Apply for scholarships; this is a wide coverage of varieties of scholarships for international students to study in whichever nation they want, and study any program of their desire.
To Study abroad can turn out to be costly, but there are a few ways around these high price tags. Of course, you could raise your money, take a side job and spend your summer saving. But did you know that scholarships and grants are also offered specifically to students who want to study overseas?
That’s right, scholarships to study abroad are widely available from a variety of sources.
You may be shocked that a lot money go unclaimed every year simply because no one applies to the scholarships. Some of that money could be yours.
The trick is to know not only where to look for scholarships abroad, but also how to apply for them. Even if they may not fully cover the cost of your study abroad, they will help reduce your costs and make your study abroad more affordable.
Read on for tips on how to apply for grants and scholarships abroad, as well as a useful list of scholarships and grants you can apply for ASAP if you want to study abroad.
How to get financial help for your study abroad
After doing research, we came up with a lot of scholarships and grants for you, but it’s not an exhaustive list. Besides considering ours, here are some tips for seeking more scholarships and grants abroad;
- Apply for federal financial assistance—many students may not know that these government grants and loans may be used to study abroad. You may fill out the questionnaire, known as the Free Application for Federal Student Aid or FAFSA, online, on the FAFSA Department of Education website.
- Once you have selected a study abroad program, Google can find the financial assistance opportunities available through that particular program.
- Check with the government of the country you want to study abroad—some provide financial support to international students.
- Visit the financial assistance branch, study abroad and foreign language offices to find out about possible sources of funding.
- Ask your international study specialist if there are any scholarships unique to your major.
- Check with local organizations such as the chapters of Sons of Italy, German clubs, Hispanic heritage societies, Chinese-American associations, etc to see if they are providing scholarships.
- Get busy applying for any scholarships, grants, or funding opportunities you’ll find!
We are sure that you can find at least a few funding options to make studying abroad more accessible if you pursue these steps—and check our own list of scholarships below.
Free and Popular Scholarship Websites
The Internet is an excellent platform for discovering a vast variety of scholarships for studying abroad. Many of these scholarships would encourage you to apply online directly; in a few short hours, you can theoretically apply for hundreds of scholarships. Their one failure, however, is that a wider applicant pool will decrease the chances of being awarded help, but note, to win it, you have to be in it! Some common places to start are here;
- Scholarship Portal; This website offers a robust free search database system available across Europe for scholarships; you can search by region, country and discipline.
- FastWeb; This website not only allows you to find scholarships for studying abroad, but also scholarships of all sorts that will help you get through the rest of college. The service is free, but if you decide to register, it offers a number of extra benefits.
- IIE Passport; This database is a comprehensive search engine for all programs of study abroad registered with IIE Passport.
- Study Scholarships in Australia; This database provided by the Australian Government gives students easy access to the available funding for international students studying there.
These sites can be a great place to start when you’re looking for scholarship opportunities across a variety of foreign study destinations, subjects, and programs.
Apply for Study Abroad Destinations Scholarships
Some scholarships are connected to a particular destination, region or country. We collected several of these, arranged by area, below. Scroll down to briefly explore each area and find important links to the opportunities for scholarships that you are interested in.
International Scholarships in Africa for Studying Abroad
Africa is a continent of incredible diversity and opportunity if you crave an exotic, less-trodden study abroad course. Explore Northern Africa with its heavy European and Middle Eastern influences, with animal migration and safari experiences, Western Africa with its booming towns, or Eastern and Southern Africa. All is possible in Africa if you study abroad!
- German International Exchange Service (DAAD) Scholarships; Each year the DAAD provides a number of scholarships for a semester or postgraduate degree to allow students to study abroad. To learn more, click here.
- Eastern Europe Study Abroad (EESA) Grants; Up to $7,000 for semester and academic year-long study programs in countries of Eastern Europe. To learn more, click here.
- Koscuiszko Foundation Scholarships; The Koscuiszko Foundation provides a range of scholarship opportunities whether you are of Polish descent or want to study abroad in Poland. To learn more, click here.
- Sons of Norway Scholarship; Similarly, there are a number of scholarship opportunities offered by the Sons of Norway if you are of Norwegian descent. To learn more, click here.
- Walter Jensen Scholarship; $2,000 grant to support a worthy student travel abroad and study the French language in France. To learn more, Click here
Scholarships for Latin American Studies Abroad
Latin America combines European elegance and American cultural heritage—you’re sure to find a destination that calls you, if you want to study in Central or South America.
