Early Birds Fly Free

This scholarship can cover anywhere between $500 to 100% of tuition costs (this is the price listed at the top of every high school summer abroad program page). Eligibility is based on both financial need and academic merit. Note that 90% of Global Navigator Scholarships are awarded to students going on Language & Culture programs. To give yourself the best chance of receiving a scholarship, list at least two Language & Culture program choices on your Global Navigator Scholarship application.

To be eligible for this type of scholarship, you must:

• Submit your parent's tax form provided in the application.
• Be a U.S. citizen/permanent resident AND
• Be completing your freshman, sophomore, or junior year of high school in the academic year before your summer program.
• If you don’t have a financial need, have previously received the Global Navigator Scholarship (based on financial need + academic merit), or don't meet the requirements above, you should apply for the Academic Merit Award.

This award covers $500 of your tuition costs and is based on your academic achievements. You don’t need to submit your parent's or legal guardian(s)'s financial information to apply for this award.

It's a great option if you've previously received a need-based scholarship from CIEE or don't meet the financial requirements for the Global Navigator Scholarship. Receiving any amount of scholarship funding means you have a strong, competitive application!

OFFICIAL RULES 

Entering this sweepstakes requires the completion of a 2026 CIEE Global Navigator High School Summer Abroad application and payment of the $25 non-refundable application fee. Void where prohibited. U.S. law governs, including all federal, state, and local laws and regulations. OPEN ONLY to students who are or will be enrolled in a U.S.-based high school on or after September 1, 2025, while meeting other geographical Conditions of Entry (see Official Rules). 

1. HOW TO ENTER To enter, go to https://www.ciee.org/go-abroad/high-school-study-abroad/summer/early-birds-fly-free-lp find and follow the advertisement to fill out our online entry form from 11:59 PM Eastern Time (“ET”) on September 1, 2025 to 11:59 PM ET February 25, 2026 (the “Entry Period”), and complete a full application for a 2026 CIEE Global Navigator High School Summer Abroad program. 

2. CONDITIONS OF ENTRY / ELIGIBILITY TO WIN Entrants agree to abide by the terms of these Official Rules and by the decisions of Sponsor which are final. This sweepstakes is open only to individuals who meet ALL of the following qualifications: (i) legal residents of the fifty (50) United States and the District of Columbia; and (ii) is or will be enrolled in a U.S.-based high school on or after September 1, 2025. By participating in the sweepstakes, entrants: (i) agree to be bound by these Official Rules, including all eligibility requirements; (ii) agree to be bound by the decisions of the Sponsor, which are final and binding in all matters; and (iii) agree to and adhere to the CIEE’s Terms and Conditions for studying abroad as well as those policies set forth by his/her home educational institution. Employees of sponsor and members of their immediate family (e.g., spouses, domestic partners, parents, children, siblings) are not eligible to win. Entries that are incomplete or corrupted are void and will not be eligible to win. An effort by an entrant to misrepresent himself or herself through the use of aliases or multiple email addresses will disqualify all entries of such individual. Sponsor and its agents reserve the right to verify eligibility qualifications of any winner. Failure to comply with these Official Rules as determined in the sole discretion of the Sponsor may result in disqualification from the sweepstakes. This sweepstakes is subject to all applicable federal, state, and local laws and regulations. Void where prohibited by law. 

3. THE SPONSOR The Sponsor of this sweepstakes is CIEE, Inc., located at 600 Southborough Drive, Suite 104, South Portland, Maine 04106. This sweepstakes may be advertised on Facebook, Twitter, TikTok, or Instagram, but this sweepstakes is in no way sponsored, endorsed, or administered by, or associated with, Facebook, Twitter, TikTok or Instagram.

4. HOW TO WIN / AIRFARE WILL NOT BE AWARDED IF THE WINNER DOES NOT COMPLETE AN APPLICATION AND AGREE TO ENROLL IN A 2026 HIGH SCHOOL SUMMER ABROAD PROGRAM. One (1) winner will be selected at random and be given the opportunity to receive a round-trip airfare to/from his/her CIEE Global Navigator High School Summer Abroad program location. Prize is only valid for travel to a 2026 CIEE Global Navigator High School Summer Abroad program. Prize can only be applied to economy class travel on a major U.S. airline from a U.S. gateway city to the final 2026 CIEE Global Navigator program destination. Prize only includes base airfare, airport taxes, and standard baggage allowance. Flight is not transferable to anyone and cannot be redeemed for cash value. 

