General Education Abroad Scholarships

• Bridging Scholarships

  Geared toward U.S. undergraduate students who learn for one semester or an academic year in Japan, the U.S.-Japan Bridging Foundation helps students prepare for future global leadership roles.

  • Eligibility: Undergraduate U.S. citizen students majoring in any field of study at UCR are eligible to apply for Bridging Scholarships. Students must study for at least 3 months in Japan and transfer the credit back to UCR. 
  • Language: No Japanese language prerequisite.  
  • Awards: $3,500 (semester) or $6,000 (academic year).
  • Annual Deadline: March 15.

  Bridging Foundation Website

• Boren Scholarships and Fellowships

  This award is for students from a variety of academic backgrounds, though STEM majors are preferred. Undergraduate students apply for Boren Scholarships, and graduate students apply for Boren Fellowships. All applicants apply separately to participate in language-intensive study abroad programs in underrepresented countries critical to U.S. national security interests. 

  • Eligibility: Undergraduate or graduate U.S. citizen students majoring in any field of study at UCR can apply for a Boren award (however, some majors like STEM majors are preferred). You must plan to study one of these preferred languages (Spanish is not a preferred language) and in one of these countries.
  • Language: No language prerequisite but all applicants should study one of these preferred languages.
    • Consider applying for one of these unique summer+fall Boren language programs: the African Flagship Languages Initiative (French, Swahili, Akan/Twi, Wolof, or Zulu), the Indonesian Flagship Language Initiative, the South Asian Flagship Languages Initiative (Hindi or Urdu), or the Turkish Flagship Language Initiative.
  • Awards: $8,000 (8-week program) to $25,000 (up to 52-week program).
  • Annual Deadline: Late January.
  • Recommendation Letters: Two to three.
  • Essays: Two.

  Boren Awards Website

  Questions about Boren? Want someone to look at your essays? Email sonjal@ucr.edu.

• Critical Language Scholarship (CLS) Program

  Offered by the U.S. government, the Critical Language Scholarship (CLS) Program is fully-funded and offers intensive summer language institutes overseas in "critical need" (under-studied) languages. Awarded with the expectation that they will apply their critical language skills in their future professional careers. If you are applying for academic credit, you must work with the UCR Education Abroad office. Email us at educationabroad@ucr.edu.

  • Eligibility: Undergraduate or graduate U.S. citizen students majoring in any field of study at UCR can apply for CLS. No minimum GPA requirement.
  • Language:
    • Required language prerequisite: Arabic (one year), Chinese (two years), Japanese (two years), Korean (one year), or Russian (one year).   
    • No language prerequisite: Azerbaijani, Bangla, Hindi, Indonesian, Persian, Portuguese, Swahili, Turkish, or Urdu.
  • Awards: Fully-funded travel and program costs.
  • Annual Deadline: Mid-November.
  • Recommendation Letter: None is required.
  • Essays: Four (three short sections and one statement of purpose).

  CLS Scholarship Website

  Questions about CLS? Want someone to look over your essays? Email sonjal@ucr.edu.

• Deutscher Akademischer Austausch Dienst (DAAD) Scholarship

  Supporting 50-60 U.S. and Canadian undergraduates each year, the DAAD Scholarship funds study, senior thesis research and internships in Germany from four to ten months.

  DAAD Website

• Frederick Douglass Global Fellowship

  To increase access to education abroad by more students at minority serving institutions (MSIs), the Council on International Educational Exchange will cover 100 percent of program fees and travel costs for 10 students from 10 different MSIs each year to participate in a four-week summer education abroad program. To become a Frederick Douglass Global Fellow, students must be nominated and receive letters of recommendation from the president of their institutions. Due EARLY OCTOBER. For more information on the partnership between the Penn Center for Minority Serving Institutions and the Council on International Educational Exchange, please click here.

  Frederick Douglass Global Fellowship

• Freeman Asia Scholarship

  Supporting U.S. undergraduates who learn overseas in East or Southeast Asia, the Freeman-ASIA (Freeman Awards for Study in Asia) helps to increase the number of students with first-hand exposure to—and understanding of—the people and cultures of Asia. If you plan to apply, please make an appointment with a UCR Education Abroad Advisor to discuss this scholarship opportunity by sending an email to educationabroad@ucr.edu.

  Freeman Asia Scholarship 

• Fulbright Scholarship

  Formed in 1946, the Fulbright Program is the flagship international educational exchange program sponsored by the U.S. government. Since its beginning, the Fulbright Program has helped nearly 300,000 participants to learn, teach and conduct research abroad. 

  Fulbright Scholarship 

• Fund for Education Abroad

  For U.S. citizens or permanent residents of the U.S. (as of May 2015, applications from DACA students are welcome). Students must be currently enrolled as undergraduates at a college or university in the U.S. The education abroad program must be eligible for credit at the student’s educational institution and must include at least four (4) weeks (30 days) in country/countries. The deadline is typically mid-January.

  Fund for Education Abroad  

• Gilman Scholarship

  Targeting U.S. undergraduates receiving Federal Pell Grant funding, the Benjamin A. Gilman International Scholarship Program helps students of limited financial means to learn in non-traditional education abroad destinations.

  Gilman Scholarship  

• IIE Generation Study Abroad Travel Grant

  IIE Generation Study Abroad Travel Grant is  an annual grant hosted by the Institute of International Education. In the past, IIE has awarded grants to 100 students of $2,000 per student.

  IIE Generation Study Abroad Travel Grant 

• StudyAbroad.com

  Choose from scholarships awarded based on merit, diversity factors, your destination, your program or the subject you will study.

  StudyAbroad.com 

• UCEAP Scholarships

  You want to invest in your future by studying abroad, and UCEAP wants to help make that happen. By defraying costs and reducing loan debt, UCEAP scholarships—$800,000 annually—make study abroad accessible to students of all backgrounds and majors. You could be eligible for thousands in scholarships. Whether you're studying in a country in Asia, working at an internship, or going for just a summer, there could be a scholarship tailored for the program of your choice. And it's easy—a single application covers most UCEAP scholarships. But, why stop there? Apply for multiple scholarships and make your dream happen.

  UCEAP Scholarships

• USA Study Abroad

  The U.S. Department of State is committed to supporting the next generation of diverse American leaders to gain the knowledge and skills they need to succeed in a globalizing world.

  USA Study Abroad