Outside Scholarships
Outside Scholarships
We strongly encourage all students to apply for scholarships from other sources. Students applying for Laurel Fellowships are expected to apply for aid from their program (if available) and for the Benjamin A. Gilman Scholarships for Undergraduate Study Abroad (if eligible). If a student is awarded a Laurel Fellowship, an outside award will reduce their family contribution after replacing the work study allowance (which can be taken out as loan) and need-based federal/MHC Global loans.
Program Scholarships/Financial Aid
Many Mount Holyoke students have received merit- and need-based scholarships from their study abroad programs, including several of the ones listed below. Awards typically range from a few hundred to a few thousand dollars. For a student who has been awarded a Laurel Fellowship, a program scholarship will first replace the student employment component of their financial aid package for study abroad, then federal student loans/MHC Global loans and then a student's family contribution dollar for dollar.
Note that this list includes some organizations and universities that sponsor programs in multiple locations; check the list of approved programs to see which of those locations Mount Holyoke approves for credit.
AMIDEAST Education Abroad Programs (MHC-approved programs include Jordan and Morocco)
Arcadia University Center for Education Abroad (MHC-approved programs include locations in Australia, Greece, Ireland, New Zealand, and the UK)
Ben-Gurion University, Beer-Sheva, Israel
Boston University (MHC approves the BU program in Padua, Italy)
CET (MHC-approved programs include locations in Brazil China, Czech Republic, Jordan, Italy and Taiwan)
CIEE (MHC-approved programs include locations around the world).
DIS Copenhagen & Stockholm
IES (MHC students are eligible to apply for Donor Funded Scholarships only; MHC-approved programs include locations in Austria, China, Germany, Ireland, Italy, Japan, the Netherlands, and Spain)
IFSA (MHC-approved programs include locations in Argentina, Australia, Chile, Cuba, England, India, Ireland, Mexico, New Zealand, Northern Ireland, and Scotland)
Intercollegiate Center for Classical Studies (ICCS), Rome
Queen's University Belfast Normal Houston Award Belfast, Northern Ireland
School for Field Studies (SFS) (Australia, British West Indies, Costa Rica and Tanzania)
School for International Training (SIT) (MHC-approved programs include locations throughout Africa, the Middle East, Asia, and Latin America. In addition to scholarships, SIT offers automatic matching of Pell Grants when students apply for the Gilman)
Spanish Studies Abroad (Cuba, Spain)
Trinity College Dublin (Ireland)
Outside/National Scholarships
Many of the most well-known national awards for study abroad (Fulbright, Marshall, Rhodes, etc.) are restricted to graduate study, but the following awards are open to undergraduates. Mount Holyoke's National Fellowships Advisor coordinates applications for most awards requiring nomination by the College, and can offer assistance with many other applications as well.
If you have been awarded a Laurel Fellowship, outside scholarships will be treated according to the College's usual policies for outside scholarships, and will first be used to reduce your need-based loans and work study allowance. If the outside scholarship exceeds the amount of the need-based loans and work study allowance, the remainder reduces your family contribution!
David L. Boren NSEP (National Security Education Program) Scholarships. Open to US citizens for study in geographical areas, languages, and fields of study deemed critical to US national security. (Eligible countries are located primarily in Africa, Asia, Central/Eastern Europe, Latin America, and the Middle East.) Awards are given for summer, semester, or academic year study (up to $12,500 per semester). Nomination is required; contact MHC's National Fellowships office for details.
Bridging Scholarships for Study Abroad in Japan Administered by the American Association of Teachers of Japanese and funded by donations from businesses, individuals, and foundations, these scholarships offer stipends of $2,500 and $4,500 to American undergraduate students studying abroad in Japan on semester- or year-long programs. Applications are received once a year on March 15.
BUTEX Scholarships Open to all undergraduate students who are affiliated as a study abroad student (for a semester or academic year) at a BUTEX member institution in the UK. Each scholarship is for 500 pounds, payable after awardees have arrived and registered at the host university.
Critical Language Scholarships provide full funding for summer intensive language programs in less-commonly taught languages (including Arabic, Azerbaijani, Bangla, Chinese, Hindi, Indonesian, Japanese, Korean, Persian, Portuguese, Punjabi, Russian, Swahili, Turkish, and Urdu). Open to U.S. citizens. Students enroll in language programs administered specifically for the CLS Program.