All other expenses not specifically mentioned herein, including without limitation, ground transportation, accommodations, tuition, program participation fees, personal expenses, and passport fees are the responsibility of the winner. If a winner is selected and is unable to participate in the corresponding CIEE program, the winner will forfeit the airfare, and another winner may be selected from among eligible entries received. No prize substitution, cash substitution, or assignment or transfer of prizes is permitted, except by Sponsor who may substitute a prize of equal or greater value if any portion of the advertised prize becomes unavailable. No more than the stated number of prizes shall be awarded. Any unused portions of a Prize will be forfeited, will not be redeemable for cash, and may not reduce the prize value awarded for tax purposes. All federal, state, local and other taxes, costs, and expenses regarding the use and acceptance of the Prize are the sole responsibility of the winner. Winner will receive an IRS Form 1099 for the actual value of the prize awarded. Actual value may depend on the location of the winner and the fares at the time of departure. PRIZES ARE NON-TRANSFERABLE AND MAY NOT BE RESOLD. Unless expressly declined by the prize recipient, all prizes will be awarded, so long as there are a sufficient number of eligible entries. 

5. WINNER DRAWING AND NOTIFICATION The Winner will be selected in a random drawing from among all eligible entries received by the Sponsor, on or before 4/1/26. The Winner will be notified by the Sponsor via telephone and/or by email. If a potential Winner cannot be reached within five (5) business days after the first attempt to notify him/her, the Sponsor may select an alternate potential Winner in his/her place at random from the remaining entries. Winner must respond with a valid email address where required documents can be sent.

6. PRIZE CONDITIONS Except where prohibited, acceptance of the Prize constitutes each winner’s consent, and each winner will be required to sign an Affidavit of Eligibility, Publicity, and Liability Release (“Affidavit”) and/or IRS W-9 (if required by IRS regulations), prior to and as a condition of acceptance of the Prize within fourteen (14) calendar days of receipt of written notification, or the Prize may be forfeited and an alternate winner may be selected. In Sponsor’s sole discretion: (i) if a prize or prize notification is returned as unclaimed or undeliverable to a potential winner; (ii) if a potential winner fails to complete and return the requisite documents within the specified time period; or (iii) if a potential prize winner is not in compliance with these Official Rules, then such person shall be disqualified and an alternate winner may be selected for the prize at issue. 

7. GENERAL CONDITIONS If for any reason the operation or administration of this sweepstakes is impaired or incapable of running as planned for any reason, including but not limited to: (i) infection by computer virus, bugs; (ii) tampering, unauthorized intervention; (iii) fraud; (iv) technical failures; or (v) any other causes beyond the control of the Sponsor which corrupt or affect the administration, security, fairness, integrity or proper conduct of this sweepstakes, the Sponsor reserves the right in its sole discretion, to disqualify any individual it believes has tampered with the entry process, and to cancel, terminate, modify or suspend the sweepstakes in whole or in part, at any time, without notice, and to award the applicable prize using all non-suspect eligible entries received as of, or after (if applicable) this cancellation, termination, modification or suspension date, or in any manner that is fair and equitable and best conforms to the spirit of these Official Rules. Sponsor reserves the right, in its sole discretion, to disqualify any individual deemed to be: (i) tampering or attempting to tamper with the entry process or the operation of the sweepstakes or Sponsor’s website; or (ii) acting in violation of these Official Rules or in an unsportsmanlike or disruptive manner. 

