Overview

With support from the Stanley-UI Foundation Support Organization, the Global Access Ambassador Scholarship program provides awards to study abroad for a summer, winter, semester, or academic year program. The scholarships are intended to support students who study abroad with the intent to serve as Global Access Ambassadors upon return to the UI campus.

As a Global Access Ambassador, you will be asked to submit a photo and an open letter to prospective students or suggest an alternate means of sharing with prospective students upon return. By writing insightful letters and sharing pictures about your new surroundings, cross-cultural observations and personal growth, your words can inspire other students to go abroad and challenge them to rethink how study abroad experiences can be for everyone. You will also be invited to share your experiences abroad with prospective students on campus through outreach events.

Global Access Ambassador awards are intended to facilitate reflection on identity as it is shaped by culture, challenges overcome, or lessons learned. As a Global Access Ambassador, you are encouraged to think about key aspects of your personal identity that are important to you and how those aspects of self are perceived or experienced differently in a new cultural context abroad.

Up to ten (10) - $1,000 Global Access Ambassador Scholarships for Study Abroad programs will be awarded for each of the spring, fall semesters, academic year, summer, winter sessions. This scholarship is not renewable.

Eligibility Requirements

  • undergraduate, full-time, degree-seeking UI student in good academic and disciplinary standing
  • plan to participate in an approved study abroad program during the academic semester/summer or winter session

Recipients of the Global Access Ambassador Scholarship who apply for other awards may receive need-based grants or merit-based scholarships concurrently.

Special Considerations

  • University of Iowa students who are planning to study abroad and who have a history of overcoming adversity to pursue higher education or education abroad are encouraged to apply for a Global Access Ambassador Scholarship.
  • If there are any special considerations, concerns or barriers to your participation in study abroad that you would like us to be aware of or help you address, please do not hesitate to discuss these with your study abroad advisor. You may also contact our office regarding barriers to participation issues via e-mail: study-abroad@uiowa.edu.

Applicants may apply for need and/or other financial awards concurrently; review other award categories on our web page to determine your eligibility for other opportunities.

Global Access Ambassador Scholarship recipients are not eligible to receive the scholarship in subsequent sessions to allow the greatest number of students to receive this award.

Application Procedure

To apply for a Global Access Ambassador Scholarship, complete the application below for review by the Study Abroad scholarship committee.

Global Access Ambassador Application

Submission Deadline

Summer 2025: Thursday, March 6

Fall 2025: Thursday, March 13

For more information about UI's efforts to create a welcoming climate for students from communities underrepresented in higher education, visit the Civil Rights Compliance website.

About the Stanley-UI Foundation Support Organization

Max and Betty Stanley

C. Maxwell (Max) and Elizabeth (Betty) M. Stanley were exemplary visionary leaders in philanthropic and educational endeavors. They strove to promote public understanding, constructive dialogue, and cooperative action on critical international issues and worked to recognize the essential roles of both the policy community and the broader public in building sustainable peace.

Alumni of The University of Iowa and longtime active volunteers and generous supporters of the institution, the Stanley's created The Stanley-University of Iowa Foundation Support Organization in 1979, which provides funding for projects across The University of Iowa.

Meet some of our Global Access Ambassadors

Meredith Arnold posing in front of a ferris wheel

The city that stole my heart: studying abroad in London

Tuesday, April 8, 2025
“If I could leave you with one piece of advice from my trip, it would be this: it is never too late to begin your greatest journey.”
Natalie Kehrli looking at waterfall in Dominican Republic

Breaking barriers: A first-generation student’s journey in the Dominican Republic

Tuesday, April 8, 2025
Natalie Kehrli, a Global Access Ambassador and senior majoring in psychology, participated in the Women’s Empowerment in the Dominican Republic program.
Thomas Lehmkuhl Ireland

A year in the life: Settling into the Irish experience

Thursday, March 6, 2025
Global Access Ambassador Thomas Lehmkuhl, a double major in political science and history, participated in the Iowa Regents in Ireland: University College Cork Program.
Ty Ahmed

International business differences between Australia and the U.S.

Thursday, March 6, 2025
Global Access Ambassador Ty Ahmed, a double major in finance and risk management & insurance, participated in the International Business in Sydney Program.
Sade Olawoye Letters

Tips for solo travel while studying abroad: South Korea edition

Thursday, March 6, 2025
“By the end of the break, I couldn’t remember what I was so scared of before. This trip completely changed the course of my study abroad experience, and I ended up visiting nine cities in total outside of Seoul.”
Jace Storey

First-generation student and mother reflects on life in Athens, Greece

Wednesday, March 5, 2025
“For other students wondering if studying abroad is worth it, I can say with certainty: go for it. You don’t have to be an expert traveler or know everything about another culture before you go.”