What it Is
The Benjamin A. Gilman International Scholarship Program is a program of the U.S. Department of State’s Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs with funding provided by the U.S. Government and supported in its implementation by the Institute of International Education (IIE).
Recipients are awarded up to $5000 (or $8000 including the Critical Need Language Award) to be used toward the cost of study abroad or international internship programs.
Eligibility Requirements
- U.S. Citizen
- Undergraduate student in good academic standing
- Federal Pell Grant recipient
- In the process of applying for, or accepted to, a credit-bearing study abroad or internship program in a country with an overall Travel Advisory of 1 or 2, according to the U.S. Department of State Travel Advisory System
Enhance Your Application
Students from underrepresented backgrounds including those with disabilities are encouraged to apply. Submit a successful application by following these key tips:
- Contact your campus study abroad advisory as early as possible to informt hem you are applying for the scholarship. They are a great resource!
- You may have to begin your Gilman application before you apply to your program.
- Submit your transcript with time to spare. Expediting a transcript of the last minute could get expensive.
- Take time to write and revise your essay.
- Hook the reader from the beginning with something that makes you unique.
- Have a trusted person review your essay for grammar and style.
- Demonstrate that you have researched your program by explaining how it relates to future goals, career plans and major.
- One of Gilman’s priorities is to enable more students from backgrounds that are underrepresented in study abroad to go overseas, so it can make your application more competitive to disclose if you are at a community college, the first of your family to go to college, a person of color, a person with a disability, studying STEM, from a rural background, etc.
Learn more about the Gilman Scholarship program including eligibility requirements, important deadlines and more.
This article is part of the AWAY Journal – Community College Issue.
