National & General Scholarships
National Scholarships
National scholarships are highly competitive, prestigious awards that provide support for experiential learning opportunities, including study abroad. Certain national scholarships are need-based, while others are merit awards. Scholarships are coordinated by various U.S agencies, including the U.S State Department and U.S Department of Defense.
For the 20th anniversary of the Benjamin A. Gilman International Scholarship Program, the University of Maryland was recognized as one of the U.S. universities that has sent the most Gilman Scholars abroad since the scholarship’s inception.
Overview:
The U.S. Department of State’s Benjamin A. Gilman International Scholarship Program enables students of limited financial means to study or intern abroad, providing them with skills critical to our national security and economic prosperity.
Gilman Guarantee Program
Receive a guaranteed $500 scholarship when you apply for a Gilman award via the UMD National Scholarship Office (NSO). Awards will be given to students who commit and participate in an approved Education Abroad program. Any eligible student who submits a completed Gilman application and does NOT receive a Gilman award will receive an additional $2,000 in guaranteed funding from Education Abroad for a total commitment of $2,500. Students who do receive a Gilman award will retain the $500 EA scholarship. You must have worked with NSO to submit a completed Gilman application by the deadline, and have completed an Education Abroad scholarship application by the deadline to be eligible for this award.
Gilman Eligibility:
- Must be a U.S citizen and a current degree-seeking undergraduate UMD student
- Must be a recipient of the Federal Pell Grant during the time of application OR provide proof that they will be receiving a Pell Grant during the term of their study abroad program or internship
- Must be in the process of applying to, or accepted to, a credit-bearing study abroad or internship program.
- Must be studying or interning abroad in any country or area with an overall Travel Advisory Level 1 or 2, according to the U.S. Department of State's Travel Advisory System
Award amount:
- Up to $5,000 to be used toward the cost of study abroad programs
Deadlines:
- Meet with NSO to have your application reviewed before the Gilman Deadline in March 2025.
- The Gilman application will open in mid-January for a deadline in March 2025: for programs starting between May 1, 2025 to April 30, 2026. This includes Maymester 2025, Summer 2025, Fall 2025, Academic Year 2025 - 2026, Winter Term 2026, Spring Break 2026 and Spring 2026.
Overview:
Applicants who are studying a critical need language while abroad in a country or location in which the language is predominantly spoken can apply for a supplemental award of up to $3,000 in addition to the Gilman funds.
Eligibility:
- Must be eligible for the Gilman Scholarship
- Must be studying one of the following critical needs languages during term abroad:
Arabic, Azerbaijani, Bahasa Indonesian, Bangla, Chinese (Mandarin), Hebrew, Hindi, Japanese, Korean, Persian, Portuguese, Punjabi, Russian, Swahili, Turkish, Urdu
Award Amount:
- Supplemental award of up to $3,000
Deadline:
- October 10, 2024 at 11:59PM PST: For programs in inWinter or January term 2025, Spring 2025, Maymester 2025, Summer 2025, Fall 2025, and academic year 2025-2026 programs.
Overview:
The U.S. Department of State’s Gilman-McCain Scholarship provides awards for undergraduate child and spousal dependents of active or activated United States military personnel during the time of application (including Air Force, Air Force Reserve, Air National Guard, Army, Army National Guard, Army Reserve, Coast Guard, Coast Guard Reserve, Marine Corps, Marine Corps Reserve, Navy, Navy Reserve, Space Force, NOAA Commissioned Corps, and USPHS Commissioned Corps) to study or intern abroad on credit-bearing programs. Developed under the framework of the State Department’s Benjamin A. Gilman International Scholarship Program, the John S. McCain International Scholarship for Military Families (Gilman-McCain Scholarship) is open to eligible students enrolled at accredited U.S. colleges and universities who receive any type of Title IV federal financial aid.
Eligibility:
- Must be a U.S citizen and a current degree-seeking undergraduate UMD student
- Must be a dependent (child or spouse) of an active duty military member
- Must be a recipient of any type of Title IV federal financial aid
Award Amount:
- $5,000 to be used toward the cost of study abroad programs
Deadline:
- October 10, 2024 at 11:59PM PST: for programs starting between December 1, 2024 to October 31, 2025. This cycle encompasses Winter or January term 2025, Spring 2025, Maymester 2025, Summer 2025, Fall 2025, and academic year 2025-2026 programs.
Overview:
The Boren Scholarship program provides awards to American undergraduate students for study abroad in world regions critical to U.S. national security. These regions include Africa, Asia, Eastern Europe, Eurasia, Latin American & the Caribbean, and the Middle East. (The countries of Western Europe, Canada, Australia, and New Zealand are excluded.) The Boren program uses a broad definition of national security, including the traditional concerns of protecting and promoting American well-being as well as the challenges of global society, including: sustainable development, environmental degradation, global disease and hunger, population growth and migration, and economic competitiveness.
Eligibility:
- Must be a U.S citizen and a current degree-seeking undergraduate UMD student
- Planning to study a foreign language in an eligible world region
- Non-citizen of destination country
Award Amount:
- Up to $25,000 for an academic year of study abroad
- Up to $12,500 for an academic semester
- Up to $8,000 for summer study (STEM majors only)
Deadline:
- January 31st, 2024 at 5:00PM EST for 2024-25 year applicants
Study abroad is a special experience for every student who participates. Living and learning in a vastly different environment of another nation not only exposes our students to alternate views, but also adds an enriching social and cultural experience. It also provides our students with the opportunity to return home with a deeper understanding of their place in the world, encouraging them to be a contributor, rather than a spectator in the international community.
General Scholarships
Apply for scholarships available through regional and national organizations committed to expanding student access to study abroad.
These co-curricular scholarships provide financial assistance of $100-$500 to current Scholars and citation earners to support active learning, such as research projects, for-credit internships, service-learning or global learning experiences.
From Hostelling International (HI) - $2,000 awarded to students with a strong desire and motivation to experience other people and cultures through international travel (UMD students need to apply to the DC, Washington scholarship).
The mission of the Fund for Education Abroad (FEA) is to provide scholarships and ongoing support to students who are underrepresented among the U.S. study abroad population. FEA makes 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.
One online application leads to many opportunities. As an applicant to FEA, you are considered for all FEA scholarships you meet the criteria for, along with the FEA General Scholarships.
Deadline: Wednesday, September 18, 2024 at 12pm (noon) EST for the Spring 2025 application cycle.
Alpha Lambda Delta Honor Society offers 20 study abroad scholarships ranging from $1,000 to $2,000. ALD invests $30,000 annually to ensure chapter members studying abroad can have a life-changing experience.
$1,000 grants for undergraduates with a GPA of 3.75 or higher who seek knowledge and experience in their academic fields by studying abroad (Phi Kappa Phi membership not required). PKP awards 125 grants each year.
The Point Foundation awards funds to LGBTQ+ students for study abroad and other scholarly efforts.
The Tortuga Study Abroad Scholarship is awarded biannually to passionate students who want to explore the world. This $1000 award supports students who cannot afford to travel on a student budget.
Sponsored by Tortuga Backpacks, an organization co-founded by UMD alumni Fred Perotta and John Michael Cohen