The George C. Burke Scholarship supports summer global experiences.

Eligibility:

An Applicant must:

• Be a permanent Ohio resident who is a full-time, degree-seeking undergraduate from an Ohio International Consortium member school.

• Be at least a rising sophomore with a minimum 3.0 GPA.  Awardees must spend at least one semester at their home university after their global experience to complete a follow-up project designed to encourage others to pursue study abroad opportunities.

• Participate in a credit-bearing summer study abroad, international internship or virtual international program that has been approved by the home school.  Programs must be at least three (3) weeks in duration.

• Preference is given to first-time study abroad applicants.

• Previous OIC scholarship recipients will not be considered for the award.

Grant amount: $1000

Deadline: 

• Scholarship applications must be submitted no later than 11:59pm on March 15.

• Link to scholarship application: Burke Scholarship Application

Selection Criteria:

• Completed the George C. Burke Scholarship for Summer Study Abroad Application.

• 500-word essay explaining how your international experience fits into your degree and career plans.

• 250-word essay outlining the outreach project you will undertake to share your experience with others at your university and encourage participation in study abroad upon your return to campus.  Be sure to speak to the viability and impact of the project.

• Academic performance.

• Previous study abroad experience (preference given to applicants studying abroad for the first time).

Please note that the scholarship application must be completed in one sitting. If a student submits more than one application, only the first one will be reviewed.

The Donald N. Nelson Scholarship supports semester global experiences with a preference for those that incorporate a foreign language.

Applicant Eligibility Requirements

• Ohio resident 

• Full-time, degree-seeking undergraduate student

• Rising sophomore or higher 

• Minimum 3.0 GPA

• Must continue studies at home university for at least one semester during which a follow-on project will be completed

Program Eligibility Requirements

• Credit-bearing study abroad, international internship or virtual international program

• Approved by home school

• Study abroad and internship programs must be at least one semester in duration; virtual international programs must be at least 4 weeks.

Preference is given to first-time study abroad applicants studying physically or virtually in a non-English-speaking country and taking courses or interning in the native language of the host country.

Deadlines

• December 1, at 11:59 pm for spring semester programs 

• Link to spring semester scholarship application: Spring 2027 Nelson Scholarship Application

• May 1, at 11:59 pm for fall semester and academic year programs

• Link to fall semester scholarship application: Fall 2026 Nelson Scholarship Application

Please note that the scholarship application must be completed in one sitting. Be sure to have your essays written and ready to copy and paste into the application.

You will be required to write two essays. The prompts are as follows:

Essay 1: Write a personal statement articulating your goals for your international experience and how your selected program will help you attain them. Please also explain how the experience relates to your degree and career plans.

The essay should be approximately 500 words and double spaced. Please use the following naming convention for the file: FirstnameLastnameEssay1 (e.g. JaneDoeEssay1).

Essay 2: Nelson scholarship awardees are expected to complete a service project at their home university following their international experience that helps to promote study abroad experiences and funding opportunities like the scholarships sponsored by the Ohio International Consortium. 

Please write an essay outlining your service project. Be sure to articulate who your target audience is and how your project will impact this group. 

The essay should be approximately 250 words and double spaced. Please use the following naming convention for the file: FirstnameLastnameEssay2 (e.g. JaneDoeEssay2).

Eligibility:

An Applicant must:

• Be a permanent Ohio resident who is a full-time, degree-seeking undergraduate from an Ohio International Consortium member school.

• Be at least a rising sophomore with a minimum 2.5 GPA.

• Participate in a credit-bearing study abroad, international experience or virtual international program that has been approved by the home school.  Programs must take place during the academic year, starting after the beginning of the fall semester and ending before the start of the summer semester.  Program duration must be between 5 and 31 days.

• Be embarking on their first college-level study abroad experience.

Grant amount: $500

Selection criteria:

• Completed OIC Scholarship for Short-Term Study Abroad Application

• 500-word essay explaining why you selected your study abroad program, how the experience fits into your degree and career plans, and any challenges you may have faced in making your study abroad experience a reality. 

Deadline

• Scholarship applications must be submitted no later than 11:59pm on November 15th

• Link to the scholarship application: OIC Scholarship for Short-Term Study Abroad

Please note that the scholarship application must be completed in one sitting. Be sure to have your essays written and ready to copy and paste into the application.

You will be required to write an essay:

• Write a personal statement explaining why you selected your study abroad program, how the experience fits into your degree and career plans, and any challenges you may have faced in making your study abroad experience a reality. 

• The essay should be approximately 500 words. 

Applicant Eligibility Requirements

• Student must be nominated by the International Office at their institution.

• Student must be full-time, currently enrolled, on non-immigrant student visa (F-1, J-1, M-1).

• Graduate students working on thesis or dissertation are eligible.

• Student must be on schedule to graduate spring, summer, or fall of the year they are applying.

• Student must be attending an Ohio International Consortium member institution.

Program Eligibility Requirements

Two awards will be given annually ($1,500 each), one for undergraduate students and one for graduate students.

Students must be nominated by their institution.  The International Office at the student's institution will inform the student of their nomination and request the following 

1. Completed application form from student.

2. Completed essay questions.

3. Current resume/curriculum vita.

4. Two letters of reference:  At least one from a faculty member who is familiar with the applicant’s professional and personal achievements. The other may be from a departmental staff member, another faculty member or a fellow student.

5. International Office Nomination form completed by the nominating school.

Deadline

Students must submit the completed application and supporting documents to their International Office by February 28th, at 5:00 pm.

Institutions must submit the official nominations by March 15 to the Outstanding International Student Awards Committee at cushinrb@ucmail.uc.edu.

Students:  For more information, see the OIC Outstanding International Student Award Student Application.

Nominating Institutions:  For more information, see the OIC Outstanding International Student Award School Nomination.