Benjamin A. Gilman International Scholarship Program

• must be receiving a Federal Pell Grant funding during the time of application or provide proof that they will be receiving a Pell Grant during the term of their study abroad program/internship;
• must be an undergraduate student in good standing at an accredited institution of higher education in the United States (including both two-year and four-year institutions);
• must be in the process of applying to, or accepted to, a credit-bearing study abroad or internship program, or a virtual international program. Virtual programs and internships will be eligible until April 30. Proof of program acceptance is required prior to award disbursement;
• must be applying for credit-bearing study abroad programs in a country or area with an overall Travel Advisory Level 1 or 2, according to the U.S. Department of State’s Travel Advisory System. However, certain locations within these countries or areas may be designated within the Travel Advisory as either “Do not travel to” (Level 4) or “Reconsider travel to” (Level 3) locations, as such; students will not be allowed to travel to these specific locations.

Purposes: to enable undergraduate students of limited financial means to study or intern abroad, thereby gaining skills critical to U.S.A.’s national security and economic competitiveness

Programmes: Bachelor and Master PhD studies (two-year or four-year) in various fields, whereby languages studies are encouraged, especially Critical Need Languages (those deemed important to national security)

• The U.S. Department of State’s Benjamin A. Gilman International Scholarship is a grant program that enables students of limited financial means to study or intern abroad (two-or four-year).
• Award recipients are chosen by a competitive selection process and must use the award to defray eligible study or intern abroad costs, which include program tuition, room and board, books, local transportation, insurance, international airfare, passport and visa fees. You can learn more here.
• Nearly 3,000 scholarships of up to $5,000 will be awarded in academic year 2021/2022.
• Applicants who are studying a Critical Need Language while abroad can apply for a supplemental award of up to $3,000, for a combined total of $8,000. The Critical Need Language Award is competitive and offered to a limited number of Gilman scholars each year. Not all students who are studying these languages will receive $8,000. In addition to receiving additional funds for language study, students who are awarded the Critical Need Language Award and complete their Gilman Scholarship requirements will be offered the opportunity to take the ACTFL Oral Proficiency Interview (OPI). This test and the results will serve as both an evaluation measure of the award and as a credential for the award recipient.

This is a congressionally funded program of the Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs at the U.S. Department of State and named after the late congressman Benjamin A. Gilman from New York. With his support, the program was established by the International Academic Opportunity Act of 2000. Shortly thereafter in 2002, Congressman Gilman retired after serving in the House of Representatives for 30 years and chairing the House Foreign Relations Committee.

The Institute of International Education has administered the program since its inception in 2001

Available positions: Nearly 3,000 scholarships will be awarded in academic year 2021/2022.

The March application will open in mid-January for applicants whose in-person programs or internships start between May 1 to April 30.

The application deadline is March 1, and the advisor certification deadline is March 8.

To apply for the Gilman International Scholarship, please submit an application through the Gilman Online Application System.

Applicants who are studying a Critical Need Language while abroad can apply for a supplemental award of up to $3,000, for a combined total of $8,000.