The Benjamin A. Gilman International Scholarship Program offers grants for U.S. citizen undergraduate students of limited financial means to pursue academic studies abroad. Such international study is intended to better prepare U.S. students to assume significant roles in an increasingly global economy and interdependent world.
International experience is critically important in the educational and career development of American students, but it can also require a substantial financial investment. The Gilman Scholarship Program broadens the student population that studies abroad by supporting undergraduates who might not otherwise participate due to financial constraints. The program aims to encourage students to choose non-traditional study abroad destinations, especially those outside of Western Europe, Australia and New Zealand. The Gilman Scholarship Program aims to support students who have been traditionally under-represented in study abroad, including but not limited to, students with high financial need, community college students, students in under-represented fields such as the sciences and engineering, students with diverse ethnic backgrounds, and students with disabilities. The program seeks to assist students from a diverse range of public and private institutions from all 50 states, Washington, DC and Puerto Rico.
Award recipients are chosen by a competitive selection process and must use the award to defray eligible study abroad costs. These costs include program tuition, room and board, books, local transportation, insurance and international airfare.
This congressionally funded program is sponsored by the Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs at the U.S. Department of State and is administered by the Institute of International Education through its office in Houston, TX.
Specific Eligibility Criteria
The Benjamin A. Gilman International Scholarship Program is sponsored by the U.S. Department of State's Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs and is open to all U.S. citizen undergraduates, in good academic standing, who meet the criteria listed below:
- The applicant must be receiving a Federal Pell Grant or provide proof that he/she will be receiving a Pell Grant at the time of application or during the term of his/her study abroad.
- The applicant is applying to or has been accepted into a study abroad program or internship eligible for credit by the student's accredited institution of higher education in the U.S.
- The applicant is studying abroad for at least four weeks in one country. Programs going to more than one country are eligible if the student will be studying in one country for at least four consecutive weeks.
- The applicant is studying abroad in any country except Cuba or a country on the U.S. Department of State's current Travel Warning list.