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.

Scholarships Available Through the Education Abroad Office
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 $1,000-$1,500 Penn State Global Education Abroad will guarantee a minimum $1,000 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 will automatically increase their Penn State Global guaranteed scholarship amount another $500, to a minimum of $1,500. 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.

 

Scholarships Available Through Various Colleges, Departments, and Commonwealth Campuses
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

 

Scholarships Available Through Study Abroad Providers and Exchange Partners
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

 

Scholarships Available Through External Sources
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