External Study Abroad Funding

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, 2023 to April 30, 2024. 

The deadline to submit your Gilman application is Thursday, March 9, 2023 at 11:59 Pacific Time (PT). Gilman does not accept late applications.

For more information, please visit the Benjamin Gilman Overview page. And check out the experiences of past recipients on the Gilman Global Experience Blog!

To learn more about the application process, please join us at our Gilman Mini Info Session on: TBD 

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.
• Learn more about the deadline and application timeline at iie.org.

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 $215k 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 (including both two-year and four-year institutions)
   
• 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 in a country or area with an overall Travel Advisory Level 1 or 2, according to the U.S. Department of State’s Travel Advisory System. 

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

Diversity Abroad, in cooperation with the AIFS Foundation, will offer $500 scholarships for fall and spring study abroad.  Five scholarships are available each semester. Economically disadvantaged students, first-generation students, students with disabilities and ethnic and racial diverse students are strongly encouraged to apply online.

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 apply can visit the application here. For more information, please visit the DIWC website.

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. More information on St. John's University students who have become Fulbright scholars can be found on our 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 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.

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. 

The Cultural Services of the French Embassy, in partnership with gofundme and with support from NAFSA: Association of International Educators (NAFSA), and the Association of Public and Land-grant Universities (APLU), has launched the third edition of the France on Campus Award to celebrate and support initiatives that explore France in new and creative ways.

The France on Campus Award is intended to help student organizations eager to launch or continue a major France-related project on campus by providing a unique package of funding, mentoring and networking. With this support, awardees will be expected to expose new audiences to France and French culture on their campus and beyond.

The Cultural Services will select ten winners to receive a unique package of networking, mentorship, and promotional support for their projects. The first and second place winners will also receive funding to implement their projects.

• The first place winner will receive a grant of $2,000
• The second place winner will receive a grant of $1,000

All ten winners will be invited to launch a fundraising campaign on gofundme and will receive the following benefits: mentorship support, promotional and networking support, an award certificate signed by the Ambassador of France to the United States, invitations to selected events organized by the French Embassy and/or consulates for one year.

Think out of the box and bring France to your campus! Applications are open from October 1st to November 1st.

For more information and to apply, visit the website.

Go Overseas, a listing and reviews website for programs abroad, offers $500 scholarships for students planning to study or intern abroad.  For more information and application instructions, as well as helpful tips to approaching scholarship applications, please visit the Go Overseas website

The Institute for International Education offers a great search engine for finding scholarships based on your location of study or your area of academic focus.

In order to facilitate life-changing international experiences, WSA has created the Cultural Bridge Scholarship to allow students the incredible, enriching opportunity to study abroad in Europe. Each semester, scholarships will be awarded to students who demonstrate strong passion and motivation for international education.

Scholarship recipients will be awarded $500 USD in funds toward their semester abroad. All American undergraduate students with plans to study abroad in Europe are encouraged to apply. WSA Europe will award scholarships based on financial need, passion, and merit.  For full details please visit the WSA website.

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 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.

The ItaliaRail Scholarship is for students studying in Italy. Students may apply for a $1,000 scholarship towards their study abroad program.

Hostelling International USA (HI USA) is a non-profit, member organization founded on an enduring belief in the power of travel to foster a deeper understanding of people, places, and the world around. HI USA has created the Explore the World Travel Scholarship, which awards recipients $2,000 to help finance their international trip as long as they have an educational or service component to their itinerary. More information can be found on their website.

Applicants must be 18-30 years of age, permanent residents of the US and be a current Pell Grant recipient. 

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.

NAFSA: Association for International Educators provides a list of funding resources for students participating in all types of programs abroad.  We encourage you to read through each resource description to see how each award may apply to your own program abroad.

Thanks to the generosity of the late Walter Jensen, the AATF is able to offer one scholarship for study abroad to a future teacher of French. The yearly $2000 scholarship is intended to help a student pay for a semester or year's study abroad experience he or she might not otherwise be able to afford.

Requirements:

• Student applicants must be at least 18 years of age at the time of application.
• Enrolled in an established teacher education program (B.A., B.S., or M.A.T.) in French.
• Applications for independent study abroad trips, subsidized travel, or summer programs will not be considered. 
• The applicant must be a US citizen or permanent resident and non-native speaker of French.
• He or she must be sponsored by an AATF member teacher.

Award: $2000

Application:Apply Now