Award annually to recognize exceptional students who demonstrate courage in the face of adversity and discrimination. LGBTQ youth activists who apply will have the chance to win a grant of $10,000, an opportunity to attend the National Conference on LGBT Equality, and be honored during Pride Week on an all-expense paid trip to Los Angeles or New York.
• NGPA – Aviation Scholarship: Gay, lesbians, and their straight allies who are interested in pursuing an aviation career can apply for a scholarship provided by the National Gay Pilots Association (NGPA). This international organization promotes equality as well as aviation safety. The NGPA Aviation Scholarship is awarded to exceptional candidates who have demonstrated involvement and support of the LGBT community.
• IGLTA Foundation Scholarships: The International Gay and Lesbian Travel Association Foundation offers Annual Global Convention Scholarships in order to support future LGBT leaders in the fields of tourism and hospitality. The IGLTA Foundation also focuses on supporting students interested in establishing businesses in destinations that lack LGBT acceptance, in order to help promote awareness and global acceptance of the LGBT community

• Description: This is a fully funded summer abroad program to help students gain mastery over one of the following critical languages:
  • Azerbaijani
  • Bangla
  • Hindi
  • Indonesian
  • Korean
  • Punjabi
  • Swahili
  • Turkish
  • Urdu
  • Arabic
  • Persian
  • Chinese
  • Japanese
  • Russian
• Eligibility: Must be a US citizen and student can apply to one language only. Students must have at least one or two years of academic experience in these languages to be eligible.
• Deadline: mid-November

Visit the Critical Language Scholarships website for more information.

• Description: $5000 scholarship to study in Japan. Two scholarships are available each academic year.
• Eligibility: University of Rochester undergraduates participating in University of Rochester semester programs in Japan. Preference will be given to students participating in a program at Waseda University or Meiji Gakuin University.
• Application: No separate application is needed. Applicants to University of Rochester programs in Japan will be notified of a decision, through the Education Abroad Portal, by October 15 (for spring programs) and by March 15 (for fall programs).
• Service Requirement: Recipients are required to write a letter to the donor after the study abroad semester. The letter must be accompanied with photos of the student’s time abroad.

• Description: Sponsored by the Institute for International Education, this scholarship is for study in the following locations:
  • Cambodia
  • China
  • Hong Kong
  • Indonesia
  • Japan
  • Korea
  • Laos
  • Macao
  • Malaysia
  • Mongolia
  • Philippines
  • Singapore
  • Taiwan
  • Thailand
  • Vietnam
• Eligibility: US citizen or permanent resident, currently receiving need-based financial aid or can demonstrate a verifiable need for financial assistance.
• Deadline: April 2, 2024, for summer, fall, full year, and spring

Visit the Freeman-Asia Scholarship website for more information.

• Description: This is a merit-based scholarship for funding study, senior thesis research, and/or internships in Germany.
• Eligibility: Sophomores and juniors looking to go abroad in Germany next year who demonstrate an interest in contemporary German and European affairs.
• Deadline: end of January

Visit the German Academic Exchange Service (DAAD) website for more information.

• Description: CIEE offers both merit-based and need-based scholarships for students who are applying to participate in a study abroad program sponsored by CIEE.
• Eligibility: varies by scholarship
• Deadline: varies by scholarship

Visit the Council on International Educational Exchange (CIEE) website for more information.

• Description: The institute offers four different scholarships for students to study with DIS in Denmark:

1. Need-Based Scholarship: Awarded on the basis of demonstrated financial need.
2. Diversity Scholarship: Awarded to support students from populations that are underrepresented in study abroad such as those from diverse ethnic, racial, cultural, sexual orientation, and educational backgrounds, including first-generation college students.
3. The Anders Uhrskov Leadership Scholarship: This merit-based award is for students who have demonstrated leadership on their college campuses at home and who are dedicated to enhancing and building upon their global leadership by studying with DIS. (up to $10,000)
4. Jacob Buksti Memorial Scholarship: This merit-based award is for political science, international relations, economics, or related majors looking to pursue a career in politics. ($10,000)

• Eligibility: Varies by scholarship
• Deadlines:
  • Fall/full academic year: early May
  • Spring: mid-October
  • Summer: early April

Visit the Danish Institute for Study Abroad (DIS) website for more information.

• Description: Sixteen students of color (nationwide) will be awarded a fully funded, four-week fellowship in Ireland to follow in the footsteps of famed abolitionist Frederick Douglass. Each student’s program fee and travel costs will be covered for this four-week summer study abroad program.
• Eligibility: Applicants must be a current undergraduate freshman, sophomore, or junior and have a minimum 3.0 GPA. Selection is based on academic achievement, leadership potential, communication skills, and history of service.
• Deadline: Applications are due in February (date varies, check application details for current deadline).

Learn more about the Frederick Douglass Global Fellowship

• Description: The Hajim International Experience Scholarship funded by The Hajim Dean’s Office offers grants for undergraduate students to pursue academic studies or credit-bearing, career-oriented and research internships abroad. Such international exchange is intended to better prepare Hajim students to assume significant roles in an increasingly global economy and interdependent world.
• Eligibility: You must be enrolled in a Hajim School of Engineering and Applied Sciences major, in good academic standing, have applied or intend to apply to one of the listed qualifying experiences, and complete an application and statement of purpose essay.
• Deadline: April 25, 2025 by 5:00PM.
• Complete and submit the Hajim International Experience Scholarship to apply.

• Description: IES Abroad’s financial aid is designed to take the guessing out of study abroad financial aid and make it more equitable for all. With IES Abroad’s financial aid, you can apply for all IES Abroad financial aid with one single application, and you will know your total IES Abroad aid amount within five days of applying. You can apply for IES Abroad aid even before you’ve applied for one of their programs on the IES Abroad website.