External Scholarships

Main Content

In addition to SIU scholarships and grants noted in the Using Financial Aid section, there are a number of external funding sources which are specifically for study abroad or which may be used for that purpose. See the section on scholarship databases after the listing of major scholarships.

Individual Scholarships and Grants

Benjamin A. Gilman International Scholarship Students must receive a Pell Grant, and must spend at least 4 weeks in one country. Must be studying in a country that is not currently under the U.S. State Department Travel Warning list or in Cuba. Awards are given for Semester and Summer programs. For more information, visit www.iie.org/gilman or contact gilman@iie.org.

Bridging Scholarship for Study in Japan Scholarship open to students studying in Japan for one semester or an academic year. For more information, visit www.aatj.org/studyabroad/scholarships. 

BUTEX North American Scholarships Open to all undergraduate students currently enrolled at an institution in the USA who have been offered a study abroad or exchange placement at a UK university which is BUTEX affiliated. Your study abroad or exchange placement must be for the current academic year and for a minimum of one semester. For more information, visit the BUTEX website.

CIEE Global Access Initiative for Study Abroad (GAIN) Scholarships are available to students who are economically challenged, are pursuing intensive international experiences, or are otherwise limited by their major or student activities. Grants and scholarships will be awarded for CIEE programs, and also to students who are selected as awardees by the highly respected Benjamin A. Gilman and David L. Boren Scholarship programs.  For more information visit: www.ciee.org/gain.

DAAD (German Academic Exchange Service) Provides funding for study abroad in Germany to over 50,000 individuals per year. For more information, visit www.daad.org.

Diversity Abroad Scholarships Scholarships available through this site are for semester and summer terms and are associated with many programs with which SIU works. Economically disadvantaged students, African-American, Asian-American, Hispanic/Latino and Native-American students are strongly encouraged to apply. For more information, visit www.diversityabroad.com/scholarships.

Fund for Education Abroad The Fund for Education Abroad (FEA) is committed to increasing the opportunities for dedicated American students to participate in high-quality, rigorous education abroad programs by reducing financial restrictions through the provision of grants and scholarships. Applicants must plan to study abroad for a minimum of 4 weeks. fundforeducationabroad.org/.

The Honor Society of Phi Kappa Phi Study Abroad Grant Phi Kappa Phi grants are meant to help undergraduate students as they gain experience and professional development in their field of study when they study abroad. https://www.phikappaphi.org/grants-awards/undergraduate-students/study-abroad#.W_R7x-hKjcs.

New Zealand Government Scholarships Awards granted by the New Zealand government or universities. https://www.mfat.govt.nz/en/aid-and-development/new-zealand-government-scholarships/.

NSEP Boren Scholarship Students must study in a non-traditional location (Africa, Asia, Central/Eastern Europe, Latin America, and the Middle East). Emphasis is placed on non-traditional language study. For more information contact Sarah Ann Hones at shones@wsu.edu and visit www.borenawards.org.

ThinkSwiss Research Scholarships This scholarship program supports highly motivated and qualified U.S. undergraduate and graduate students to do research at a public Swiss university or research institute for 2 to 3 months. The scholarship is open to students of all fields. For more information, visit https://thinkswiss.tumblr.com/About. 

SIU Major Scholarships Advisement Office See for a select listing of nationally competitive scholarships, including those for overseas study as well as advice on preparing applications, majorscholarships.siu.edu.

Affiliate Scholarships and Grants
Many of the organizations and institutions that we work with also offer scholarships and grants. This will be listed in our web brochure if it is for a specific program. Otherwise, see their individual funding links for AIFS, CEA, CIEE, GlobaLinks, ISEP, and ISA.

Study Abroad Funding Databases

General Funding Databases
(not specifically for study abroad)

  • The Financial Aid Page - links to scholarship searches and comprehensive listing of financial aid information.
  • The Student Guide - Department of Education publishes a guide each year on the eligibility requirements on various federal aid programs.
  • Fast Web - This service provides a free customized list of financial aid sources including private sector scholarships, fellowships, grants, and loans.