Benjamin A. Gilman International Scholarship Program
Awards for U.S. undergraduate students who are receiving Federal Pell Grant funding to participate in study and intern abroad programs worldwide, for up to $5,000, with the possibility of an additional $3,000 for those studying a critical language.
Bridging Scholarships for Study Abroad in Japan
Awards of $2500/semester-$4000/year for American undergraduate students participating in study-abroad programs in Japan. Funding from private foundations and major U.S. corporations, through donations to the nonprofit US-Japan Bridging Foundation, makes it possible to award about 100 scholarships each year to assist students with the travel and living expenses they will incur while studying abroad in Japan for a semester or an academic year. Applications are accepted twice a year for Bridging Scholarships. Undergraduate students majoring in any field of study are eligible to apply for these scholarships. Japanese language study is not a prerequisite.
Boren Scholarships
Provide up to $8,000 for the summer, $10,000 for the semester, and $20,000 for the academic year to US 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, Central & Eastern Europe, Eurasia, Latin America, and the Middle East. The countries of Western Europe, Canada, Australia, and New Zealand are excluded.
UMF campus application deadline is mid-December. For more information contact UMF Boren Scholarship campus representative Linda Beck at linda.beck@maine.edu / 778-7341 / 106 Fusion Space, Campus.
CLS The Critical Language Scholarship Program
Fully funded summer overseas language and cultural immersion program for American undergraduate and graduate students. With the goal of broadening the base of Americans studying and mastering critical languages and building relationships between the people of the United States and other countries, CLS provides opportunities to a diverse range of students from across the United States at every level of language learning.
Freeman-ASIA Awards
This program is designed to support U.S.-based undergraduates with demonstrated financial need who are planning to study abroad in East or Southeast Asia. Provides need-based funding to assist the recipient with the cost of the study abroad program and related expenses, including airfare, basic living costs, local transportation, books, etc. Summer Award up to $3,000; Semester Award up to $5,000; Academic/Calendar Year Award up to $7,000.
Fund for Education Abroad Awards
The mission of the Fund for Education Abroad (FEA) is to provide scholarships and ongoing support to students who are underrepresented among the U.S. study abroad population. FEA awards up to $10,000 for an academic year abroad, $5,000 for a fall or spring semester abroad, and summer scholarships are pro-rated based on length of program. While all students are encouraged to apply for an FEA scholarship, preference is given to students of color, first-generation college students, community college students, and students with high financial need. Approximately 30 varying scholarship awards for up to $10,000/acaedemic year; $5,000/semester. Application Deadlines: January for fall or academic year programs; September for spring programs.
Gilman-McCain Scholarship for the Children of Military Families
The 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. Developed under the framework of the State Department’s Benjamin A. Gilman International Scholarship Program, the John McCain International Scholarship for the Children of Military Families (Gilman-McCain Scholarship) is open to eligible students enrolled at accredited U.S. colleges and universities who receive any type of Title IV federal financial aid.
UMF Deadline for the Online Benjamin A. Gilman and Gilman-McCain Scholarship Applications: Spring programs: mid-September; Fall programs: mid-February.
IIEPassport Study Abroad Funding
Additional resources may be available through this directory.
Killam Fellowships Program
Provides an opportunity for exceptional undergraduate students from universities in Canada and the United States to spend either one semester or a full academic year as an exchange student in the other country. Students may participate in the program either as a direct exchange student (registering at their home university, paying their home fees, and attending the host university as an exchange visitor) or as a self-placed visiting student (applying for and registering at the host university, and paying host tuition fees).
The Scholarship offers a cash award of $10,000 US ($5,000 US per semester), along with an allowance of $500 to offset health insurance costs. The Foundation hosts all new Killam Fellows at an Orientation program in Ottawa each fall and again at a seminar in Washington D.C. each spring. In addition, all Fellows are eligible to apply for a mobility grant in an amount not to exceed $800. The idea of the mobility initiative is to allow students to undertake an educational field trip, providing the Fellows with the opportunity to gain a broader understanding of the culture of the host country.
UMF students can apply through the Open Competition, which typically opens in mid-September, with a deadline of late January/early February for programs in the following academic year.
Toshizo Watanabe Study Abroad Endowed Fund
The Toshizo Watanabe Endowed Scholarship Fund provides financial assistance to Japanese and American undergraduate and graduate students pursuing study abroad program or international study in either the United States or Japan. A generous endowment gift of $10 million from Mr. Toshizo (Tom) Watanabe to the U.S.-Japan Council makes it possible to award scholarships to students for whom international study would not be possible without financial support.
Beginning in 2016, this scholarship program has allowed Japanese students to study in the United States, and since 2019, has allowed American students to study in Japan. The scholarship will support the cost of attendance to the institution or study abroad program of the applicant’s choice and grants awards to recipients in amounts determined by financial need and other qualifications.
Applications are accepted annually for four to six weeks during the open period beginning in January or February. The exact dates are publicized on their website.
USA Study Abroad Scholarships
Links to most of the above scholarship programs, as well as a number of other national scholarships can be found at this site.
Office of Experiential & Global Education
University of Maine at Farmington
106 Fusion Space
117 South Street
Farmington, Maine 04938
Phone: 207-778-7122
exchangeprograms@umf.maine.edu