External Scholarships
Additional semester and academic year scholarship opportunities may be available through the U.S. and foreign governments as well as private organizations that may be related to a particular study abroad location and study goals.
- U.S. Government Sponsored Scholarships
Benjamin A. Gilman International Scholarship Program
Eligibility: Student must be a Federal Pell Grant recipient. Open to U.S.-citizen undergraduate students who are planning to study and intern abroad, the Gilman Scholarship program aims to support students who might otherwise not participate due to financial constraints. The program emphasizes non-traditional study and intern destinations, especially those outside of Western Europe, Australia and New Zealand. The Gilman Scholarship Program supports students who have been traditionally under-represented in education abroad, including but not limited to, students with high financial need, community college students, students in underrepresented fields such as the sciences and engineering, students with diverse ethnic backgrounds, and students with disabilities.
Fields of Study: All
GPA: N/A
Awards: Up to $5,000/semester
Tel: 800.852.2141, Ext 1
Email: gilman
iie [dot] org (gilman[at]iie[dot]org)GW Campus Coordinator: Your Study Abroad Advisor
The Boren Awards for International Study
Eligibility: The Boren scholarship provides 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, including Africa, Asia, Eurasia, Latin America, and the Middle East. Applicants identify how their study abroad programs or overseas projects, as well as their future academic and career goals, will contribute to U.S. national security, broadly defined.
Fields of Study: All
GPA: N/A
Awards: Maximum award is $8,000/summer, $10,000/semester and $20,000/academic year
Tel: 800-618-6737
Email: boren
iie [dot] org (boren[at]iie[dot]org)GW Campus Coordinator: Center for Undergraduate Fellowships & Research: fellcent
gwu [dot] edu (fellcent[at]gwu[dot]edu)The Freeman-Asia Scholarship
Eligibility: This program provides scholarships for U.S. undergraduate students with demonstrated financial need to study abroad in East or Southeast Asia. Scholarship recipients can receive up to $5,000 for Semester and up to $7,000 for Academic Year study.
Fields of Study: All
GPA: 2.8
Awards: Varies by semester, up to $7,000
Tel: 212-984-5346
Email: Freeman-ASIA
iie [dot] org (Freeman-ASIA[at]iie[dot]org)GW Campus Coordinator: Contact your Office for Study Abroad Advisor for further information.
- External Scholarship Opportunities
Fund for Education Abroad
Eligibility: Scholarships are provided to students who are underrepresented among the U.S.study abroad population. Additional scholarships are available for specific affinity groups including veterans, LGBTQIA+, and those studying in region-specific locations.
Fields of Study: All
GPA: N/A
Awards: up to $5,000/semester and up to $10,000/academic year
Tel: (202) 349-7340
Bridging Scholarships in Japan
Eligibility: The US-Japan Bridging Foundation offers $2500 for students studying in Japan for a semester, and $4000 for students studying for the academic year. Applicants must be US citizens and undergraduate students majoring in any field of study are eligible to apply for these scholarships. Japanese language study is not a prerequisite.
Fields of Study: All
GPA: N/A
Awards: $2,500/semester, $4,000/academic year
Tel: 303-492-5487
Email: aatj
aatj [dot] org (aatj[at]aatj[dot]org)British Universities Transatlantic Exchange (BUTEX) Scholarships
Eligibility: To be eligible for British Universities Transatlantic Exchange (BUTEX) Scholarships students must be enrolled in an institution in the USA or Canada and offered a place as a study abroad or exchange student in a UK university which is a member of BUTEX.
Fields of Study: All
GPA: N/A
Awards: ₤500
Tel: 44 (0)113 343 1734
Email: butex
leeds [dot] ac [dot] uk (butex[at]leeds[dot]ac[dot]uk)Diversity Abroad
Eligibility: Diversity Abroad offers a variety of scholarships for students studying abroad in summer, fall, and spring; Economically disadvantaged students, first-generation, students with disabilities and ethnic and racially diverse students are strongly encouraged to apply.
Fields of Study: All
GPA: N/A
Awards: Vary
Email: info
diversityabroad [dot] com (info[at]diversityabroad[dot]com)Explore the World Scholarship
Eligibility: Granted by Hostelling International (HI), a $2,000 scholarship is awarded to students with a strong desire and motivation to experience other people and cultures through international travel. Student must demonstrate financial need
Fields of Study: All
GPA: N/A
Awards: $2,000
Contact: Use this link to access contact form
The Going Abroad Scholarship
Eligibility: The Going Study Abroad Scholarship is open to any citizen and/or resident of the United States (and its territories and possessions) who is enrolled full-time at an accredited institution of higher learning.
Fields of Study: All
GPA: N/A
Awards: $1,500
New Zealand Generation Study Abroad Excellence and Travel Awards
Eligibility: Supported by the government of New Zealand, the Generation Study Abroad Excellence and Travel Awards are offered to U.S. students interested in studying abroad at a university in New Zealand. Students must be U.S. citizens, with a minimum 3.0 GPA.
Fields of Study: All
GPA: 3.0
Awards: $2,000
Turkish Coalition of America
Eligibility: The Turkish Coalition of America study abroad scholarship program is offered to undergraduate American students of minority and heritage communities who wish to study abroad in Turkey. Eligible applicants must be of one of the following heritage communities: African American, Bosnian American, Filipino American, Hispanic American, Macedonian American, Native American.
Fields of Study: All
GPA: n/a
Awards: TCA Scholarships range from $500 to $2,000 per student:
Tel: 202-370-1399
Email: info
tc-america [dot] org (info[at]tc-america[dot]org)- Provider Scholarships
These scholarships are for students going on a program with the designated provider. If your provider is not listed below, this does not mean they do not offer scholarships. Peruse your provider’s website for more information on any scholarships and aid. Most providers offer financial support and we highly encourage any student applying to a provider to reach out to their provider contact for scholarship information and to put themselves in the running for any potential financing opportunities.
- Additional Study Abroad Scholarship, Fellowship, and Grant Resources
Students can also search for external scholarships online to help fund their study abroad program via the following links:
- Exploring Abroad
- Go Overseas Scholarships
- GW Center for Undergraduate Fellowships and Research - Study Abroad Fellowships
- GW Sigur Center for Asian Studies - Fellowships and Grants
- International Financial Aid and Scholarship Search
- USA Study Abroad U.S. Government Scholarships and Programs
- StudyAbroad.com Scholarship
I recommend that all GW students who qualify should apply for these scholarships! Specifically, I recommend to 1) start the application process as early as possible and get feedback from multiple people on the essays, 2) take time to understand your purpose of studying abroad and the aspects of the program you are applying to. The key is in the details and how a specific study abroad program will align with your professional, personal, and academic goals. In addition, the scholarship is helpful because it requires students to reflect on their experiences through weekly blogs.
Betty Hailu
Junior, International Affairs
Paris, France