St. Olaf Scholarship for Study Abroad/Away
All St. Olaf students who apply and confirm their participation in a Smith Center program will be automatically considered for a St. Olaf scholarship award. There is no separate application. Awards vary from $500 to $5000+. The average scholarship award is about $2,000 for a semester program. Students with financial need may consult their financial aid counselor about the strength of their candidacy for a scholarship in advance of applying for a program.
Administered by: St. Olaf College
Number of awards: Varies
Duration: Semester; Year; January Term
Purpose: To assist students with funding of St. Olaf semester, yearlong, and January Term programs
Fields of study: All
Eligibility: St. Olaf students on Smith Center programs are automatically considered
Awards based on: Financial need
Award amount: $500-$5,000+
Externally Sponsored Scholarships
Boren Awards for International Study
Administered by: U.S. Department of Defense
Study locations: Africa, Asia, Eastern/Central Europe, Central/South America, Middle East. Excludes: Western Europe and Australia
Purpose: Increase undergraduates for study in world regions critical to U.S. national security.
Eligibility: Must be U.S. Citizen and studying in: Tanzania, China, Japan, Korea, Hungary, Russia, India, Mexico, Turkey, Egypt, Argentina, South Africa, or Chile. Must study language of the country during the entire program. Must complete study before graduation.
Award based on: Merit; academic record; commitment to international education; language interest; relevance to NSEP program
Award amount: Up to $12,500 for a semester; up to $25,000 for yearlong
Procedure: Complete application including transcript, recommendations, financial information, two-part essay and formal interview
Application deadline: see Boren Awards website for the most up-to-date information. Typically late January. The 2025-2026 application will open in mid-August 2024.
Award commitment: Awardees agree to seek employment with an agency of the federal government agency involved with national security affairs for the same amount of time of their scholarship.
Contact for information: Dr. Doug Casson (casson@stolaf.edu | 507-786-3484), Professor of Political Science and Advisor for Nationally Competitive Fellowships;Application: http://www.borenawards.org/
Freeman – Asia
Hear from Freeman Asia scholarship recipient Olivia Heinen ’23:
Administered by: The Institute of International Education (IIE)
Study locations: Undergraduate Study in East and Southeast Asia: Cambodia, China, Hong Kong, Indonesia, Japan, Korea, Laos, Macao, Malaysia, Mongolia, Philippines, Singapore, Taiwan, Thailand, Vietnam. A multi-country program is eligible only if the applicant will spend at least 8 weeks in one of the countries stated above and will have intensive language study during that period.
Purpose: The Freeman-ASIA program is designed to support U.S.-based undergraduates with demonstrated financial need who are planning to study abroad in East or Southeast Asia. The program’s goal is to increase the number of U.S. citizens and permanent residents with first-hand exposure to and understanding of Asia and its peoples and cultures.
Eligibility: There are a number of eligibility requirements, all of which can be found here. Notably, applicants must be a US citizen or permanent resident with demonstrated financial need who plan to study abroad in one of 15 countries.
Award based on: application and financial need
Award amount: up to $7,000
Procedure: application instructions can be found here.
Application deadline: see website. Note there is one deadline for all academic terms within an eligible application year. Please be aware that student applications and adviser certification share the same deadline. Submissions must be received by 5:00pm Eastern Time on the day of the deadline.
Award commitment: Award recipients are required to share their experiences with their home campuses or communities to encourage study abroad by others and fulfill the program’s goal of increasing understanding of Asia in the United States.
Contact for information: Heather Campbell, Education Dept.
Application: can be found here.
Vincent L. Hawkinson Foundation for Peace/Justice Scholarship
**will be coming back in 2025/2026
Administered by: Vincent L. Hawkinson Foundation (c/o Grace University Lutheran Church)
Eligibility: Must be a resident or student in MN, IA, WI, ND or SD
Awards based on: Awarded to students who have demonstrated a commitment to peace and justice through study, internships or projects.
Award amount: $1,000 – $5,000
Procedure: Fill out application, including demonstrating how using the scholarship for study, a project, or an internship will deepen their commitment to peace and justice and promote peace and justice for others. Interview required.
Application deadline: TBA
Contact for application:
https://hawkinsonfoundation.org/what-we-do/hawkinson-scholarship/
Lund Fund Scholarship
Administered by: Sons of Norway Foundation
Study locations: All
Eligibility: Must be a current Sons of Norway member or a child or grandchild of a current member. Special consideration is given to military veterans
Award based on: Academic record, letters of recommendation, financial need, school and community involvement, and a 500-word essay
Award amount: Up to $2,500
Procedure: Complete application including two recommendations and a 500-word essay
Application deadline: can be found when clicking “View Full List of Scholarships”
Application: can be found here.
