Scholarships

There are many scholarships, both need based and merit based, to help fund a study abroad experience. Students are encouraged to exhaust all possible resources in searching for study abroad scholarships and contact the Study Abroad Office for feedback before applying.

Steps to Applying for Scholarships

1. Review the Scholarship List for scholarships that fit your program location, academic focus, and time period.
2. Review Study Abroad Tips below for helpful information in searching for scholarships.
3. Determine scholarship eligibility requirements and deadlines. Remember scholarship deadlines are often earlier than study abroad application deadlines.
4. Before submitting scholarship application, students are encouraged to submit their FINAL draft personal statement or essay to their Study Abroad Advisor for feedback.
5. Don’t rely on scholarships alone. Review the Money Matters page for creative ways to finance your study abroad experience.
6. Study Abroad Work Study position — Students who receive Federal Work Study funds are encouraged to apply for the Online Journalist Position that allows them to earn money while abroad. The application is only available after students have been accepted into their program.

Study Abroad Scholarship Tips

• Many study abroad scholarships are country or region specific, in which case the less common destinations have more available scholarships (Germany, Ireland, Africa, and Asia for example).
• Study abroad scholarships are frequently "need-based." For example, any student who receives Federal Pell grant may apply for the Gilman study abroad scholarship.
• Scholarship deadlines are often earlier than application deadlines and competition can be intense.
• Review the Scholarships section for more detailed list of funding opportunities.
• Find out if your program provider or host university offers scholarships.
• Search for scholarships that are offered by independent sources, organizations, community groups, the government, etc. The following websites are a good starting point:
  • Institute of International Education
    Access to on-line applications for the Gilman scholarship, the Freeman-Asia scholarship, and much more! Also visit IIE's Study Abroad Funding website.
  • Diversity Abroad
    Scholarships for students of diverse and non-traditional backgrounds.
  • Fastweb
    Searchable database of over 600,000 scholarships.
  • International Service and Travel Center at the University of Minnesota
    Searchable database of scholarships — go to the "Funding & Scholarships" link.
  • FastAid
    Helpful guide on searching for scholarships.
  • Rotary Foundation
    Ambassadorial Scholarships available to students who have completed at least two years of university study.
  • Nerd Wallet
    NerdWallet provides a scholarship search tool for searching over 10,000 financial aid awards, including a page dedicated to Study Abroad Scholarships.

Undergraduate and Graduate Fellowships
Fellowships are prestigious funding awards that enable students to get the education and experience to pursue their dreams. Some fellowships provide funding for graduate school, some provide mentorship and work experience, some offer opportunities for overseas study or research. Many are a year in length, while some cover longer periods of two, three, or even four years. A few are shorter, a semester only, or even a summer. Almost all provide funding and/or stipends to cover your expenses for these opportunities.

Fellowships typically require a well-defined research project, a strong personal statement, and strong faculty recommendations. Many require on-campus screening, institutional nomination, and adherence to campus deadlines. It is not enough to have a strong GPA — students must have a clear plan and be sure that they fill the requirements of the fellowship.

Visit Drexel’s Fellowship Office website for more details and a searchable database of fellowships.

Also check out the Drexel Fellowships blog.