External Study Abroad Funding

In addition to St. John's study abroad scholarships and grants, there are a number of external scholarships available for study abroad. Plan early and be sure to apply for as many scholarships for which you are eligible. The Institute of International Education's (IIE) Study Abroad Funding website has a database to help students discover more study abroad program and scholarship opportunities. Students in search of more funding should dedicate some time to researching more opportunities.

Learn more

Benjamin A. Gilman International Scholarships

The Benjamin A. Gilman International Scholarships are available to all Pell-eligible undergraduates who study abroad. Read the stories of six 2022 awardees in the International Spotlight: St. John's Gilman Scholars and about their return Home Again.

The Gilman Scholarship application is open for in-person programs that start between May 1, 2024 to April 30, 2025

The deadline to submit your Gilman application is Thursday, March 7, 2024 at 11:59 Pacific Time (PT). Gilman does not accept late applications.

For more information, please visit the Benjamin A. Gilman International Scholarship website. And check out the experiences of past recipients on the Gilman Global Experience Blog!

To learn more about the application process as well as other study abroad funding opportunities, please join the Office of International Education at an upcoming event:

  • Study Abroad Scholarships + Global Internships info session: Monday, February 5th - Time: 2-3p. Location: MAR 219
  • Gilman Application Workshop: Monday, February 12th - Time: 2-3p.  Location: OIE Conf. Room, MAR 210 

When to Apply

  • The Gilman Scholarship Program accepts applications twice per year.
  • Ideally, students should begin their application one full semester before their study abroad program or internship is scheduled to begin.

The Gilman International Scholarship Program offers grants for U.S. citizen undergraduate students of limited financial means to pursue academic studies abroad. Such international study is intended to better prepare U.S. students to assume significant roles in an increasingly global economy and interdependent world.

Approximately 800 scholarships of up to $5,000 will be awarded during an academic year for U.S. citizen undergraduates to study abroad. Award amounts will vary depending on the length of study and student need, with the average award being $4,000. Undergraduate students who are receiving federal Pell Grant funding are eligible to apply.

Though the Gilman is a competitive scholarship nationwide, St. John's students have been awarded over $237k to date to assist them with their study abroad experience. 

For more information and to apply, please visit the Gilman Scholarship website

The Gilman-McCain Scholarship 

The Gilman-McCain Scholarship is a congressionally funded initiative of the Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs at the U.S. Department of State and named after the late senator John S. McCain from Arizona. The U.S. Department of State’s Gilman-McCain Scholarship provides awards of $5,000 for child dependents of active duty service members to study or intern abroad on credit-bearing programs.

To be eligible for a Gilman-McCain Scholarship, an applicant must be:

  • A citizen of the United States; An undergraduate student in good standing at an accredited institution of higher education in the United States 
     
  • Dependent child of an active duty military member(s) during the time of application in one of the following branches: Air Force, Army, Marine Corps, Navy, and Coast Guard
     
  • Recipient of any type of Title IV federal financial aid
     
  • Applying for credit-bearing study abroad programs 

For more information and to apply, please visit the Gilman-McCain Scholarship Website

The Diverse International Women Of Color Study Abroad Scholarship is intended to assist women of color who are exceptional in their studies and in need of financial assistance to study abroad.  DIWC will award $500 scholarships to women of color who have been accepted to a Study Abroad Program. 

DIWC is still monitoring COVID-19 travel advisories and will make changes accordingly as these dates approach to determine what countries students are eligible to complete their study abroad programs.

Students who wish to learn more and apply, please visit the DIWC website. Please note, applications open at the start of DIWC's application period.

First-Generation Global Scholars is an initiative from Includifi to support first-generation students or recent graduates planning to study away. By writing insightful articles, capturing inspiring videos or pictures about your new surroundings, and sharing your personal growth, your experience will inform and inspire other first-gen students to go abroad and challenge them to rethink how study away experiences can be for everyone.  

Includifi will offer a $1000 stipend for summer programs. 

To learn more and to apply, please click here.

Order Sons and Daughters of Italy in America has awarded a range of merit-based scholarships in amounts from $4,000 to $25,000 throughout its history. Applicants must be of Italian descent and enrolled in a four-year undergraduate or a graduate program at an accredited academic institution. 

