OSA Scholarships

Financial aid, including most GW awards, federal grants, merit scholarships, and loans, can be utilized during study abroad. Each semester GW students receive scholarships from the Office for Study Abroad (OSA), GW's affiliated program providers, and outside sources to supplement their aid packages. In a typical semester, GW study abroad students in total received over $200,000 in scholarships outside of their regular financial aid packages.

The GW Office for Study Abroad offers several scholarships to help students make their study abroad experience a reality, the eligibility for which varies by scholarship program. Review our full list of offerings below:

GW Exchange Program Scholarship: As the program provider for this program type, GW offers this merit- and financial need-based award for semester study on a GW Exchange program. This is a competitive scholarship and not all applicants will be selected.
GW Study Program Scholarship: As the program provider for this program type, GW offers this merit- and financial need-based award for semester study on a GW Study Program. This is a competitive scholarship and not all applicants will be selected.
GW Hidden Gems Scholarship: This award is designed to help financially support students who stepped off the beaten path and are pursuing a program we've identified as a "Hidden Gem" within our approved programs options. Full list of qualifying programs is on the scholarship brochure under Eligibility.
GW Engagement Scholarship: This award is designed for students who'd like to be engaged in the GW study abroad community. To qualify, students must have attended three events run by the Office for Study Abroad in the semester in which they are applying. If awarded the scholarship, recipients will be required to volunteer at three Office for Study Abroad events upon their return.
GW FWS Supplemental Scholarship: This award provides aid to Federal Work-Study (FWS) recipients, who must forfeit their FWS job when they study abroad. This is a competitive scholarship and not all applicants will be selected.
GW Social Media Correspondent Scholarship: As a Social Media Correspondent, your social media posts will be a resource for other GW students to learn about your host country’s culture, language, and much more! Any study abroad applicant is eligible. This is a competitive scholarship and not all applicants will be selected.
GW Spring Into Fall Abroad Scholarship: This award is designed for students studying abroad in Spring and then again the subsequent Fall semester. This competitive award will be disbursed during the Fall semester.
GW Gilman Supplemental Scholarship: This scholarship is for current Pell Grant recipients planning to attend a GW Study Program, Exchange, or Direct Enroll who have submitted an application for the Benjamin A. Gilman Scholarship. Students will only be awarded this scholarship if they are not awarded the Gilman Scholarship.
GW Carmela Hernandez Scholarship: A competitive, need-based scholarship for one selected recipient studying abroad on the GW Madrid program.
GW International Student Scholarship: A competitive, merit-based scholarship that provides aid to international students (on an F1 or J1 visa) studying abroad.
GW Study in Israel Scholarship: Merit- and financial need-based award for semester study on a GW-approved program in Israel. This is a competitive scholarship and not all applicants will be selected.

There are additional scholarships available for students who have applied to the Fall Abroad Experience (F.A.E) and who study on select programs.

Eligibility

All GW undergraduate students who are applying to study abroad are eligible to apply for OSA scholarships. You do not need to be accepted yet into a study abroad program in order to apply. Specific eligibility requirements are listed on the application page for each scholarship in GW Passport. Students may apply for all scholarships they are eligible for, but may only receive one (except for the Gilman Supplemental Scholarship - students may receive this and one other).

Important Dates and Deadlines

Students apply for scholarships the semester before they go abroad - the same time you apply to study abroad. Applications for scholarships will open at the same time our earliest program applications open each semester, which is typically mid-July for Spring semester programs and mid-December for Fall and Academic Year programs.

Early Decision: Each scholarship has a standard deadline and an early decision deadline, which stays consistent from year to year, indicated below. We encourage students to complete their application by the below listed early decision deadlines for the opportunity to have your application reviewed earlier and potentially be notified of awards sooner. Early decision awards are limited but those who complete an application in the early decision timeline can still be reviewed during our standard deadline review if not awarded during early decision.

Fall semester applications: April 1
Spring semester applications: November 1

Standard Deadline: The standard deadline is the latest date at which we can accept scholarship applications. All students should ensure their applications are complete no later than the below indicated dates.

Fall semester applications: May 1
Spring semester applications: December 1

Scholarships are awarded on a semesterly basis. Students who are studying abroad for the academic year must apply for a GW scholarship for each semester they are abroad. If you are awarded a scholarship in the fall semester it does not automatically transfer to the spring, you will need to reapply for the scholarship in the spring semester.

"I studied abroad at the London School of Economics for the full academic year. I spent the year prior working at the Career Center and at STEM works, which were both FWS positions. Going abroad for an entire year was going to be financially challenging, but receiving the Supplemental Scholarship from GW really helped me finance my time abroad. Being in a new country for an entire year was truly an amazing experience and I grew as a person because of it every day. I also had the opportunity to take some challenging coursework that has really deepened my knowledge of economics and international affairs."

Begum Akkas
GW England - London School of Economics