Scholarship opportunities
At first glance, study abroad may not always appear to be financially feasible. Alfred University’s Office of Education Abroad aims to help students choose the program most aligned with their academic goals and financial means by providing advice and access to resources available to bridge gaps in program costs.
We highly encourage students of all backgrounds to apply for scholarships. There are study abroad grants and scholarship opportunities based on financial need and/or merit.
We highly encourage students of all backgrounds to apply for scholarships. There are study abroad grants and scholarship opportunities based on financial need and/or merit.
Tips for Applying for Study Abroad Scholarships:
- Seek them out: there are all kinds available - you miss 100% of the shots you don’t take!
- Plan ahead: most scholarships are competitive and must be applied for months in advance. Pay attention to those deadlines and give yourself plenty of time to gather recommendations, draft essays and prepare the applications.
- The Writing Center: take advantage of the resources already available on campus. Walk in or make an appointment at my.alfred.edu under the first tab, “Academics” > Writing Center
- If you need a form filled out by the office of Financial Aid, you must give them at least a week to process it!
- Also watch out for any relevant workshops and materials available to help you write successful scholarship essays.
General Study Abroad Scholarships
| Scholarship | Eligibility | Award | Deadline |
| Churchill Foundation Scholarship: Offers at least fourteen Churchill Scholarships annually. https://www.churchillscholarship.org/the-scholarship#apply |
U.S. Citizen, Senior who is enrolled in one of the institutions participating in the Scholarship Program. | Up to $75,000 | November 3rd |
| Tortuga Backpacks Study Abroad Scholarship: Offered biannually to passionate students who want to explore the world. https://www.tortugabackpacks.com/pages/study-abroad-scholarship | Any four-year university student with good academic standing. | $1,000 and 1 Travel Backpack | Fall: April 15th Spring: November 15th |
| Phi Kappa Phi Study Abroad Grants: Fifty grants are awarded each year. https://apply.phikappaphi.org/Awards/ | GPA above 3.75. | $1,000 | March 15th |
| The Critical Language Scholarship Program: A fully funded summer overseas language and cultural immersion program for American undergraduate and graduate students. | Critical-need language study (see list on website). |
The CLS Program is fully funded | November 15th |
| Gilman Scholarship: Over 2,900 scholarships will be awarded this academic year for U.S. citizen undergraduates to study or intern abroad and demonstrate a financial need. https://www.gilmanscholarship.org/applicants/application-overview/ | Need-based | $5,000 | October 9th |
| Boren Scholarship: Awards for students interested in geographic areas, languages, and fields of study deemed critical to U.S. national security. Funding is available for year-long programs and semester long programs. https://www.borenawards.org/apply-now | By critical-needs language/ study abroad location. |
$8,000 to $25,000 | January 5th |
| Fund for Education Abroad: Provides scholarships and ongoing support to students who are underrepresented among the U.S. study abroad population. https://fundforeducationabroad.org/ |
US citizen or permanent resident who is enrolled as an undergraduate. The program must be for credit and run for at least 4 weeks. | $1,000 - $5,000 |
February and September |
Study Abroad in Asia
| Scholarship | Eligibility | Award | Deadline |
| Bridging Scholarships: The Bridging Project offers scholarships to American undergraduate students participating in study-abroad programs in Japan. They 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. https://www.aatj.org/japan-bridging-scholarships/ |
American Undergraduate studying in Japan | $2,500 to $4,500 | March 15th |
| Freeman-Asia Scholarship: Scholarships for study abroad in East or Southeast Asian counties. https://www.iie.org/programs/freeman-asia/apply |
Demonstrates financial need | $3,000 -$7,000 |
April 1st |
| The Alliance for Global Education Scholarships: Need-based scholarships awarded to students who attend Alliance programs in China, India, or Istanbul. https://ifsa-butler.org/scholarships-grants-financial-aid/ |
Demonstrates financial need | $1,500 to $2,500 | Fall/Summer: April 1st Spring/January: November 1st |
Study Abroad in Europe
| Scholarship | Eligibility | Award | Deadline |
| DAAD: The goal of the program is to support study abroad in Germany and at German Universities. Scholarships available either as part of an organized study abroad program or an independent study abroad semester or year. https://www2.daad.de/deutschland/stipendium/datenbank/en/21148-scholarship-database/?status=3&origin=190&subjectGrps=F&daad=&intention=&q=&page=1&detail=50076777 |
Second- or third-year undergraduate with a good academic standing with well-defined internship or research plans | Fully Funded (Tuition, Living Expenses, Insurnace, etc), Monthly Stipend, and Travel Allowance | Varys by Program |
Study Abroad in North America
| Scholarship | Eligibility | Award | Deadline |
| Scholarship to study in Canada: The 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. The Killam Undergraduate Fellowships for Americans | Fulbright Canada |
Undergraduate student studying at a Canadian university | $6,000 - $12,000 | Jan. 31st |
Databases to Search for Scholarships
| IIE Passport Study Abroad Funding Online Resources for International Students • Study Abroad Funding |
This database connects you to thousands of study abroad funding opportunities. You can search by country, program and keyword. The site links you to a wide range of funding opportunities and is a great tool to search of study abroad scholarships. |
| College Board general scholarship search engine https://bigfuture.collegeboard.org/scholarship-search |
Free online scholarship database. Find scholarships, other financial aid and internships from more than 2,200 programs, totaling nearly $6 billion. Enter as much information as possible to find the most matches. |
| Diversity Abroad Scholarships and Grants: http://www.diversityabroad.com/scholarships |
Free database of scholarships that target minority, low-income and first-generation students |
| FastWeb: http://www.fastweb.com/ |
Free online scholarship database. |
| Scholarships.com: https://www.scholarships.com/ |
Free college scholarship search and financial aid information resource. |
| Scholarship Experts: https://www.unigo.com/scholarships#/fromscholarshipexperts |
In addition to scholarships, you now have access to colleges, internships, careers, and a whole lot more. |
| International Financial Aid and College Scholarship Search: http://www.iefa.org/ |
At this site, you will find the most comprehensive college scholarship search and grant listings, plus international student loan programs and other information to promote study abroad. |
| International Scholarships http://www.internationalscholarships.com/ |
The International Scholarship Search is the premier financial aid, college scholarship and international scholarship resource for students wishing to study abroad. |
| CIEE Scholarships and Grants: http://www.ciee.org/study-abroad/scholarships-grants/ |
Awards more than $3 million in scholarships and grants for study abroad. Offers multiple scholarships in three distinct areas to reach all student, those areas include: academic excellence scholarships, access grants and scholarships, and ambassador grants. |
| AIFS Scholarships, Grants, and Financial Support: http://www.aifsabroad.com/scholarships.asp |
Awards more than $800,000 in scholarships, grants, and financial support to students and institutions. Funds are available for both summer and semester programs. |
| API Study Abroad and Intern Abroad Scholarships: https://apiabroad.com/other-resources/financial-information/scholarships/ |
API awards approximately $450,000 in study abroad scholarships with a maximum of $1,000 per student. |
| ISA Scholarships: http://studiesabroad.com/admissions/ documents/scholarships/study/isa-scholarships |
Offers many scholarships and grants to students participating in one or more ISA programs. |
| SIT Scholarships: https://studyabroad.sit.edu/admissions-aid/financing-your-study-abroad/scholarships-grants/ |
SIT scholarships are available to students applying to an SIT Study Abroad program. Scholarship awards generally range from $500 to $5,000. |