There are a number of donor-funded Study Abroad Merit-based scholarships available to students participating in Study Abroad programs that include travel, lasting for a semester, academic year, summer or winter. Applicants for scholarships should review all requirements necessary prior to submission of applications, including eligibility (3.5 GPA), required components, deadlines, etc. Any incomplete applications or attempted submissions after the published deadlines will not be accepted. These scholarships do not apply to virtual programs.

Application process

First (if you haven't already), log-in to complete the General Application and then complete the desired Study Abroad scholarship application. To find all Study Abroad opportunities, use the Scopes (key word) "Study Abroad". The merit scholarship application is available on the Iowa Scholarship Portal.

Semester/Academic Year Scholarships: To apply for any of the semester/academic year merit scholarships, applicants should complete ONE Semester Merit Scholarship Application  along with any other requirement(s) listed specific to the scholarship. This process will result in the submission of ONE application, required essays, required reference letters, and grade reports.

Winter or Summer Scholarships: To apply for any of the winter or summer merit scholarships, applicants should complete ONE Summer Merit Scholarship Application along with any other requirement(s) listed specific to the scholarship. This process will result in the submission of ONE application, required essays, required reference letters, and grade reports.

The Reference letters from faculty or teaching assistants will be requested through the Iowa Scholarship Portal when the applicant provides the email addresses. Referees will upload their Reference letters directly into the Portal.

Deadlines - Iowa Scholarship Portal 

Winter: October 1

Spring: October 15

Summer: March 1

Fall: March 15

Application

Semester/Academic Year/Summer/Winter
Fill out Scholarship application

Merit-based Awards

Bedell World Experience Asia Scholarship: The Bedell World Experience Asia Scholarship is available for an eligible undergraduate student wishing to study in a geographical area where Japanese, Chinese, or Korean is the primary language. This competitive, merit-based scholarship is designed for undergraduate students who are native residents of Iowa. In addition to the merit component, successful applicants will also show demonstrated financial need.

Drs. Michael L. and Darlene M. McNulty Scholarship: The Drs. Michael L. and Darlene M. McNulty Scholarship will provide competitive, merit-based scholarships for undergraduate students who study abroad in West Africa, preference Ghana.

James L. and Rubie S. Watson Study Abroad Scholarship: The James L. and Rubie S. Watson Study Abroad Scholarships will be awarded to undergraduate students who study abroad in one or more of the following countries and territories: China, Japan, Korea, Taiwan, Hong Kong, India. Students with diverse majors in a variety of disciplines are encouraged to apply for this scholarship.

Joel D. and Sandra Barkan Scholarship: The Joel D. and Sandra Barkan Scholarship will be awarded to students who study abroad in various non-Western European geographical areas (also excluding Australia and New Zealand). Eligible undergraduate, full-time, degree-seeking students may be pursuing study abroad in countries including sub-Saharan Africa, Asia (including Central Asia), Latin America, and the Middle East (including North Africa).

Naomi Gunderson Scholarship For Foreign Language Study Abroad: The Naomi Gunderson Scholarship will be awarded to undergraduate students who are committed to developing advanced language proficiency. Students must have completed at least one year of language study prior to the application deadline.

Richard J. Tyner Scholarship: The Richard J. Tyner Scholarship will provide competitive, merit-based scholarships for undergraduate students in the UI College of Liberal Arts and Sciences majoring in a world language, political science, international relations, or international studies, who are participating in a study abroad program or an international internship program through International Programs.

Stanley Merit-Based Scholarship: The Stanley Merit-Based Scholarship is a competitive, merit-based scholarship designed for undergraduate students who will study abroad.

Stuart A. Lundquist Memorial Fund Scholarship: This competitive, merit-based scholarship will be awarded to an undergraduate student who is pursing a major/minor in French (first preference) or English (second preference) and studying abroad in France for at least one semester. Students who graduated from Rockford Auburn High School in Rockford, Illinois (primary) or Illinois (secondary), in addition to other requirements, will be shown preference.