- Abroad Research Hispanic Association of Colleges & Universities (HACU) Scholarshisp; HACU helps students study abroad in programs in Latin America and the rest of the world at participating universities. To learn more, click here.
- Spanish Studies Abroad Scholarship; For students enrolled in their Spanish programs in Argentina, Cuba, Puerto Rico and (outside Latin America) Spain, the Center for Cross-Cultural Studies provides merit- and diversity-based $500-$1,500 scholarships. To learn more.
Scholarships for Oceania Abroad Studies
The countries of Southeast Asia and Oceania are popular for gap years and backpack travellers; did you know they’re great for studying abroad, too? Studying abroad in Oceania provides unparalleled cultural immersion and world-class schooling from Australia and New Zealand to smaller countries on islands and peninsulas.
- East-West Center Scholarships & Fellowships; Through the East-West Center, almost every student interested in studying abroad in the Oceania region can find a fellowship or scholarship opportunity. To learn more.
- American-Australian Education Fund; Available to students from the United States who are interested in Australia or are currently studying abroad. Per year the application period is from 1 September to 15 October. To learn more, click here.
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Apply for General Study Abroad Grants & Scholarships for International Students
As you will see, there are a lot of scholarships that are linked to the specific location or region where you study abroad. There is an equal amount that can be used to fund your study abroad experience anywhere in the world.
International Benjamin A. Gilman Scholarship Program
Offered with U.S. funding by the Institute of International Education. Benjamin A. Gilman State Department scholarships are given to support Federal Pell Grants students study abroad. Each scholarship is up to $5,000 and during each application period, typically, one in four students is chosen as a recipient.
- Level; Undergraduate students
- Award; Up to 5,000 dollars
- Requirements; Existing beneficiaries of a Federal Pell Grant must be students
- The Deadline; Year-Round
- Application; Click Here
Scholarships for Critical Language
The Vital Language Scholarships (CLS) program could be ideal for you if learning a foreign language is on your list. The U.S. government lists various languages each year that enable students to learn while studying abroad; scholarships are applied to programs that allow you to concentrate on them for example, Bangladesh, Hindi, Russian, Korean, Swahili, and others are included in the current list.
- Level: All Students
- Award: Varies
- Requirements: US citizens studying abroad
- Deadline: November yearly
- Application: Click Here
Phi Kappa Phi Grants for Studying Abroad
If you visit a campus where there is an active chapter of the Phi Kappa Phi Honor Society, you are eligible for this scholarship—even if you are not a member of Phi Kappa Phi. There are 75 grants awarded to applicants per year.
- Level; Undergraduate Pupils
- Award; 1,000 dollars
- Requirements; Must have an active chapter of Phi Kappa Phi on your campus
- Deadline; March
- Application; Click Here
Rotary Foundation Scholarships
The Rotary Foundation and regional clubs provide students with a number of scholarship opportunities to learn—and study abroad. These include high school, undergraduate, and graduate student scholarships, and the amounts and eligibility differ by club. Your being eligible does not lie in being a member of a Rotary club. On average, scholarships totalling $7.5 million are given out every year.
- Level; All Students (High School included!)
- Award; Varies from one to another
- Requirements; Vary
- The Deadline; Varies
- Application; Click Here
The Boren Honors Awards
The Boren Awards are $2,500 to $20,000 scholarships and fellowships given to undergraduate and graduate students in countries of interest to the United States to study critical skills or languages. These include language programs in Chinese, Swahili, Portuguese, and Arabic, summer STEM classes, and topics like Foreign Relations and Food Sciences. Note: The application window for 2020 grants has expired, so the deadline for 2021 grants is set out below.
- Level; Graduate & Undergraduate Students
- Award; 2,500-20,000 dollars
- Requirements; must be enrolled in a Higher Education Institute
- Deadline; February (bursaries) / January (bursaries)
- Application; Click Here
Tortuga Backpacks Research Scholarship Abroad
Part of the mission of Tortuga Backpack “is to help people take incredible journeys,” which is why they spend part of their proceeds on a scholarship abroad. Yeah, and if you win, you even get a Tortuga travel backpack!
- Level: Undergraduate Students
- Award: $1,000
- Requirements: Must be Enrolled at a U.S. Institution
- Deadline: April / November
- Application: Click Here