Scholarships

There are many scholarships available for study abroad, and more are announced all the time. This page is intended to give you some resources for finding scholarships, but it is by no means exhaustive. You can find out more by getting in touch with our Business Office and by doing your own web searches.

Here are some helpful facts about scholarships:

• You should apply for as many scholarships as you can find, if you are eligible to apply for them
• Scholarships are not always based on your GPA, though many are
• Scholarships are not always based on financial need, though many are
• Some scholarships are extremely prestigious and competitive
• Some scholarships don't have enough applicants and are awarded to almost everyone who applies
• It is generally easier to find scholarships for semester or year-long programs, though some scholarships are available for summer programs
• There are scholarships that give priority to participants who belong to groups that have been underrepresented in study abroad
• Scholarships can be easier to find if you plan to study in a location other than Western Europe
• Some scholarships from the US government have an added amount if you are studying a "critical language"
• Some scholarships have service requirements after a recipient comes back to the US

Scholarship resources:

•         The Travel Grant for Study Abroad
• The International Affairs Business Office has information on many different NIU and outside scholarship sources.
• Clara Sperling Scholarship
• John and Lili LaTourette Scholarship
• Phi Kappa Phi
• The Institute for International Education offers several large scholarships, including the Fulbright Grant, the Freeman-Asia award, the NSEP David L. Boren Scholarship, and the Gilman Scholarship
• Studyabroadfunding.org
• NIU Scholarship Office
• Rotary International
• Local clubs in your home town, such as Rotary, Moose, Elks, etc.
• Your study-abroad provider's web site - if you are studying abroad with a provider, they usually have scholarships you can apply for
• Your major department may have scholarships you can apply for

For Fulbright Grants and Scholarships, you must work with NIU in order to apply. Please contact the Division of International Affairs if you are interested in learning more about these opportunities.