There are many scholarships available to help fund your study abroad. We’re here to help break down your search into six navigable categories. We suggest searching and applying for scholarships a year ahead of your intended departure date. Even if you have not yet applied to a program, bookmarking scholarships will save you a lot of time later. Some scholarships, like the Gilman Scholarship available to Pell-eligible students, does not require you to be accepted to a program in order to apply.
You can utilize the Writing Center to help you write personal statements and scholarship applications.
If you have questions about your Financial Aid package, contact the Office of Student Financial Aid (OSFA). OSFA can advise you on your specific funding situation, while we can provide information on disbursement dates, fees, and other standardized information related to study abroad.
The UW Study Abroad Scholarship
How to apply
You will be automatically considered for a UW Study Abroad scholarship if you answer “yes” in the Scholarship Eligibility questionnaire in your study abroad application. We will notify you via UW email if you are selected for a Scholarship (see the awarding and notification schedule below). You must also apply for Financial Aid in order to be considered, no matter what your situation is. We use it to determine how much funding you can receive, so apply for aid every year.
Eligibility
- Undergraduate Washington state residents with the greatest financial need are given priority for UW Study Abroad scholarships.
- You must have a FAFSA or WASFA on file with the UW Office of Financial Aid to demonstrate financial need.
- Many Pell grant eligible students receive a UW Study Abroad scholarship, but it’s not guaranteed.
* If you completed your application after the program deadline, you will be considered for a scholarship in the following awarding cycle.
Important points
- Each time you are accepted to a study abroad program, you will be considered for a scholarship from our office.
- That scholarship can only be used for that particular program.
- If you have been accepted to more than one program and were offered more than one scholarship, you can choose which program to apply the scholarship towards.
- You may only receive one UW Study Abroad scholarship during your time at the UW. This is important to consider if you plan to participate in more than one study abroad program while at the UW (for example, if you participate in a two week program during Spring Break freshman year, then a full quarter program in your junior year). Plan for the most likely scenario!
Award Amounts
Standard awards based on length of program:
- Up to $2,500 for programs lasting 1 quarter or less
- Up to $4,000 for programs lasting longer than 1 quarter
- Awards may be less than the amounts above if the program is highly subsidized OR if your financial need is otherwise met.
Awarding and Notification Schedule
| Awarding cycle | Date on which you are accepted to a program | Scholarship notification date |
| Autumn A | June 13 – September 13 | September 24 |
| Autumn B | September 14 – November 13 | November 24 |
| Autumn C | November 14 – November 27 | December 9 |
| Winter A | November 28 – February 15 | February 25 |
| Winter B | February 16 – February 27 | March 12 |
| Winter C | February 28 – March 13 | March 25 |
| Spring A | March 14 – April 13 | April 26 |
| Spring B | April 14 – May 27 | June 5 |
| Summer A | May 28 – June 12 | June 24 |
Disbursement
Scholarships typically disburse the week before the quarter in which your program departs. Please note the following exceptions:
- Early Fall – disbursed the week before the start of autumn quarter
- Spring Break (W) – disbursed the week before the start of winter quarter
- Spring Break (Sp) – disbursed the week before the start of spring quarter
Be sure to complete all of your pre-departure requirements by the enrollment deadline and take care of any holds on your student account to ensure smooth disbursement.
COVID Deferrals
- Students who received the UW Study Abroad Scholarship for programs canceled between spring 2020 and spring 2022 can defer their awards to a future term until they graduate, or through the end of 2025 (whichever comes first).
- Students who were awarded the Chang Scholarship over that same period can defer their awards to a future term so long as they are still undergraduates at the time they go abroad.
Other Scholarships
50th Reunion Student Assistance Fund
$1,000 of financial assistance to students who may not qualify for need-based aid but for whom attending the UW poses significant financial challenges.
Benjamin A. Gilman Scholarship
Provides up to $8,000 for undergraduate study abroad. Open to all majors. Must receive a federal Pell grant through the Office of Student Financial Aid to apply.
These fellowships are intended to provide an intensive solo travel experience and to expand personal horizons. Must be a senior standing and have a 3.55 GPA if not in the UW Honors program. The fellowship is not for research projects, formal study at a foreign university, or internships abroad.
Scholarships and fellowships focused on geographic areas, languages and fields of study that are critical to U.S. interests and underrepresented in study abroad.
Carnegie Endowment Gaither Junior Fellowship
Work as a research assistant to the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace’s senior associates.
Critical Language Scholarships
Provides fully funded group-based intensive language instruction and structured cultural enrichment experiences for 7-10 weeks for undergraduate, graduate and PhD students.
Provides internships and other professional development opportunities for students to increase global understanding and collaboration abroad.
DAAD Research in Science and Engineering (RISE)
A summer research internship in Germany for undergraduate students in the fields of biology, earth sciences, chemistry, physics, and engineering.
Scholarships of $1,500 for students who graduated from a high school in WA and who have financial need. Open to undergraduate and graduate students.
