No doubt it can be a bit challenging to search for scholarships and grants to study abroad, but the question is; is it worth it? Of course, it is something to be excited about but that wears away after a while because it seems you will never find one that will benefit you. If this is you then you are just on time to get your problem solved.
The truth is, you’re not alone, many others are also looking but are faced with one challenge or another. Honestly, studying abroad can be so expensive, but fortunately, there are ways to get around the huge prices. While fundraising and taking up summer jobs are options, you can also try one out of numerous study abroad scholarship opportunities for students looking to take their studies overseas!
Research has shown that there are thousands of dollars worth of scholarships that go unclaimed every year simply because no one applies for them. This money could be yours! however, you go about it the right way with the right information. Usually, the problem is not only knowing where to find scholarships to study abroad but also how to apply for them and win them in the end.
The truth is that most scholarship doesn’t cover the full cost of your tuition to study abroad, they help in cutting expenses and making your international studying experience more affordable.
There are many places you can go to in search of scholarships and grants to study abroad including study abroad program providers, third-party organizations, and through your home university’s international or study abroad office. That notwithstanding, here in this article, you shall be exposed to some of the best offers in 2024/2025.
Best Scholarships and Grants to Study Abroad in 2024
FUND FOR EDUCATION ABROAD – Fund for Education Award
FEA – fund for education abroad provides scholarships and support to students who are underrepresented among the U.S. study abroad population. The organization takes pride in making life-changing, international experiences accessible to all by supporting students of color, community college, and first-generation college students before, during, and after they participate in education abroad programs.
Requirements:
- Applicants must be a Citizen of the United States or have been granted a permanent residency
- Applicants must be accepted as an undergraduate at a college or university in the U.S.
- The international studies program must be eligible for credit at the student’s domestic institution
- The study program duration must be at least 4 weeks (28 days) in the country/countries
Award:$1,000 – $5,000
(https://fundforeducationabroad.org/scholarships/)
Diversity Abroad Overseas Ambassador Program
The Diversity Abroad offers stipends of $500 to prospects who successfully apply to become a Diversity Abroad Overseas Ambassador. This fund is put towards a Spring or Fall semester volunteering for studying abroad program. As an Ambassador you are expected to blog about your experiences for the Diversity Abroad community with the purpose of inspiring other members to travel.
Requirements:
- Applicants must be enrolled full-time in, or recently graduated from, a U.S. university or college
- Also, he or have must have a minimum cumulative 2.75 GPA at an accredited U.S. university or college
- All applicants are required to be energetic, creative and exhibit a passion for international engagement
Award:$500
National Security Language Initiative for Youth (NSLI-Y)
The National Language Security Initiative is a scheme sponsored by the U.S. State Department and is aimed at encouraging language learning in specific languages that are identified to be of high importance to the United States. The scholarship focus is on language immersion programs for the following languages: Arabic, Chinese (Mandarin), Hindi, Indonesian, Korean, Persian (Tajik), Russian and Turkish through one of their programs.
Requirements:
- Applicants must have a GPA higher than 2.5
- He or she must be studying one of the languages listed
(https://www.nsliforyouth.org/)
Rotary International Scholarships & Grants
Aside from being the most organized club in the world after the Catholic church, Rotary International operates one of the largest and longest-run private study abroad funding programs which offers up to $25,000 in scholarships to fund one year of academic tuition fees, room and board, including associated expenses. Prospects are named Cultural Ambassadors and are expected to give presentations both on their home culture while abroad and on the culture of their study abroad destination upon returning home. Scholarships are given through local branches.
Award:$25,000
(https://www.rotary.org/en/our-programs/scholarships)
Tortuga Study Abroad Scholarship
The Tortuga Study Abroad Scholarship is awarded every 2 years to students who are passionate about exploring the world. It is one of the missions of Tortuga to help travelers avoid the cost and hassle of checked luggage with carry-on-sized travel backpacks, including students studying abroad. They generate money through payments made by customers who purchase luggage from the company for their trips. Hence, the customer indirectly funds the scholarships.
Requirements:
- Applicants must be U.S. citizens, possess permanent residency, or currently studying in the US with a student visa
- Applicants must be enrolled as full-time undergraduate students in good academic standing at a four-year, degree-granting college or university in the U.S.
- Applicants must have applied to or been accepted into a study abroad program that is eligible for credit by your college or university
Award:$1,000
(https://www.tortugabackpacks.com/pages/study-abroad-scholarship)
Phi Kappa Phi Study Abroad Grants
The Phi Kappa Phi Study Abroad Grants are offered by the Honor Society of Phi Kappa Phi. It is designed to help support undergraduates as they seek knowledge and experience in their academic fields by studying abroad. Over a hundred twenty-five $1,000 grants are awarded each year.
Requirements:
- Applicants must not be members of the Society but must attend an institution with an active Phi Kappa Phi chapter.
- Applicants must have an accumulative grade point average of 3.75 or higher on a 4.0 scale.
- Have applied to or have been accepted into an accredited study abroad program before the specified application deadline and provide a letter of acceptance or a letter of confirmation of your application, on official letterhead, as part of your documents.
- Applicants must not be a sitting Phi Kappa Phi board member, divisional vice president, member of the Study Abroad Award committee, or an employee of the society.
Award:$1,000
(https://www.phikappaphi.org/grants-awards/study-abroad)
Churchill Foundation Scholarship
This scholarship is available to candidates who want to pursue a master’s degree in science, mathematics, or engineering. It is aimed at covering the applicant’s academic expenses for a period between nine, ten, or twelve months, depending on the academic program. There is also a sub-scholarship under this scheme called the Kanders Churchill Scholarship in Science Policy “to address the growing divide between science and science policy”.
Requirements:
- One basic requirement is that the applicant must be enrolled in a graduate program in one of the Participating Universities.
Award:$60,000
(https://churchillscholarship.org/)
MPOWER Global Citizen Scholarship
The Mpower Global Citizen Scholarship offers one $3,000 scholarship, and two $1,000 scholarships to one student from each geographic area: Africa, Latin America/Caribbean, India, and Asia (omitting India). Once the scholarship is awarded, the fund is directly disbursed to the university or college of the application. In addition to this, the organization has a special Women in STEM Scholarship annually exclusive to female international/DACA students in a Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics program.
Requirements:
- Applicants must be an international student who has been admitted or currently studying in a full-time program at a United States or Canadian school
Award:$3,000
(https://www.mpowerfinancing.com/scholarships/global-citizen/)
SIT Robert Kantor Memorial Scholarship
Every year one student is granted $10,000 in scholarship aid to study abroad through the SIT Robert Kantor Memorial Scholarship scheme. This scheme is funded by individual donors and foundations, the requirements are tight: seeking first-generation college students who’ve never traveled abroad before, currently attend an HBCU, and demonstrate strong financial need.
Requirements:
- Applicants must be accepted into an SIT study abroad program
- Must be HBCU, first-generation college student
- Must demonstrate extreme financial need
- Must have never previously traveled abroad
Award:$10,000
(https://studyabroad.sit.edu/admissions-aid/financing-your-study-abroad/scholarships-grants/available-scholarships-grants/)