The Easy Guide to Study Abroad Scholarships
This guide should be used as a starting point when looking for scholarships and other financial aid to defray the costs of studying abroad. It is not, however, a comprehensive list of all available scholarships. Students are encouraged to search on their own for additional funding, and through the databases provided on our External Scholarship Databases webpage.
Some of the scholarships listed here are offered through the Education Abroad Office, while other scholarships listed are offered through specific colleges or departments at Penn State or other outside organizations
For more information, including full eligibility requirements and deadlines, follow the link provided for each scholarship.
| Award | Amount | Eligibility | Fall/Academic Year Deadline | Spring Deadline | Summer Deadline |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Education Abroad Student Access and Success Grant | $500-$2,000 | Penn State students on any approved Education Abroad program. No application required. Students are selected based on financial need and academic merit, as determined via LionPATH and/or education and program application/enrollment. | Varies | Varies | Varies |
| Federal Pell Grant & Gilman Scholarship Guarantee | $750-$1,200 | Guaranteed scholarship for every Federal Pell Grant recipient that is approved to study abroad through any Penn State-approved education abroad program. Federal Pell Grant recipients who submit a completed application for the national Gilman Scholarship Program & attend an info session will automatically increase their Penn State Global guaranteed scholarship amount. | Varies | Varies | Varies |
| Embedded Programs Scholarship | $500 or $1,000 | Penn State undergraduate & graduate students participating on officially recognized faculty-led embedded programs. No application is required. Students are selected based on their financial need and academic merit, with financial need being the primary determining factor. Preference may be given to students with no previous Penn State education abroad experience. To be considered, students should confirm their intent to travel with their course leader and enroll in the credit-bearing academic course(s) associated with the embedded course travel. | None | None | None |
| CIEE Guaranteed Discount | $500, $1,250, or $2,000 | Penn State undergraduate students on approved CIEE semester and summer programs; all Penn State students are guaranteed $500 for summer programs; $1,250 for 2-block Open Campus; $2,000 for fall/spring semester or 3-block Open Campus. There is no scholarship application for this automatic discount. Discount amounts listed here are valid for spring 2024, summer 2024, and fall 2024 terms only. | None | None | None |
| IES Abroad High-Impact Aid Commitment | $500-$7,000 | Penn State undergraduate students participating in Penn State-approved IES Abroad programs are guaranteed a scholarship if they have a FAFSA on file and submit the IES Abroad scholarship application on the IES Abroad website. | Varies | Varies | Varies |
| Education Abroad Africa & Latin America Grant-in-Aid | $500-$2,000 | Penn State undergraduate students on semester programs to Africa or Latin America. Apply online through your program application. | Mar. 1 | Sept. 10 | Feb 1 |
| Education Abroad Diversity Grant-in-Aid | $500-$2,000 | Penn State undergraduate students who are members of ethnic minority groups & students with documented disabilities. Apply online through your program application. | Mar. 1 | Sept. 10 | Feb 1. |
| Education Abroad Grant-In-Aid | $500-$2,000 | Penn State undergraduate students on semester programs, need-based, and merit. Apply online through your program application. | Mar. 1 | Sept. 10 | Feb 1. |
| Education Abroad Whole World Scholarship | $500, $1,000, or $2,000 | Penn State undergraduate students on semester programs in non-traditional locations. Apply online through your program application. | Mar. 1 | Sept. 10 | Feb 1. |
| Award | Amount | Eligibility | Fall/Academic Year Deadline | Spring Deadline | Summer Deadline |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| College of Agricultural Sciences International Programs Awards | Varies | Agricultural Sciences majors studying abroad. | Varies | Varies | Varies |
| College of Education - Erma M. Hefferan Scholarship | Varies | Education majors studying abroad. | Varies | Varies | Varies |
| College of Engineering International Travel Grant | $500-$5,000 | Engineering majors studying abroad. | Mar. 1 | Sept. 10 | Feb. 1 |
| College of Liberal Arts Student Enrichment Funds | Varies | Full-time Liberal Arts majors studying abroad. | Rolling | Rolling | Rolling |
| Bellisario College of Communications Scholarships | Varies | Communications majors studying abroad. | Varies | Varies | Varies |
| Eberly College of Science Travel Grant | Varies | Eberly Science majors studying abroad. | Mar. 1 | Sept. 10 | Feb. 1 |
| Penn State Behrend Scholarships | Varies | Penn State Behrend students studying abroad. | Varies | Varies | Varies |
| Penn State Harrisburg Scholarships | Up to $1,000 | Penn State Harrisburg students studying abroad. | Varies | Varies | Varies |
| Penn State International Affairs and Debate Association Scholarship | $500 | Penn State student studying abroad during any term. | May 10 | May 10 | May 10 |
| Penn State Student Engagement Network Grants | Up to $3,000 | Penn State undergraduate students studying abroad during any term. | Varies | Varies | Mid-March |
| Schreyer Ambassador Travel Grant | $250-$1,500 | Schreyer students studying abroad. | Sept. 1 | Nov. 1 | Apr. 1 |
| Smeal International Study Scholarship | Varies | Smeal students - preference given to students studying a foreign language. | Varies | Varies | N/A |
| Undergraduate Research and Fellowships Mentoring Office | Varies | Varies | Varies | Varies | Varies |
