College study abroad scholarships: start your search here

One of the best parts of a college education is that you can choose to learn in a country that has a culture and history very different from your own. The costs associated with overseas studies and the vast sea of information available can make the idea feel intimidating, but there are many different scholarship programs designed to help students uncover one-of-a-kind experiences that provide adventure and cross-cultural education from participating universities and institutions all over the world.

The idea of asking for someone to foot the bill for your college dreams may feel a little weird, but remember that the institutions offering these scholarships do so with the goal of finding exceptional students with dreams that are held back by financial barriers. 

The bigger the award, the more complex the scholarship application will be. This just means you will have to plan ahead. There are entire support networks with resources for each of the scholarships to help students figure out every part of the process. Take the time to approach the applications intelligently, look at the past winners, and see what kind of project or program that you want to really dig into. 

You’ll also notice that almost all of the big scholarships ask you what you hope to achieve with this education, and how you believe it will impact your community. There is a very strong preference for students who have demonstrated financial need and have gone above and beyond to help their community. If you don’t know how to do these mysterious “community activities,” we’ll be putting up a post on that soon. You’ll also notice everything has a written essay component. These are a big deal. Be yourself, and state your dreams with excellent writing. If you need an extra hand, you can come to us for feedback.

So how to get started? We’ve created a list with some of the most well-known scholarships available internationally as well as to U.S. students. This will guide you through background information of the programs, eligibility, and application requirements. Keep in mind, some of the bigger programs will have many participating universities, so you will need to contact your exact school for specific information including submission deadlines. It’s a bit of extra work, but if you’re eyeing opportunities abroad, this is a great way to give yourself more options to choose from. Good luck on your search!

1) The Boren Awards are scholarship programs offered by the National Security Education Program (NSEP) in 160 different countries. These are offered to students in fields of study that are important to national security and aim to foster closer interpersonal connections between people of the U.S. and those of other countries. Awards range from $8,000 for a summer program to up to $25,000 for a full year.

• Deadline Feb. 1, 2023

2) The Gilman Scholarship Program is a scholarship program that is offered by the U.S. Department of State's Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs specifically to provide funding for U.S. Pell Grant recipients who are interested in studying abroad and are in need of financial aid. The aim of this program is to foster peace through education and experience. The application requires three essays, two of which are related to your goals about connecting with your host community. Awards range from $100 to $5,000 and can reach up to an additional $8,000 if applying for a Critical Need Language Award

• [Spring] Open: January / Deadline: March

• [Fall] Open: August / Deadline: October 

3) The Rotary International Scholarships are offered to students who have demonstrated leadership and service in their communities and are offered through local clubs all over the U.S (you can find your local club here). The scholarships provide full or partial tuition for undergraduate study at participating universities to approximately 100 outstanding students each year.

• Deadline: depends on your local club, but tends to be in the fall

4) The Critical Language Scholarship Program is offered through the U.S. Department of State and gives students a chance to study abroad without the long-term commitment of a full one to four years. This program allows students to study one of 14 critical languages and covers one year of work in an eight to ten week period with everything paid for except for passport and covid testing fees; it’s intensive and offers a different experience without changing any big plans you may already have.

*It is important to note you must be a freshman in college or higher at the time of your application. However the information should be useful for seniors in high school to prepare. You can get help with the application from people at specific schools.

• Deadline: November

5) The Gilman-DAAD Germany Scholarships program is a partnership between the U.S. Department of State’s Benjamin A Gilman Scholarship Program and the German Academic Exchange Service (DAAD). This scholarship supports a wider effort between the United States and Germany to increase and diversify international student mobility among German and American higher education institutions.

• Deadline 1: March 9, 2023 (programs that start between May 1, 2023 and Apr. 30, 2023)

• Deadline 2: October 3, 2023 (programs that start between Dec. 1, 2023 and Oct. 31, 2024)

6) As suggested by its name, the Chinese Government Scholarship is a scholarship program offered by the Chinese government. The program provides funding for international students who are interested in studying at universities in China. It is available for undergraduate, graduate, and postgraduate students, and covers a wide range of academic disciplines and fields of study. It also covers major Chinese universities, such as Peking University, Tsinghua University, and Fudan University, among others. More information here. 

• Deadline: March 31, 2023

7) Country specific scholarships: As listed above with Germany and China, there are many countries that offer academic scholarships for all levels of post-secondary education. You'll find there are more programs offered for graduate students and PhD candidates, but there are still many that offer a chance to experience college in a different country with a government-backed scholarship. Here is a link to one of many sites that sift through the global offerings and organize them for you.