8. RELEASE AND LIMITATION OF LIABILITY By participating in the sweepstakes, entrants agree to release and hold harmless CIEE, Inc., any administrator, their employees, legal representatives, successors and assigns, and any advertising and promotional agencies (collectively, the “Released Parties”) from and against any claim or causes of action, suits, debts, indirect or direct damages arising out of participation in the sweepstakes, or the awarding, acceptance and use or misuse of a prize. The Released Parties shall not be responsible for: (i) any technical errors that may prevent an entrant from submitting an entry; (ii) unauthorized human intervention in the sweepstakes; (iii) printing errors; (iv) errors in the administration of the sweepstakes or the processing of entries; or (v) any error, omission, interruption, deletion, defect, delay in operation or transmission, communications line failure, theft or destruction or unauthorized access to, or alteration of, entries. The Released Parties are not responsible for any problems or technical malfunction of any telephone network or telephone lines, computer online systems, servers, or providers, computer equipment, software, failure of any email or entry to be received by Sponsor on account of technical problems, human error, or traffic congestion on the Internet or at any website, or any combination thereof, including any injury or damage to participant's or any other person's computer relating to or resulting from participation in this sweepstakes or downloading any materials in connection with this sweepstakes. In the event Sponsor or its agents are prevented from continuing the sweepstakes as contemplated by any event beyond its control, including, but not limited to fire, flood, earthquake, explosion, labor dispute or strike, act of God, riot or civil disturbance, terrorist threat or activity, war, or any federal, state, or local governmental law, order, or regulation, or order of any court or other cause not within its control, Sponsor and its agents shall have the right to modify, suspend, extend, or terminate the sweepstakes. SHOULD A PROGRAM BE CANCELLED, SPONSOR’S ONLY OBLIGATION IS TO APPLY THAT AWARD TO ANOTHER TERM OR PROGRAM. 

9. PUBLICITY By accepting the Prize, where permitted by law, the Prize winner grants to the Released Parties and those acting pursuant to the authority of Sponsor and the Released Parties (which grant will be confirmed in writing upon Sponsor’s request), the right to print, publish, broadcast and use worldwide IN ALL MEDIA without limitation at any time and in perpetuity the winner’s full name, portrait, picture, voice, likeness and/or biographical information for advertising, trade, and promotional purposes in connection with the Sponsor, this sweepstakes, and the Sponsor’s websites, subdomains thereof, and its digital media channels, without further payment or additional consideration, and without review, approval or notification. 

10. PRIVACY NOTICE By entering this sweepstakes, any personal information entrants submit will be disclosed to the Sponsor and will be used only by us consistent with our Privacy Policy. Sponsor may use entrants’ personal information, including postal and email addresses, to contact entrants regarding Sponsor’s goods and services and any other offers and/or promotions that we believe may be of interest to entrants. (If you have previously asked us not to send you promotional emails, your entry into this promotion and sweepstakes will cause you to receive emails related only to this promotion). 

11. LAW / DISPUTE RESOLUTION This sweepstakes will be governed by and interpreted under the laws of the State of Delaware, without regard to its conflicts of laws provisions. Any and all disputes, claims, and causes of action arising out of or in connection with this sweepstakes shall be resolved individually, without resort to any form of class action. Any action or litigation concerning this sweepstakes shall take place exclusively in the federal or state courts sitting in Portland, Maine, and you expressly consent to the jurisdiction of and venue in such courts and you waive all defenses of lack of jurisdiction and inconvenient forum with respect to such courts. ANY CLAIMS, JUDGMENTS AND/OR AWARDS SHALL BE LIMITED TO ACTUAL OUT-OF-POCKET COSTS ASSOCIATED WITH ENTERING THIS SWEEPSTAKES. YOU HEREBY WAIVE ANY RIGHTS OR CLAIMS TO ATTORNEYS’ FEES, INDIRECT, SPECIAL, PUNITIVE, INCIDENTAL, OR CONSEQUENTIAL DAMAGES, WHETHER FORESEEABLE OR NOT AND WHETHER BASED ON NEGLIGENCE OR OTHERWISE. 

12. ODDS Odds of winning depend upon the number of eligible entries received during the Entry Period. This sweepstakes is intended to be advertised as follows: (i) on the CIEE.org website; and (ii) on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and other social media channels. 

13. WINNER LIST For the name of the winner, available after April 1 2026 (“Winner’s List Date”), send a stamped, self-addressed envelope (except where prohibited) and a note identifying the name of this sweepstakes, within 45 days after the Winner’s List Date to the Sponsor at the address set forth above, Attention: Marketing Department/Early Bird Fly Free Sweepstakes.