How To Apply for a Scholarship
Applying is Easy!
- Search for and apply to your perfect study or internship abroad program
- Discover available funding options
- Complete the Scholarship & Grants portion of your application. It's easy to complete and you can even submit it before you pay the program application fee!
What Will You Need to Apply
Need-Based Grants
- The Estimated Family Contribution (EFC) number from your most recent Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) Student Aid Report (SAR).
- If you want to be considered for the CIEE Gilman Go Global Grant: you must provide proof your Benjamin A. Gilman International Scholarship.
- If applying for need-based grants only, you do not need to complete the essay section of the Scholarships Application.
*Note: EFC (Expected Family Contribution) is being replaced by SAI (Student Aid Index) for the 2024-2025 FAFSA cycle. Due to unexpected FAFSA delays during the transition, CIEE will accept the 2023-2024 FAFSA (EFC) or the 2024-2025 FAFSA (SAI) for Fall 2024. For students who provide the 2023-2024 FAFSA (EFC), we will continue to guarantee GAIN Travel Grants to those with EFCs of 10,000 or less. For students who provide the 2024-2025 FAFSA (SAI), we will guarantee GAIN Travel Grants to Pell Eligible students. Applications must be received by the April 1st deadline for the guarantee. Students with high need should still apply even if they do not meet the criteria noted above.
Merit Scholarships:
- Complete the essay section of the Scholarships Application. In 300 words or less, explain to us how your CIEE program will impact your college experience and/or future career plans.
- Complete the G.P.A. and transcript sections of the program application by the scholarship & grants deadline for the term
- If applying for merit scholarships only, you do not need to provide any financial data.
Scholarships Application Deadlines & Notification Timeline
| Grant | Program Term | ciee starts reviewing applications | You will be notified | Scholarships Application Deadline |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Need-Based* | Winter/Spring | Summer prior | Within 2 weeks | October 15 |
| Need-Based* | Summer or Fall | Winter prior | Within 2 weeks | April 1 |
| Merit | Winter/Spring | Early November | October 15 | |
| Merit | Summer or Fall | Mid-April | April 1 |
*Students who apply for Need-Based funding and have an EFC higher than 10,000 on their FAFSA Student Aid Report will be reviewed after the noted deadlines above. Students that are not pell eligible and provide the 2024/2025 SAI will have their application reviewed after the deadline.
Frequently Asked Questions About Applying to Scholarships
Applying for a scholarship abroad can be done in three simple steps:
- Search for your dream study abroad program
- Start your application
- Complete the Scholarships & Grants portion of your application; some scholarships require a 300-word essay, financial data, proof of scholarship, etc.
Financial data may include your finalized FAFSA details if you’re applying to need-based scholarships and optional proof of your Gilman application if you’re applying to the Gilman scholarship.
We recommend that students start researching funding opportunities early on in their study abroad search, giving themself plenty of time to sort through requirements, eligibility, etc. Ensure you’re aware of funding deadlines, application deadlines, billing policies, aid from your home institution, deferrals, and payment plan options.
Read more: Finance FAQs
At CIEE, you can apply for scholarships to study abroad during your application process under the Scholarships & Grants portion of your application. You can complete this section during any point of your application, even after you submit your program application. Just make sure you don't miss the Scholarships and Grants deadline for your term.
Your FAFSA details should be for the same year of your program (*for Fall ‘24, we’re accepting 2023/2024 EFC or 2024/2025 (SAI).
Please see our Scholarships Application Deadlines & Notification Timeline for more detailed dates on scholarship deadlines.
You can apply for scholarships and grants to study abroad under the Scholarships & Grants portion of your study abroad application. CIEE’s scholarships and grants apply to any program or internship that you may be interested in as long as it’s an in-person program that takes place during a semester, summer, or year-long term. CIEE does not offer funding for January term programs.
Students studying abroad with CIEE can apply for as many scholarships as they’d like, as long as they qualify and stay within our caps. You may receive merit, need-based, or other scholarships and grants, as long as you meet the qualifications. Students can receive a combination of scholarships & grants across merit, need-based, & other.
Scholarship and grant totals cannot exceed the caps established for each term. If you are selected for multiple awards, CIEE may need to reduce the size of your awards to stay within the maximum cap amounts listed below.
- Spring: $5,000
- Fall: $5,000
- Summer: $2,500
- One Block: $2,500
- Two Blocks (Quarter): $4,000
- Three Blocks (Semester): $5,000
- January: no CIEE funding
One merit essay submission applies to ALL merit awards associated with your program. Please see the scholarships & grants section of your individual program listing for more information.