Gilman fellowship Program for Us STudents to STudy Abroad

Benjamin A. Gilman
International Scholarship Program

Program Overview
Welcome! We appreciate your interest in the Benjamin A. Gilman International
Scholarship Program. This program offers a competition for awards for study
abroad, for US citizen students who are receiving federal Pell Grant funding
at a 2-year or 4-year college or university.
This congressionally funded program is offered through the Bureau of
Educational and Cultural Affairs of the U.S. Department of State and is
administered by the Institute of International Education. Selected by
competition, recipients are awarded up to $5000 to defray the costs
associated with studying abroad.

Program Objectives:

Financial Need:  Expand Opportunities for study abroad for students whose
demonstrated financial need might otherwise preclude them from such an
experience.

Diversity of Participants:  Encourage participation by a diverse,
gender-balanced student population, including diverse ethnic groups, people
with physical challenges, non-traditional students, and other
underrepresented populations.

Fields of Study: Encourage participation by students in a broad range of
fields of study, including those not traditionally represented in study
abroad.

Country Distribution: Encourage participation in a wide range of countries,
including non-traditional study abroad locations.

US Institution and State Distribution: Encourage participation by a wide
variety of two-year and four year institutions from a diverse range of U.S.
States, including those not traditionally represented in study abroad.

Previous Experience Abroad: Encourage participation by students who have not
studied abroad.

According to statistics published in the Institute of International
Education's Open Doors, the number of U.S. students participating in study
abroad has increased 45% over the past four years, rising to an
unprecedented 129,770 students in the academic year 1998-1999. This trend
confirms what many college educators have told their pupils: Study abroad
provides a uniquely rewarding component to any educational experience.
Participants in study abroad programs are given exposure to exciting new
perspectives and develop a greater awareness of international, political,
and economic issues. Furthermore, the experience can be life-changing by
fostering interpersonal relationships and encouraging multicultural
understanding.



Gilman International Scholarship Program
Institute of International Education
515 Post Oak Blvd., Suite 150
Houston, TX 77027-9407

e-mail: [email protected]
http://www.iie.org/gilman/