There are two general categories for applicants:

  • Category I: Italian American students who demonstrate outstanding potential and high academic achievements. There are no specifications on applicants' area of study.
     
  • Category II: Students from any ethnic background who have a major or minor in Italian language, Italian studies, Italian American studies or a related field and who demonstrate both high academic achievement and outstanding potential.

The Tortuga Backpacks Study Abroad Scholarship is awarded biannually to passionate students who want to explore the world. The scholarship may be used for tuition, room and board, books, or travel. Winners of the scholarship will receive $1,000 and a Tortuga backpack. Funds will be sent directly to the winner's study abroad program or university. In cases where this is not possible, alternative arrangements will be made. Additional information can be found on their website.

As and educational nonprofit, HI USA strives to help young Americans get out and experience the world. They provide two signature scholarship programs, Explore the World and Explore America, to travelers who need a financial boost along the way. Each year, these scholarships help over 100 young people transform their travel dreams into meaningful cultural experiences. 

To learn more and to apply, visit HI USA.

Going's mission is to help people travel and experience the world. Open to both undergraduate and graduate students who plan on studying abroad. Applicants must submit a three to four-minute video essay. Twice a year, two outstanding students will win $1500 scholarships toward their upcoming study abroad program. 

To learn more and to apply, get Going.

The Fund for Education Abroad (FEA) was established in 2010 to address the need for an independent study abroad scholarship provider. FEA is expanding access to education abroad by raising awareness of its benefits to the individual and its value to the collective, with scholarships of up to $5,000.

Applicants from groups underrepresented in study abroad and those individuals who are destined for non-traditional locations are given preference, in an effort to make the demographics of U.S. undergraduates studying abroad reflect the rich diversity of the U.S. population. More information can be found on their website. 

David L. Boren Scholarships and Fellowships provide unique funding opportunities for U.S. undergraduate and graduate students to add an important international and language component to their educations. The program focuses on geographic areas, languages, and fields of study that are critical to U.S. interests and underrepresented in study abroad.

Boren Scholarships and Fellowships are funded by the National Security Education Program (NSEP), which focuses on geographic areas, languages, and fields of study deemed critical to U.S. national security.

All US citizens currently enrolled in an undergraduate institution and planning to study abroad in a country outside of Western Europe, Canada, Australia, or New Zealand are eligible to apply.

The applications for the David L. Boren Scholarships and Fellowships are available at www.borenawards.org

The Bridging Scholarship program will award 75 scholarships to American students participating in study abroad programs in Japan that begin in Fall 2016. Undergraduate students majoring in any field of study and attending any recognized exchange or independent program in Japan are eligible to apply for these scholarships. Recipients will receive stipends of $2,500 or $4,000, depending on the length of their study program in Japan.

Click here for more details.

Created to assist U.S. students with demonstrated financial need and limited prior experience in East and Southeast Asia, Freeman-ASIA will fund approximately 400 students over the next two academic years, with awards ranging from $3,000 per student for summer study and $5,000 per semester, to a maximum of $7,000 for a full year abroad. 

Click here for more details.

With the support of the United States government and through bi-national partnerships with foreign governments, the Fulbright Scholarship Program sponsors U.S. and foreign participants for exchanges in all areas of endeavor, including the sciences, business, academia, public service, government, and the arts and continues to increase mutual understanding between the people of the United States and the people of other countries. The Fulbright Program awards approximately 8,000 grants annually.

For more information about the program and how to apply, please visit the Fulbright Scholar Program website. 

The Chateaubriand Fellowship is a grant offered by the Embassy of France in the United States. It supports outstanding Ph.D. students from American universities who wish to conduct research in France for a period ranging from 4 to 9 months. Chateaubriand fellows are selected through a merit-based competition, through a collaborative process involving expert evaluators in both countries. The program is divided into two sections: STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Mathematics & Health) and HSS (Humanities and Social Sciences).

To be eligible, candidates must be currently working on their Ph.D., be enrolled in an American University, and obtain a letter of recommendation from their advisor in the U.S., as well as a letter of invitation from a professor affiliated with a French university or research institution.

Benefits include a monthly stipend, health insurance for the entire duration of the fellowship, and a round-trip ticket to France.

More information can be found on their website.