Scholarships

There are dozens of study abroad scholarships and grants!

If you currently receive an academic scholarship or a scholarship from an outside source you will need to check with your scholarship advisor to determine if you can transfer that scholarship for study abroad.

If you plan to apply to any of the following scholarships or want to learn about more scholarship opportunities please contact the education abroad office at educationabroad@umbc.edu!

UMBC College of Arts, Humanities, and Social Sciences Dean’s Scholarship for Education Abroad
Dean Kimberly Moffitt has pledged to provide a study abroad scholarship to at least ONE student from every CAHSS department/program to ease the financial burden of this experiential activity, while also demonstrating our responsibility for educating our students to be active in the world they will soon lead.

  • Requirements: Must be a degree-seeking UMBC undergraduate or graduate student with at least one major in the College of Arts, Humanities, and Social Sciences; must meet all eligibility criteria to participate in UMBC study abroad programs; must have applied to study abroad through UMBC. Preference will be given to students with demonstrated financial need as well as to students applying for UMBC faculty-led or exchange programs.
  • Awards: Amounts vary but are typically between $2,500 – $5,000
  • Terms: Academic Year, Fall, Spring, Summer, Winter
  • Deadlines:
    • February 10: for upcoming Summer, Fall, Academic Year, Winter, and Spring programs. Winter and Spring applicants not selected may reapply in September.
    • September 10: for upcoming Winter, Spring, Summer, Fall, Academic Year. Summer, Fall, and Academic Year applicants not selected may reapply in February.

UMBC Education Abroad Access Endowment from the Class of 1970
The Education Abroad Access Endowment from the Class of 1970 provides scholarship support for education abroad.

  • Requirements: Must be a degree-seeking student; must meet all eligibility criteria to participate in UMBC study abroad programs; must have applied to study abroad through UMBC.
  • Awards: Amounts vary but are typically around $500
  • Terms: Academic Year, Fall, Spring, Summer, Winter
  • Deadlines: February 28

Benjamin A. Gilman Scholarship

  • Requirements: Must be current recipient of Pell Grant
  • Awards: $3,000-$5,000; student studying a critical language can receive up to an additional $3,000
  • Many study abroad providers provide matching grants
  • Terms: Academic Year, Fall, Spring, Summer, Winter
  • Deadlines: Early March and early October

Boren Scholarship

  • Requirements: Must engage in critical language study during study program outside of Western Europe, North America or Australia/New Zealand
  • Prefers longer (six months or longer) study programs
  • Awards: Summer: $8,000 (STEM majors only), semester $12,500, year: $25,000
  • Deadline: Early February
  • Fully funded language flagship opportunities for Indonesian, Hindi and Urdu, Turkish, and African Languages (including French)

Fund for Education Abroad

  • Requirement: Program must be longer than 4 weeks
  • Awards: $5,000 for a semester, $10,000 for Academic Year
  • Minimum of $1,250 for Summer (depends on the length of program)
  • Terms: Academic Year, Fall, Spring, Summer
  • Deadline: Mid January

Golden Key

  • Requirements: Golden Key membership
  • Awards: Up to $2,500
  • Terms: Academic Year, Fall
  • Deadline: Mid June

Critical Language Scholarship

  • Requirement: Sustained interest in study of a critical language
  • Awards: all costs of eight-week intensive summer language study program
  • Terms: Summer
  • Deadline: Mid November

Freeman Asia Scholarship

  • Requirement: Plan to study in East or Southeast Asia, minimum 2.8 GPA
  • $7,000 for academic Year, $5,000 for a semester and $3,000 for Summer
  • Terms: Academic Year, Fall, Spring, Summer
  • Deadline: March

Rainbow Scholarship

  • Requirements: U.S. citizen, permanent resident, or DACA student, currently enrolled as undergraduate, minimum 4 weeks of study in credit-bearing program, identify as LGBTQ+
  • Awards up to $10,000
  • Terms: Academic Year, Fall, Spring, Summer
  • Deadlines: Academic Year/Fall: Early January, Spring/Summer: Early September

Taith Programme Bursary for UMBC Exchange: Swansea University

Phi Kappa Phi Study Abroad Grant

  • Requirements:
    • Membership is NOT required but applicants must attend an institution with an active Phi Kappa Phi chapter (UMBC’s chapter).
    • Cumulative 3.75 GPA or higher (no rounding up)
    • You have applied to or been accepted into an accredited study abroad program before the session deadline and provide a letter of acceptance or a letter confirming your application, on official letterhead, as part of your application
  • $1,000 grant
  • Deadline: March 15

Other Creative Funding Options

 

Our affiliate partners also offer various scholarship opportunities for students. To see their respective scholarships and funding opportunities, visit the sites of the following affiliates: