These days universities and colleges encourage their undergraduate and graduate students to integrate an education abroad experience into their degree program, and that includes interning abroad. While some students choose to intern abroad to obtain international work experience, others choose internship programs that also allows them to receive academic credit to satisfy practicum, research, or capstone requirements towards their degrees. Whatever the case, Isla believes our hands-on global development internships with one of our partner organizations will add incredible value to your education and future career plans.
Here are some important things to know if you are currently an enrolled university undergraduate or graduate student who would like to apply for financial aid, a grant or scholarship for an internship abroad:
Do I need to obtain academic credit to quality for grants, scholarships, or financial aid for internships abroad? Yes, in most cases. To qualify for a scholarship or financial aid from your university, education abroad office, or from a national scholarship program, you are required to receive academic credit for your international internship experience. See below for specific funding opportunities.
Where do I find information at my university or college regarding eligibility to receive academic credit for an international scholarship or grant? We recommend that you consult your international programs or education abroad office, career center, your academic advisor, and the faculty member responsible for student internships.
At our end, Isla advisors are here to help you and your university advisor plan your internship for credit to ensure you fulfill the requirements, including the required number of internship hours, reports, and evaluations. We have lots of experience with this as many of our interns seek academic credit to satisfy their academic, research and/or capstone requirements for their undergraduate or graduate degrees.
Should I enquire about need-based program fee discounts? Yes, you may be eligible for scholarships or program fee discounts, particularly if you receive financial assistance at your university based on income. For example, if you qualify for a Pell Grant in the U.S., you may use your Pell Grant towards internship abroad program fees once you have also decided to receive academic credit from your university or college.
Enquire about the availability and eligibility for program fee discounts when applying for an internship abroad. Many students combine scholarships and financial aid successfully to cover most or all of the cost of the experience abroad, including program fees, living costs, and plane tickets.
Here are some important things to know if you are currently an enrolled university undergraduate or graduate student who would like to apply for financial aid, a grant or scholarship for an internship abroad:
Do I need to obtain academic credit to quality for grants, scholarships, or financial aid for internships abroad? Yes, in most cases. To qualify for a scholarship or financial aid from your university, education abroad office, or from a national scholarship program, you are required to receive academic credit for your international internship experience. See below for specific funding opportunities.
Where do I find information at my university or college regarding eligibility to receive academic credit for an international scholarship or grant? We recommend that you consult your international programs or education abroad office, career center, your academic advisor, and the faculty member responsible for student internships.
At our end, Isla advisors are here to help you and your university advisor plan your internship for credit to ensure you fulfill the requirements, including the required number of internship hours, reports, and evaluations. We have lots of experience with this as many of our interns seek academic credit to satisfy their academic, research and/or capstone requirements for their undergraduate or graduate degrees.
Should I enquire about need-based program fee discounts? Yes, you may be eligible for scholarships or program fee discounts, particularly if you receive financial assistance at your university based on income. For example, if you qualify for a Pell Grant in the U.S., you may use your Pell Grant towards internship abroad program fees once you have also decided to receive academic credit from your university or college.
Enquire about the availability and eligibility for program fee discounts when applying for an internship abroad. Many students combine scholarships and financial aid successfully to cover most or all of the cost of the experience abroad, including program fees, living costs, and plane tickets.
Specific Funding Opportunities for Internships Abroad
Grants, Scholarships, & Financial Aid U.S. University Students
Federal Pell Grants usually are awarded only to undergraduate students who display exceptional financial need and have not earned a bachelor's, graduate, or professional degree. (In some cases, however, a student enrolled in a postbaccalaureate teacher certification program might receive a Federal Pell Grant.) A Pell Grant may be used for interning abroad if you receive academic credit for the experience. Contact your financial aid advisor and education abroad office for more information.
Benjamin A Gilman International Scholarship enables students of limited financial means to study or intern abroad. The Gilman Scholarship Program is open to U.S. citizen undergraduate students who receive Federal Pell Grant funding at a two-year or four-year college or university to participate in study and intern abroad programs worldwide.
Gilman Application Deadlines - The Gilman Scholarship accepts applications twice a year.
March 2024 Deadline: application for the Gilman is for applicants whose in-person programs or internships start between May 1, 2023 to April 30, 2024.
This cycle encompasses programs held during one of the following periods:
The application deadline is in March 2024
All applicants are notified of their status via email. All advisors will also be notified of scholarship recipients via email and will have access to the status of each student in their Gilman Advisor account. If an applicant is not selected for the March 2023 Deadline, they may re-apply for the next cycle if they continue to meet the eligibility requirements and their program or internship falls within the start dates.
October 2024 Deadline: application will open in mid-August 2024 for applicants whose in-person programs or internships start between December 1, 2024 to October 31, 2024.
This cycle encompasses programs held during one of the following periods:
Consult Your Academic Advisor and Education Abroad Office
We are repeating this advice, because universities offer many different scholarship and grant opportunities from various sources. Consult your academic and education abroad advisors to learn more about college and departmental scholarships at your university. They may also direct you towards the availability of diversity-based scholarships for first-generation students, students of a specific ethnicity, LGBTQ+ students at your university.
