Tips on Obtaining a Study Abroad Scholarship

By Taylor Hicks

Obtaining a study abroad scholarship is not as hard as many people think. There is a plethora of organizations that support student efforts to go abroad, so feel in good hands if you're one of the thousands of students seeking financial assistance. There are three basic ways to obtain study abroad scholarships, as outlined below.

1. Through your college or university

Most colleges and universities have study abroad departments that exist solely to get you, the student, abroad. Look in your handbook or on your college Web site for more information about the location and services offered at your school's study abroad department.

Many times colleges will offer work-study options for students wishing to study abroad. These options will help you get abroad and will require that you only commit a few hours a week, maximum, towards the study abroad program. You may have to serve as a communications liaison between study abroad advisors and study abroad college students or you may have to even plan some events for the students on your program. Either way you go, study abroad scholarships through your university are designed to make studying abroad in college easy and enjoyable for all participants.

2. Through a private organization

Schedule an appointment to meet with a study abroad advisor. He or she can help you find study abroad college scholarships that you qualify for, based on age, GPA, race or other considerations. Once you have found a handful of scholarship potentials, then spend a few afternoons filling out applications and writing essays for these scholarships.

Visit your local library or bookstore to spend a few afternoons flipping through study abroad college scholarship books in the resource section. Some of these scholarship books are as large as a telephone books and are full of valuable information about study abroad scholarship opportunities. The more scholarships you apply to in these books, the more chances you will have of actually obtaining some sort of funding assistance, so dedicate some quality time towards finding the money.

3. Through a study abroad program

many study abroad programs, such as SIT, CIT and CEA offer a wealth of study abroad scholarships for students that qualify. SIT boasts a record of awarding 1/3 of all scholarship applicants with a study abroad scholarship. Consult your particular study abroad program for more information on study abroad scholarship opportunities.

Don't give up your dream of studying abroad due to insufficient funds. There are ample funds available, but it may take research and time to uncover and apply for study abroad scholarships. The Internet is an easy and efficient way to begin your search, but chances are, you will have to contact many programs or schools directly.

Note: Many schools and organizations also offer study abroad grants, so don’t limit your search to mere scholarships. Especially if you are searching for funding assistance online, be sure to include all applicable or possible keywords, such as “study abroad scholarship grant loan.” Good luck and keep to the search!