Study Abroad Funding Sources

WMU Study Abroad Scholarships

WMU Office for Study Abroad Scholarships

Part of the Haenicke Institute for Global Education, the Office for Study Abroad has internal and external scholarships that can be combined with Lee Honors College study abroad scholarships. For a complete list, including a needs-based scholarship for Pell Grant recipients, language awards, and unique scholarships for specific programs, visit their website.

Global Engagement Program

The Haenicke Institute for Global Education offers students free access to their Global Engagement Program. Prepare for a globalized world on campus, in the classroom, and abroad! By earning points toward Global Bronco, Global Explorer, and Global Citizen status, you can earn unique scholarships and set yourself apart from your peers in a shrinking world. You may already have earned some points without knowing it. Best of all, these scholarships can be combined with Lee Honors College study abroad scholarships. For more information, visit the Global Engagement website.

Nationally Competitive Scholarships

Alfred Russel Wallace Grants

Operation Wallacea (a network of academics from European and North American universities who design and implement biodiversity and conservation management research programs).
U.S. undergraduate students looking to join one of the Operation Wallacea biodiversity teams.
One grant of $1,500; one grant of $750; and three grants of $500.
Visit the Operation Wallacea website for more information and to apply.

Benjamin A. Gilman International Scholarship

U.S. Department of State, Bureau of Education and Cultural Affairs.
Applicants must be Pell Grant recipients and are encouraged to select underrepresented destinations and study critical need languages.
Up to $5,000; Critical Need Language Awards up to $8,000.
The March 2024 application will open in mid-January 2024 for applicants whose in-person programs or internships start between May 1, 2024 to April 30, 2025. The application deadline is Thurs., March 7, 2024 at 11:59 p.m. Pacific.
For more information and to apply, visit the Gilman website.
WMU campus representative is Dr. Lee Penyak.

Boren Scholarship

Boren Scholarships and Fellowships provide unique funding opportunities for U.S. undergraduate and graduate students to study less commonly taught languages in world regions critical to U.S. interest, and underrepresented in study abroad including Africa, Asia, Central and Eastern Europe, Eurasia, Latin America and the Middle East.
Boren Award amounts are based on the length of time the Boren Scholar or Fellow spends overseas and the cost of the program. Boren Scholarships can provide undergraduate students with up to $20,000 and Boren Fellowships can provide graduate students with up to $30,000.
Boren Scholars and Fellows represent a vital pool of highly motivated individuals who wish to work in the federal national security arena. In exchange for scholarship and fellowship funding, Boren Award recipients commit to working in the federal government for at least one year after graduation.
Deadline: Early February
WMU deadline: Early January

Bridging Scholarship

U.S. - Japan Bridging Foundation and the American Association of Teachers of Japanese.
U.S. citizens.
$2,500 for one semester; $4,000 for academic year; summers not funded.
For more information and to apply, please visit the Bridging website. 2023-2024 scholarships are closed, keep an eye on their website for 2024-2025 application availability.

Critical Language Scholarship

U.S. Department of State, Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs.
Recipients must study a critical foreign language, continue their language study beyond the scholarship period, and apply their critical language skills in their future professional careers.
Covers all program related expenses, including domestic and international travel between the participant's U.S. home city, Washington, D.C., and the CLS program site; related costs for a mandatory Pre-Departure Orientation in Washington, D.C.; applicable visa fees, language instruction, room, board, program sponsored travel within the host country; all entrance fees for CLS Program cultural enhancement activities.
Applications open in fall.
For more information please visit the website.

DAAD RISE

Deutscher Akademischer Austaushdienst (German Academic Exchange Service)
Research Internships in Science and Engineering.
Biology, chemistry, physics, earth sciences and engineering undergraduates complete summer internships with research groups at universities and top research institutions across Germany. The working language is English.
Please visit the DAAD website for more information and to apply.
Check out the other DAAD scholarships available.

FEA General Scholarship

Fund for Education Abroad.
U.S. citizens.
Up to $10,000.
For more information and to apply, please visit the FEA website.

Humanity in Action Fellowship

HIA brings together international groups of university students and recent graduates to explore national histories of discrimination and resistance, as well as examples of issues affecting different minority groups today. Fellows of the Humanity in Action Fellowship are placed in one of five cities: Amsterdam, Berlin, Copenhagen, Paris or Warsaw. U.S. Fellows participate in a special orientation program at the Council on Foreign Relations and the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum in Washington, D.C.
HIA covers the costs of participation and accommodation during the fellowship programs and the cost of airfare to Washington, D.C. and provides a modest stipend for meals. Fellows are responsible for financing the cost of round-trip airfare from the United States to their program city. HIA will cover this cost for Fellows with documented need. Fellows should also plan to bring spending money of approximately $750 for food and social activities.
For more information and to apply, please visit Humanity in Action's website, 2024 applications will open soon.

Summer Institutes for U.S. Undergraduates

U.S. - UK Fulbright Commission.
U.S. citizens with a minimum cumulative GPA of 3.5 and two years remaining of undergraduate study apply to one of several dedicated summer programs in the United Kingdom.
Covers the majority of participant costs, including round-trip airfare, tuition and fees, accommodation and meals and, in some cases, a small daily allowance.
Application is generally available mid-November.
Please visit the Fulbright Commission's Summer Institute website for more information.

ThinkSwiss Research Scholarship

Application deadline December 31, 2023.
Swiss government (Also check out the ThinkSwiss Summer School Travel Grants).
Sophomore or above at start of scholarship with acceptance into a Swiss research group.
Monthly scholarship of CHF 1,050 (~$1,100) for two to three months (CHF 3,150 maximum).
Please visit the ThinkSwiss website for more information.

Lee Honors College