Critical Language Scholarship Program
Administered by: US State Dept.
Study locations: For the study of Arabic, Azerbaijani, Bangla, Chinese, Hindi, Indonesian, Japanese, Korean, Persian, Punjabi, Russian, Turkish, and Urdu
Eligibility: Must be a US citizen
Award based on: Letters of recommendation and application
Award amount: Scholarship covers all costs, including room and board and airfare
Procedure: Complete application and submit two recommendations
Application deadline: Check website. Typically mid-november at 8:00pm EST
Application: can be found here.
Fund for Education Abroad (FEA) Scholarships
* Includes nine different scholarship opportunities (including one specifically for students at Minnesota universities/colleges and one for LGBTQI students)
Administered by: FEA
Number of awards: varies by scholarship
Duration: varies by scholarship
Purpose: varies by scholarship
Fields of study: varies by scholarship
Eligibility: A U.S. citizen, permanent resident, or DACA recipient; Currently enrolled as an undergraduate at a U.S. college or university; Receiving college credit from their home institution; and Studying abroad for at least four weeks (28 days).
Award amounts: varies by scholarship
Procedure: 1) An online application form; 2) Financial aid form; 3) Unofficial transcript upload; 4) Letter of recommendation
Application deadline: opens in November for Summer, Fall, and Academic Year programs, and in July for Spring programs.
Check website. Application materials include the online application form, financial aid form, unofficial transcript upload, and letter of recommendation.
Award commitment: varies by scholarship
Benjamin A. Gilman Undergraduate Study Abroad
Sponsored by: Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs of US Dept of State
Administered by: Institute for International Education (IIE)
Number of awards: Approximately 800
Duration: Semester; Year; January Term; Summer
Study locations: All
Purpose: To increase the number of U.S. students who can study abroad; To provide financial assistance and reduce barriers to study abroad for students receiving federal need-based financial aid under Title IV.
Fields of study: All
Eligibility:
– Be a citizen or national of the United States (Permanent Residents of the United States are not eligible);
– Be an undergraduate student in good standing;
– Must be receiving 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 or internship;
-In the process of applying to, or accepted for, a study abroad or internship program of at least two weeks for community college students and three weeks for students from four-year institutions, eligible for credit from the student’s home institution. Multi-country/area programs are allowed. Proof of program acceptance is required prior to award disbursement;
-Cannot study in a country which is currently under at Travel Advisory of level 3 or Level 4 as issued by United States Department of State.
Award based on: Diversity of Applicant, Statement of Purpose Essay, Follow on Project Proposal, Academic Progress and Performance, Fields of Study, Country of Destination, U.S. Institution and State Distribution, Length of Study (preference for yearlong), lack of previous undergraduate experience abroad
Award amount: up to $5,000.00 (and additional $3,000 is available for those who will taking Arabic, Azerbaijani, Bahasa Indonesian, Bangala, Mandarin Chinese, Hebrew, Hindi, Japanese, Korean, Persian, Portuguese, Punjabi, Russian, Swahili, Turkish, or Urdu (Subject to change. See Gilman website for more info about Critical Need Language Awards.)
Procedure: Complete on-line application including financial need information and official transcript, and meet with Stephen Lindley in Financial Aid and Brittan Duffing in International and Off-Campus Studies
Application deadline: Check website for specifics. March or October depending on program.
Notification date: Check application website
Award commitment: Follow on project to promote and increase awareness of the Gilman Scholarship, study abroad and international education
Contact for application: contact information can be found here.
Submit application to: Online at Gilman Scholarship
Going Abroad Scholarship
formerly known as Scott’s Cheap Flights
Sponsored by: Going
Administered by: Going
Number of awards: 4 scholarships per year (2 in the spring, 2 in the fall)
Duration: Semester; Year; Summer
Study locations: All
Purpose: Many of the Going team members had their first international travel experience when they studied abroad. We’d like to give others this same opportunity.
Fields of study: All
Eligibility:
– Be a U.S. citizen or resident of the United States;
– enrolled full-time at an accredited institution of higher learning in the US;
– planning to study abroad within the next year;
Award based on: a three- to four-minute video essay about why travel is important to you.
Award amount: $1,500
Procedure: Complete the online application with a video essay.
Application deadline: visit the scholarship home page for deadlines. Typically two deadlines: one in March & October.
Notification date: visit the scholarship home page for deadlines
Award commitment: N/A
Submit application to: https://www.going.com/scholarship