Any hesitation about studying abroad is typically related to the
cost. However, what most students don't know is that they can actually apply
their current on-campus financial aid package to their study abroad trip in
addition to scholarships. In fact, for some students, particularly those who
pay out-of-state-tuition, studying abroad can sometimes be cheaper than a
traditional on-campus semester.
A study abroad scholarship is a monetary award for students to
use toward the expenses of their program such as travel, course, credits, books
and lodging. Students must apply for scholarships and some can be very
competitive while others are underutilized. There are several types of study
abroad scholarships to apply for such as:
Merit-based: These
awards are based on a student's academic, artistic, athletic or other
abilities, and often factor in an applicant's extracurricular activities and
community service record. It's important to note that qualifications will vary
based on the particular scholarship.
Student-specific: These
are scholarships for applicants who initially qualify based on factors such as
gender, race, religion, family and medical history, or many other
student-specific factors. Minority scholarships are the most common awards in
this category, but qualifications will vary based on the particular
scholarship.
Destination-specific: These
are scholarships awarded by a country to students planning to pursue a study
abroad program in that particular country. They are awarded as an incentive to
study in that country instead of elsewhere. Check with government-sponsored travel
websites of the country where you wish to study to see what scholarships are
available.
Program-specific: Program-specific
scholarships are offered by individual study abroad programs and/or the
colleges and universities where they may be associated to qualified applicants.
These scholarship are often given on the basis of academic and personal
achievement, but qualifications will vary based on the particular scholarship.
Check with your study abroad program and university to see what scholarships are
available.
Subject-specific:Subject-specific
scholarships are awarded by study abroad programs or institutions to students
based on their particular major or field of study. These scholarships may
require the recipients to enroll in subject-specific courses while abroad or
conduct subject-specific research while abroad, but it's important to note that
qualifications will vary based on each scholarship.