DAAD German Academic Exchange Service offers awards for semester, year, or summer study, senior thesis research, and/or internships in Germany, with preference for projects or programs based at or organized by a German university. Open to students with sophomore or junior standing at the time of application; students generally must be US or Canadian citizens, though foreign nationals may be eligible to apply if they have been full-time students at an accredited US or Canadian institution for more than one year and will return to the US or Canada to complete their Bachelor’s degree after the scholarship period.
Foundation for Asia Pacific Education The Foundation for Asia Pacific Education is a non-profit organization located in Denver, Colorado, whose mission is to create global citizens and leaders by assisting students in achieving their personal and professional goals of obtaining cultural and academic experiences within the Asia Pacific region. The Foundation awards scholarships to help enable students to obtain an international experience in any of 32 countries of the Asia Pacific region. Students who are from underrepresented populations in international education are a priority. Applicants must be enrolled in a North American college or university where transfer credits from a program abroad will be applied to the degree being earned.
Freeman-ASIA Scholarships. Open to US citizens or permanent residents for summer or semester study in East or Southeast Asia (Cambodia, China, Hong Kong, Indonesia, Japan, Korea, Laos, Macao, Malaysia, Mongolia, Philippines, Singapore, Taiwan, Thailand, or Vietnam). Applicants must have demonstrated financial need and little or no previous experience in the host country. Awards are up to $3,000 for summer, $5,000 for a semester.
Fund for Education Abroad Scholarships. Open to US citizens or permanent residents for a minimum of four weeks of study abroad. Awards include general scholarships and dedicated scholarships for students who meet specific criteria (including the Rainbow Scholarship for LGBTQI students). Awards are up to $5,000.
The General Federation of Women's Clubs of Massachusetts offers an International Study Abroad Scholarship starting at $500 for students whose permanent home is in Massachusetts who will study abroad during the summer, fall, spring, or academic year. Applications are generally due March 1
The Benjamin A. Gilman Undergraduate Study Abroad Scholarship. Open to US citizens or nationals who are receiving federal Pell Grant funding. Deadlines are typically in October for spring, in March for summer and fall programs. Awards cover up to $5,000 for a semester abroad. Students studying "critical need" languages (including Arabic, Chinese, Korean, and Russian) are eligible for an additional award of $3,000.
✳️ Check out Ina's semester in Ireland with the Gilman Scholarship
GO! Overseas Scholarship. Open to current students who will be enrolled in a study abroad program of any duration during the coming academic year. Awards are $1,000. Selection is based on creativity and analytical thinking as demonstrated through writing samples and/or video submissions.
Turkish Coalition of America. Open to US citizens or permanent residents of African, Armenian, Bosnian, Filipino, Hispanic/Latino, Macedonian, or Native American descent. Awards range from $500 to $2,000 toward study abroad for a semester, year, or summer, in Turkey, the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus, or Bosnia and Herzegovina.
US-UK Fulbright Summer Institutes. Open to US citizens with a GPA of at least 3.5, with at least two years left of their undergraduate studies after completion of the program. Awards cover the majority of costs (including round-trip airfare, tuition and fees, and room and board) to participate in a summer institute program at a UK university.
The US-Japan Council Toshizo Watanabe Study Abroad Scholarship. Open to US citizens for a semester or year of study in Japan. Applicants must have demonstrated financial need; preference is given to students who have been raised by a single parent or who have lost both parents. Awards cover up to the full cost of the program.
The Going Abroad Scholarship. Open to US citizens and residents of the United States (and its territories and possessions) who are enrolled full-time at an accredited institution of higher learning. Awards $1,500 to four students each spring and fall and may be used for semester or summer study abroad. Application deadlines are March 15 and October 15.
Other Resources
To search for other national funding opportunities on-line, try Fastweb and the resources below. Note that some of the awards listed are given for study on programs not approved by Mount Holyoke; check our list of approved program before you apply.
IIEPassport allows you to search by country or subject for funding for study and research abroad.
Diversity Abroad maintains links to study abroad scholarship listings