Contact Isla to learn more about funding resources at your school and elsewhere.
The best advice we can give you is to take this information and go for it - APPLY! Reach out to the contacts at your university, talk to other students who have found funding for their international experience, research the eligibility of national scholarships, and go for it! Crowdfunding is also an option. One our interns raised enough funding through crowdfunding to pay for his plane ticket to India! Remember - you may even combine several funding opportunities to lower the overall cost of your international experience considerably! Let us know how we can help!
Are you not a U.S. university student enrolled in a university outside of the U.S.? If you are a rostudent in Europe or elsewhere, stay tuned! Isla is exploring funding opportunities for you through the EU Erasmus+ program.
For Graduate Students: The Boren Fellowships (from the Boren Awards website...)
"The Boren Fellowships are designed to give graduate students maximum flexibility to pursue their academic goals alongside their study of the target language. As noted above, Boren Fellows may concentrate only on language study during their time abroad -- such an application will be given equal consideration. Language study throughout the duration of the grant may be supplemented with any or all of the following activities:
Applicants proposing internships, other classroom study, or research are strongly advised to secure letters of affiliation from overseas host institutions or faculty and attach them to their applications.
All elements of the proposed program -- language study, internships, other classroom study, or research -- should be tied to U.S. national security and public service in the application essays."
Best of luck from the Isla Team!
Benjamin A Gilman International Scholarship enables students of limited financial means to study or intern abroad. The Gilman Scholarship Program is open to U.S. citizen undergraduate students who receive Federal Pell Grant funding at a two-year or four-year college or university to participate in study and intern abroad programs worldwide.
Gilman Application Deadlines - The Gilman Scholarship accepts applications twice a year.
March 2024 Deadline: application for the Gilman is for applicants whose in-person programs or internships start between May 1, 2023 to April 30, 2024.
This cycle encompasses programs held during one of the following periods:
- Maymester 2024
- Summer 2024
- Fall 2024,
- Academic Year 2024-2025, and
- Spring 2025 programs or internships
The application deadline is in March 2024
All applicants are notified of their status via email. All advisors will also be notified of scholarship recipients via email and will have access to the status of each student in their Gilman Advisor account. If an applicant is not selected for the March 2023 Deadline, they may re-apply for the next cycle if they continue to meet the eligibility requirements and their program or internship falls within the start dates.
October 2024 Deadline: application will open in mid-August 2024 for applicants whose in-person programs or internships start between December 1, 2024 to October 31, 2024.
This cycle encompasses programs held during one of the following periods:
- Winter
- January term 2025
- Spring 2025
- Maymester 2025
- Summer 2025
- Fall 2025, and
- Academic Year 2025-2026
Consult Your Academic Advisor and Education Abroad Office
We are repeating this advice, because universities offer many different scholarship and grant opportunities from various sources. Consult your academic and education abroad advisors to learn more about college and departmental scholarships at your university. They may also direct you towards the availability of diversity-based scholarships for first-generation students, students of a specific ethnicity, LGBTQ+ students at your university.
Contact Isla to learn more about funding resources at your school and elsewhere.
The best advice we can give you is to take this information and go for it - APPLY! Reach out to the contacts at your university, talk to other students who have found funding for their international experience, research the eligibility of national scholarships, and go for it! Crowdfunding is also an option. One our interns raised enough funding through crowdfunding to pay for his plane ticket to India! Remember - you may even combine several funding opportunities to lower the overall cost of your international experience considerably! Let us know how we can help!
Are you not a U.S. university student enrolled in a university outside of the U.S.? If you are a rostudent in Europe or elsewhere, stay tuned! Isla is exploring funding opportunities for you through the EU Erasmus+ program.
For Graduate Students: The Boren Fellowships (from the Boren Awards website...)
"The Boren Fellowships are designed to give graduate students maximum flexibility to pursue their academic goals alongside their study of the target language. As noted above, Boren Fellows may concentrate only on language study during their time abroad -- such an application will be given equal consideration. Language study throughout the duration of the grant may be supplemented with any or all of the following activities:
- Academic Internship: Boren Fellows may conduct internships related to their degree programs while abroad. Internships conducted during the period of a Boren Awards grant may not be remunerated, nor may they be conducted with the U.S. or a foreign government. If you have questions about an internship with an organization with ties to the U.S. or a foreign government, please contact us at boren@iie.org or 1-800-618-6737 ext.1. Boren Fellows also may not work as journalists while abroad, even if the work is freelance or unpaid.
- Classroom Study: Boren Fellows may enroll in or audit courses in their academic disciplines at host-country institutions while abroad.
- Research: Boren Fellows are encouraged to conduct research related to graduate theses or dissertations while abroad.
Applicants proposing internships, other classroom study, or research are strongly advised to secure letters of affiliation from overseas host institutions or faculty and attach them to their applications.
All elements of the proposed program -- language study, internships, other classroom study, or research -- should be tied to U.S. national security and public service in the application essays."
Best of luck from the Isla Team!