Finding Funding for Study Abroad

You’re going to take the plunge- move outside of your comfort zone and participate in a study abroad program. You’re anxious about funding this amazing endeavor, but you are determined to make it work. Where do you start? As a study abroad advisor, I work with students on the daily who want, more than anything, to participate in a study abroad experience. But they feel overwhelmed. Where do you start? The following are tips for finding funding opportunities:

1.      Start the search early: This is one of the most important tips. Often times students think they should apply for a study abroad program, wait to be approved or admitted and then begin the scholarship search- this is a very common misconception. Do not wait to look for scholarships. Begin your scholarship hunt at the same time that you begin to look into or apply for your chosen study abroad program. The Institute of International Education  (IIE) is a great resource to help you get on track for finding scholarships. I also recommend asking your study abroad office what scholarship resources are available to you. Go Abroad is another resources that offers funding opportunities for students. Lastly, if your study abroad experience is related to your academic endeavors, speak with a professor or the director of your academic department about potential funding opportunities.  

2.      Stay organized: If you have more than 2 scholarship you hope to apply for, you may be feeling overwhelmed with various scholarship deadlines on top of your academic deadlines. Stay focused and organized by mapping out the details of each scholarship in an Excel spreadsheet. Include important information including the name and description of the scholarship; eligibility requirements; preferences the scholarship may have; when the scholarship application opens; and when the application deadline closes.

3.      Research the scholarship: If you are applying to a nation-wide scholarship, you’ll want to explore their website to get a feel for what the committee is looking for. Often times major scholarships will have a list of eligibility applicant preferences. Get to know what the committee is looking for.

4.      Draft well in advance: Every scholarship I have ever worked with requires an essay. If you want your application to be taken seriously, you will likely need to create multiple drafts to express yourself just right. Remember that unless a scholarship requires an interview process, your statement of purpose (SOP) is your one shot to make a positive and lasting impression.

5.      Get feedback: You should work with the campus resources available to you. Does your campus offer a Writing Center? Does your study abroad office provide study abroad scholarship essay feedback? Be sure to find out what resources are at your disposal and use them to your fullest. If you don’t have any useful resources available to you through our school, at least have 1-2 friends or family members read over your essay for content and grammar.

6.      Submit your application early: Do not wait until the last minute to submit your application. Servers get jammed, internet connections get lost, things happen. To avoid unexpected challenges you should prepare to submit your essay at least 1 day in advance. I’ve had students in the past complain that they went to submit a study abroad scholarship essay an hour before it was due, but the application system shut down and they were unable to submit. Though some scholarships are flexible, large, nationally distinguished scholarships may not be. Avoid the stress and disappoint and plan to submit your application well in advance.