International Scholarship

The Institute of International Education offers the Benjamin A. Gilman International Scholarship to undergraduate students in the United States. The goal of this program is to allow students who typically would not be offered the chance to study abroad, the opportunity to do so. The founders of the Gilman Scholarship saw the need for students from all backgrounds to be knowledgeable of various countries politically, economically, and culturally, as many nations are becoming more dependent on one another.

The Benjamin A. Gilman International Scholarship is specifically presented to students who are already receiving a Pell Grant, or who will get a Pell Grant by the time they will be studying outside the county. The $5,000 scholarship is meant to cover some of the tuition or any costs related to the study abroad program. Since this scholarship is partly based on financial need, the value for some students may be less than $5,000; the amount also depends on how long the study abroad program is. Approximately 820 students will receive the scholarship, and about 25 of the scholars will receive an additional $3,000 Critical Need Language Supplement. The languages covered are Arabic, Chinese, Indic, Korean, Persian, Russian, and Turkic.

Aside from showing financial need and receiving a Pell Grant, applicants for the Gilman International Scholarship should have good grades, be U.S. citizens, and be willing to study in a country that is not typically a destination for these types of programs, particularly excluding Australia and Western Europe. Priority is also given to students who show cultural diversity and attend colleges that do not frequently offer study abroad programs. Before the scholarship is presented, the student must gain acceptance to a study abroad program in the college they are attending; the minimum duration of the program must be four weeks in each country.