The Benjamin A. Gilman International Scholarship Program provides study abroad awards to undergraduate students (United States citizens, only) who are receiving Federal Pell Grant funding. The program was established by the International Academic Opportunity Act of 2000 to diversify the pool of U.S. students going abroad.

Sponsored by the U.S. Department of State’s Bureau of Education and Cultural Affairs, the Gilman Scholarship Program annually awards more than 2,300 scholarships of up to $5,000 for study in any semester.  Students who plan to study languages identified by the U.S. Department of State as “critical need” are eligible to apply for additional funding via a “Critical Need Language Award."

The competition is open to all U.S. citizens who are undergraduates in good academic standing and who meet the following criteria:

• The applicant must be receiving a Federal Pell Grant or provide proof that he/she will be receiving a Pell Grant at the time of application or during the term of his/her study abroad.

• The applicant is applying to or has been accepted into a study abroad program eligible for credit by the student's accredited institution of higher education in the U.S.

• The applicant is studying abroad for at least four weeks in one country. Programs going to more than one country are eligible if the student will be studying in one country for at least four consecutive weeks.

• The applicant is studying abroad in any country except Cuba or a country on the U.S. Department of State's current Travel Warning list.
  

Successful applications to national scholarship competitions require significant advising support. Dr. Michelle Metro-Roland at the Haenicke Institute is the primary advisor for this scholarship and may be reached by phone at (269) 387-5890 or via email at:
michelle.metro-roland@wmich.edu.

At least two appointments are needed for to complete the application; please plan ahead to ensure you have sufficient time to begin the process before the application deadline.

Deadline:  Early October for spring study abroad program

Deadline: Early March for fall, summer and academic-year study abroad programs