Study Abroad Scholarship

Purpose

The Learning Abroad Center’s Study Abroad Scholarship provides awards for University of Minnesota undergraduate students participating in credit-bearing programs. This scholarship is intended to:

• Assist students in easing the financial burden of studying abroad
• Grant students equal access to an opportunity for financial assistance

The Study Abroad Scholarship has the broadest eligibility requirements of all our scholarships. This scholarship is not need or merit-based, and awards are granted on the strength of a student’s essay.

Eligibility Requirements

• You must be enrolled as a degree-seeking undergraduate student on the Twin Cities or Rochester campuses at the time of application.
• You must be participating in a credit-bearing study abroad program through the Learning Abroad Center or Carlson Global Institute (this includes CGI's self-designed international experience, IBUS 3999).
• Nonaffiliated program or directed study are eligible only if you obtain the support and approval of your college.
• Virtual internship programs and National Student Exchange programs (except NSE Canada) are not eligible.
• You can only apply once per application cycle.  For example, a student participating in a winter break program and a spring semester program can apply for one of these terms but not both.
• If participating in an Academic Year or Calendar Year program, you can only apply for Academic Year or Calendar Year scholarship awards. For example, for Academic Year programs, you cannot apply for both the Fall and Spring cycles, only the Academic Year cycle. 
• You can apply for any or all of the Learning Abroad Center scholarships (Study Abroad, Diversity, and Financial Need) for which you are eligible. It is possible to be awarded both the Diversity and Financial Need scholarships. Students who receive the Diversity or Financial Need scholarships cannot also receive the Study Abroad scholarship. 
• Students who receive the President's Emerging Scholars Fund the Gap Scholarship are not eligible for this award. 
• Students can receive a maximum of 3 Learning Abroad Center scholarships (Study Abroad, Diversity, Financial Need) during their undergraduate career.
• Students are eligible to utilize this scholarship for a program offered during a term immediately following their graduation.
• Graduate students may complete an application and will only be considered for private donor scholarships for which they are eligible

Applications will be evaluated based on:

• How thoroughly you answer the specific question outlined below
• How well written your essay is, in terms of grammar, punctuation and organization

Essay Question

Reflect on how the program you chose relates to your academic, career, and/or personal goals. Why did you choose this particular program? Describe specific program features and elaborate on how these will help you meet one or more of your goals. (350 words maximum)

As you write your essay, consider the following:

• “Academic” goals do not need to be related to your major; we are looking for you to describe how the program coursework, model, and/or features are relevant to your goals.
• Regardless of what type of goals you are focusing on, explain how your goals enhance intellectual learning.

Deadlines & Award Amounts

Apply before for the deadline of the term abroad, found on the Dates section of the program page. Contact Nathan Jacobson if you have questions.

The application for your term abroad will become available after the current deadline has passed. For example, if you are studying abroad in spring, you cannot apply until after the deadline for fall programs.

Applications must be submitted by 11:59pm on the deadline date. Scholarship notification emails will be sent to all applicants' UMN email accounts 4-6 weeks after the deadline.

Submit your application:

Apply now for programs offered Fall Semester 2024 or Academic Year 2024-2025. Select the 'UMN' option on the login page and log in using your UofM internet ID.