I'm a US citizen considering studying abroad for college. Does anyone know of international scholarships available for American students? Personal experiences or advice on how to apply would be awesome!
Absolutely, there are indeed scholarships available for US citizens who want to study abroad! Here's a few you might want to consider, to start:
1. The Benjamin A. Gilman International Scholarship: It provides up to $5,000 (or up to $8,000 if you're studying a Critical Need Language) to students who are receiving a Federal Pell Grant at the time they apply, and who will be studying or interning abroad.
2. The Boren Awards: This scholarship, funded by the National Security Education Program, offers up to $25,000 to study abroad in areas of the world critical to U.S. interests.
3. The Fulbright U.S. Student Program: They offer a variety of grants for study/research projects or for English Teaching Assistant Programs. They're typically enough to cover round-trip transportation, room, board, and incidental costs.
The key for these applications is to showcase how the experience will contribute to your career and academic goals while reflecting on the significance of your proposed study in the larger global context. It's also crucial to meet all requirements for eligibility and complete the applications correctly and thoroughly.
Several foreign governments and universities also offer scholarships for international students, including Americans. For instance, options exist in Canada (e.g. the University of British Columbia International Leader of Tomorrow Award), Australia (e.g. the Australia Awards Scholarships), and Germany (e.g. DAAD Scholarships). You'll need to research each country individually to see what might be available.
Your university's study abroad office is a good resource for finding scholarships as well, and you can sometimes find country-specific scholarship databases from U.S. Department of State’s Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs. Remember to start your search early, as deadlines can be quite early for the following academic year. Many of these scholarships can be competitive, so make sure to submit a well-prepared application!
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