Apply to Scholarships

There are many study abroad scholarships for all program types. If you’re just starting your research journey, you’ll be surprised to find the sheer range in international scholarships available. There are awards amounts ranging from a few hundred dollars to full-rides covering everything from airfare to a monthly stipend. With study abroad scholarships celebrating diversity abroad, merit, advocating underrepresented regions, and encouraging students of distinct majors (that’s scratching the surface), you’re guaranteed to find an award for which you qualify.

Search & Apply for Scholarships

1. Research scholarships: Check out our curated list of scholarships to determine which opportunity you're eligible for and fit your needs. Most scholarships are offered by organizations outside of Santa Clara. Scholarships can be local, regional, or national. 
2. Write your application: Carefully follow the criteria for each scholarship. You may want to emphasize why you’ve selected your program, academics, professional development, etc. Consider using your essays from your SCU study abroad application as a starting place. We also highly encourage students to utilize our Writing a Stellar Essay Workbook and book an appointment with the HUB Writing Center.
3. Submit your application by the scholarship's deadline - Scholarship deadlines are firm, and late applications will not be accepted.

Set Yourself Up for Success

While the competition can be intimidating, especially for more generous international scholarships, planning ahead and putting your best foot forward will make you as competitive an applicant as anyone else. Deadlines can creep up much sooner than you think, sometimes even before you apply or are officially nominated for a study abroad program, so we can’t emphasize enough how vital it is to do your research early! 

• Deadlines are often 6-8 months in advance of departure.
• Research your options, mark your calendar now with application deadlines, and apply to any and all scholarships that you qualify for!
• Genuine, well-thought out essays will make you shine as a unique person and highlight your personality and motivations for scholarship programs to study abroad. Judging committees can 100% tell when an application is carelessly slapped together.

Create a Backup Plan

While you may be excited to throw your hat into the ring for some great scholarship opportunities, they are not guaranteed sources of funding; they are competitive, and many scholarship providers will not release award notifications until it is too late* to withdraw from a program without financial penalty. That means you should either be prepared to pay a withdrawal fee or create a back-up plan for how to fund your experience abroad without scholarships, which might include taking out loans, working an extra job, or crowdfunding.