| Department of Classics and Ancient Mediterranean Studies | Varies | CAMS majors participating in CAMS-sponsored programs. | Varies | Varies | Varies |
| Award | Amount | Eligibility | Fall/Academic Year Deadline | Spring Deadline | Summer Deadline |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Arcadia University Scholarships | $250-$2,500 | Students participating on Arcadia programs; financial need. | Rolling | Rolling | Rolling |
| Big 10-SPA: Minnesota Scholarship | $1,000-$1,500 | Non-Minnesota students participating on a Penn State-approved Big 10-SPA program. | Apr. | Oct. | Mar. |
| CIEE (Council on International Educational Exchange) Scholarships | $500-$5,000 | Students participating on CIEE programs. | Apr. 1 | Nov. 1 | Apr. 1 |
| DIS Scholarships | Varies | Students participating on DIS programs. | Apr. 1 | Oct. 15 | Mar. 15 |
| IES Abroad Scholarships | Varies | Students participating on IES programs. | Varies | Varies | Varies |
| University of Leeds Santander Award | 500 GBP | Penn State students studying at the University of Leeds on semester exchange. | Aug. 31 | Dec. 15 | N/A |
| SFS (School for Field Studies) Scholarships | Varies | Students participating on SFS programs. | Varies | Varies | Varies |
| Award | Amount | Eligibility | Fall/Academic Year Deadline | Spring Deadline | Summer Deadline |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| beGirl.world Study Abroad Scholarship | $2,000 | This scholarship is for one black female-identifying college student who is enrolled at an accredited college or university in the United States of America, Puerto Rico, or the US Virgin Islands | April 23 | N/A | April 23 |
| Boren (NSEP) Scholarships for Study Abroad | Varies | United States citizens studying in Boren-identified non-traditional locations. | Dec. 1 | Dec. 1 | N/A |
| Bridging Scholarships for Study in Japan | $2,500-$4,000 | United States citizens/permanent residents studying in Japan. | Apr. | Oct. | N/A |
| Bruce Alan Ebersole Foundation Scholarship | $1,500 | Funding for a student's participation in a summer program focused on public policy or international relations. | N/A | N/A | Jan. 31 |
| BUTEX (British Universities Transatlantic Exchange Association) | 500 GBP | North American students studying in the United Kingdom. | May 31 | May 31 | N/A |
| Diversity Abroad Scholarships | Varies | Students in all fields of study who meet the required Diversity Criteria. | Nov. | N/A | Nov. |
| Freeman Awards for Study in Asia | Varies | Freeman-ASIA accepts applications from U.S. citizens or permanent residents studying at the undergraduate level at a two-year or four-year college or university who demonstrate financial need to study abroad in East or Southeast Asia. | Apr. 1 | Varies | Mar. 1 |
| Fund for Education Abroad (FEA) Scholarships | Up to $10,000 | Fund for Education Abroad awards "general" and "dedicated" scholarships for United States citizens and permanent residents. | Varies | Varies | Varies |
| German Academic Exchange Service (DAAD) Scholarship | Varies | Students studying abroad in Germany. | Varies | Varies | Varies |
| Generation Study Abroad Excellence and Travel Awards | Up to $2,000 | United States citizens or permanent residents who have a GPA of 3.0 or higher and plan to study abroad in New Zealand | Apr. 30 | Dec. 1 | N/A |
| Gilman International Scholarship Program | Up to $5,000 | United States citizens receiving Pell Grants; must be abroad at least three weeks. | Mar. | Oct. | Oct. for early deadline; otherwise Mar. |
| Gilman-McCain Scholarship for Children of Active Duty Military Personnel | Up to $5,000 | United States citizens who receive any type of federal financial aid; must be a dependent child of an active-duty military member(s) | Oct. | Oct. | Oct. for early deadline; otherwise Mar. |
| Golden Key National Honor Society Study Abroad Scholarships | $1,000 | Society members only. | Varies | Varies | Varies |
| Go Overseas New Zealand Scholarship | $15,000 | Students studying in New Zealand for a semester or academic year. No GPA requirement. | Mid-October | Mid-October | N/A |
| Honor Society of Phi Kappa Phi Study Abroad Support Grant | $1,000 | Open to members and non-members. | Apr. 1 | Apr. 1 | N/A |
| Huayu Enrichment Scholarship | $800/month | Students studying Mandarin in Taiwan. | Varies | Varies | Varies |
| Institute of International Education (IIE) | Varies | An online searchable database of many scholarship opportunities from various sources. | Varies | Varies | Varies |
| International Education Financial Aid | Varies | An online searchable database of many scholarship opportunities from various sources. | Varies | Varies | Varies |
| Masa Israel Grants & Scholarships | Varies | Applicants must be of Jewish descent, between the ages of 18 and 30, and show proof of acceptance to an Israeli university. Applicants must not have Israeli citizenship OR if you do, must have left Israel before the age of 14 and have lived outside of Israel for at least four consecutive years prior to receiving a grant. Other eligibility criteria may apply. | Varies | Varies | Varies |
| National Society of Collegiate Scholars Scholarships | Varies | Undergrad National Society of Collegiate Scholars members only. | Varies | Varies | Varies |
| Pennsylvania Council for International Education and The Asia Institute Global Education Scholarship | $1,000 | Students attending a university or college in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania seeking to participate in a global learning experience in Asia. | Mar. 1 | Mar. 1 | Mar. 1 |
| Rotary Foundation Grants | Varies | Varies | Varies | Varies | Varies |
| StudyAbroad.com | Varies | Online listing of dozens of scholarships from various sources. | Varies | Varies | Varies |
| Study Abroad Scholarships for Australia | Varies | Study abroad in Australia. | Varies | Varies | Varies |
