Paying for Study Abroad - Scholarships and Grants

United States Senator, J. William Fulbright (Arkansas) introduced the legislation to award a kind of cultural exchange program to international students and students in the United States to learn overseas, and truly acquire the culture and language of the host country. The United States Government sets money aside every year for this program, and other governments as well as hosting institutions contribute.

The Fulbright program not only encompasses an exchange of students, but also an exchange of educators. This scholarship is either for the purposes of lecturing or researching at the post-doctoral level.

A similar (and related program) is the Hubert H. Humphrey Fellowship program, where individuals engaged in business are able to enjoy an overseas experience for a year of education and professional development. These are typically known as 'full ride' scholarships where students' basic expenses are paid, and a nominal stipend (or work study/teaching assistanceships) are provided.

CIEE Scholarship

The CIEE awards a several grants and scholarships to potential students who will be studying overseas.

École des Chartes Exchange Fellowship

Similar to the Fulbright Grant, this fellowship offers free tuition and a monthly living stipend for an American or Canadian graduate student to study for a semester in Paris, France at the École Nationale des Chartes for a Library Science field.

There are many, many different scholarships available for smaller amounts that are worth applying for if you are going anyway.

Of special note is the Rhodes Scholarship. This is a scholarship for attending historic Oxford University in England. Like others of its kind, it is a significant scholarship that would enable someone to study for multiple semesters in the same halls that such literary greats as J.R.R. Tolkien, and C.S. Lewis both learned and taught. In 1902 Cecil Rhodes died, and in 1904 the first American students walked the halls at Oxford, The Rhodes Scholarship is targeted by those who are well rounded, not just those interested in academics, but also those who show fondness for and success in sports. Considering their equal opportunity statement regarding the fact that they can not discriminate based on disability (among other things), that statement seems ironic.

If you are interested in studying overseas, and want to be able to afford it with odds as bad as the lottery, I would suggest looking into smaller / less popular countries, and getting a number of smaller scholarships and work study opportunities than looking for a free ride. You can also check out my article on getting paid to teach English overseas in order to earn your way through school abroad.