Supports U.S. undergraduates with financial need studying in East or Southeast Asia. Awards up to $3,000 for summer, $5,000 for semester and $7,000 for year-long programs. Deadlines vary depending on the academic term of study.
FLAS Fellowships support U.S. citizens or permanent resident undergraduate, graduate and professional students in acquiring modern foreign languages. Open to all UW departments.
For research, graduate study, or teaching English abroad in one of over 160 countries.
$30,000 awarded to college juniors who are preparing for careers in public service, to be used for graduate school.
This fellowship brings together groups of students and recent graduates to explore national histories of discrimination and resistance, as well as examples of issues affecting different minority groups.
Provides stipends, language training, individualized specialized placement for college seniors, graduate students and young professionals who have limited exposure to Asia.
Scholarships for continuing UW students who need financial assistance to assist with their progress toward a degree at the UW.
Mortar Board Alumni/Tolo Foundation Scholarships
Recognizes sophomores, juniors, seniors and graduate students based on distinguished achievement in scholarship, leadership and service to the community.
Public Policy and International Affairs Program (PPIA)
A junior summer institute that supports students in achieving a Masters or joint degree in public policy, public administration, international affairs or related field.
Samuel Huntington Public Service Award
$30,000 awards for graduating college seniors to pursue public service.
Provides generous financial support for undergraduate, graduate and PhD students participating in study abroad in Denmark.
Thomas R. Pickering Foreign Affairs Fellowship & Charles B. Rangel International Affairs Fellowship
Both programs provide undergraduate and graduate students with financial support, mentoring and professional development to prepare them academically and professionally for a career in the U.S. Department of State Foreign Service. Women, members of minority groups historically underrepresented in the Foreign Service, and students with financial need are encouraged to apply.
UW Class of 1954 Endowed Scholarship & UW Class of 1957 Scholar Award
These scholarships provide up to $1500 to current undergraduate students based on their academic merit and financial need.
UW Class of 1962 Endowed Scholarship
Provides funding to support UW undergraduates who do not qualify for most forms of financial need. Open to all majors.
Washington State Opportunity Scholarship
Up to $22,500 for Washington state residents interested in pursuing STEM or health-care related fields. Must have earned less than 90 college credits to apply.
Washington Women in Need Scholarship
This scholarship seeks to remove financial barriers to low-income students seeking higher education.
Financial Aid scholarships work the same as UW Study Abroad Scholarships – you need to apply for financial aid and will be automatically considered. These can be either need-based or merit-based. Don’t be deterred by the “priority deadline” – you can apply for FAFSA/WASFA year-round, but the amount of wait times to hear back will vary greatly after the priority deadline. So apply as soon as you can!
This office exists to help you search and apply for scholarships. Take advantage of their scholarship search tools and resources, especially the scholarship guides, which includes a targeted list of study abroad scholarships. They can provide valuable feedback for personal statements, essays, and other tasks necessary for scholarship applications. You can also use their Scholarships Database and widen your search with more search tools. If you are Pell-eligible, consider applying for the Gilman Scholarship. Visit OMSFA’s website to start getting acquainted with their resources, events, and advisors.
Check your department’s website or ask your academic advisor if your department has any scholarships specifically for students in your major. Often, they are not posted publicly, so it’s worth asking around.
Some of these scholarships are listed in the OMSFA Scholarship Database.
This category includes scholarships from trusted partners at CET, CIEE, DIS, IES, SIT, and SFS. Here are some detailed highlights on some of our partner program scholarships:
CET
CET awards over $100,000 in scholarships every year. UW students receive an automatic scholarship of $1,000 for all semester-long programs.
CIEE
CIEE has created guaranteed discounts exclusively for UW students:
- $500 discount on any one block (1) Open Campus Program
- $1,000 discount on any two block (2) Open Campus Program
- $2,000 discount on any three block (3) Open Campus Program or traditional semester program
- $500 discount on any CIEE summer program
In addition to that, CIEE also has several merit and need based scholarships available.
IES
IES offers a variety of scholarships in addition to an automatic $2,000 scholarship for semester-long programs for all UW students. Additionally, UW students are eligible and highly encouraged to apply for additional funding from IES Abroad: including over 3 million dollars in need-based, diversity, and donor-funded scholarships awarded each year.
SIT
SIT offers a targeted scholarship to UW students participating in summer and semester-long SIT programs. In addition, SIT offers a broad range of scholarships and grants, including our award-winning Pell Grant Match. Semester scholarship awards generally range from $500 to $5,000, and summer awards typically range from $500 to $3,000.
Remember to report any scholarships you are awarded to the Financial Aid office.
Any scholarships with no relationship to the UW falls into this category. When searching for non-UW scholarships, consider narrowing your search by the factors of your situation. For example, you might search for scholarships particular to language study, countries, regions, for first-gen college students, school year (freshman, junior, etc.), your major, and so on. List these potential factors in a document and start saving links to scholarships for each type of category to help organize your search process.
If you are awarded a non-UW scholarship, you should report it to Financial Aid as soon as possible.