High School Study Abroad Scholarships

Academic Merit + Financial Need scholarship: Any current freshman, sophomore, or junior who is a U.S. citizen or permanent resident may apply. Students may submit a new application each year if they have declined Academic Merit + Financial Need scholarship awards from previous years within the accept/decline window. Students who confirmed travel and cancelled later or who failed to communicate their accept/decline decision within that window are not eligible to apply.  

Students who have traveled on an Academic Merit + Financial Need scholarship in previous years are not eligible for the scholarship again. However, they are still eligible for an Academic Merit Only scholarship and an alumni discount. 
 
Academic Merit Only scholarship: All high school students may apply.  

1. Click “Apply” or “Apply Now” on any of our high school summer abroad program pages.  

2. Once you create an account or log in and start an application, you will be asked: “Do you want to apply for a scholarship?” Select the type of scholarship you’re interested in (Academic Merit + Financial Need or Academic Merit Only).  

3. The application will be slightly different when you apply for an Academic Merit + Financial Need scholarship than when you apply for an Academic Merit Only scholarship. For the Academic Merit + Financial Need scholarship, you will select your top three choices for programs (you must include at least 1 Language & Culture program). For the Merit Only scholarship, you will apply directly to your top choice program. 

Note: When you apply for an Academic Merit + Financial Need scholarship, we will do our best to award you a scholarship for one of your top choices. However, if program spots have been filled, you may be awarded a scholarship for another program. 

During the application process, you will need to provide the following: 

High school scholarships to study abroad aim to make the cost of studying abroad with CIEE more affordable. CIEE awards millions in scholarship awards each year to help cover the program tuition (this is the price listed on every high school summer abroad program page of our website).  

All our CIEE Global Navigator High School Summer Abroad programs offer scholarships. Our Multi-Destination program "Global Entrepreneurship & Innovation in Europe" only offers Merit Only scholarships.

If you need financial aid to be able to participate on program and can meet the eligibility requirements, you should apply for the Academic Merit + Financial Need scholarship. 

If you don’t have a financial need or you have received an Academic Merit + Financial scholarship in the past, you should apply for the Academic Merit Only scholarship. 

All scholarships are competitive. Academic Merit + Financial Need scholarships are based on a combination of the level of need, merit, and passion for our programs. Your transcript, GPA, a teacher recommendation, and the quality of your application are factors in judging merit. 

Academic Merit Only scholarships are based on your transcript, GPA, a teacher recommendation, and the quality of your application.   

You must ask for a recommendation from any teacher who has had you in class for at least six months and is not related to you. You can choose any teacher from any subject. They don’t have to teach the language/subject of the high school summer program you’re interested in. Choose the teacher that knows you best. 

Note: It will be your responsibility to make sure your teacher receives the recommendation form (we will send it by email) and completes it by the scholarship deadline. 

Academic Merit + Financial Need scholarship announcements will go out the week of March 20. You will have 10 days after announcements go out to accept or decline the award. 

Academic Merit Only scholarships are awarded on a rolling basis, typically within two weeks of submitting the application. 

We award millions in scholarship funds every year. These scholarships are competitive based on academic performance. If you have a strong academic track record, we strongly encourage you to apply!  

Historically, more scholarship money is awarded to students in our Language & Culture programs. If you’re interested in High School Summer Abroad Language & Culture programs, you may have a really good chance. 

If you do not receive a scholarship but you still want to travel with us, give us a call at 1-866-583-0332. We can talk about program availability and the process of traveling without a scholarship.  

If you are unable to travel without a scholarship, we encourage you to apply again next year if you are still eligible.