Getting Started
Financial Assistance
The cost of study abroad varies among different programs based on the cost associated with traveling to a specific location, the duration of the program, the sponsoring institution, etc. The good news is that there are several financial resources available to you; you just need to dedicate some time to inquire about your options.
Study abroad can be very affordable, especially if you qualify for any of the following resources.
Financial Aid
In most cases, you can use any financial aid you are currently receiving to participate in a Texas State study abroad program. Contact the Texas State Office of Financial Aid for more information about this option.
International Education Fee Scholarship ***NEW! Application Form now online!***
If you are an undergraduate student enrolled at Texas State with a GPA of 2.75 or higher or a Texas State graduate student with a Texas State GPA of 3.25 or higher, you can apply for the International Education Fee Scholarship (IEFS). Each year Texas State students receive this scholarship, with about $200,000 available annually for study abroad.
Background
The mission of the Study Abroad Program at Texas State University-San Marcos is to provide students in all areas of academic interest and levels a variety of educational choices abroad. The International Education Fee (IEF) funds the International Education Fee Scholarship program and assists in that mission by making funds available to qualified students who want to study abroad. The 72nd Texas State Legislature passed the IEF Bill, giving authority to the governing boards of all higher education institutions to charge and collect a $1.00 fee from all students who register each semester or summer session. Texas State University-San Marcos began collecting the fee in the 1992 fall semester and was approved to raise the fee to $3.00 starting in the 2002 fall semester
Eligibility
The IEF Scholarship is distributed in a competition open to all undergraduate and graduate Texas State students who meet the established eligibility requirements. To be eligible, undergraduate students must be enrolled at least part-time at Texas State with a minimum cumulative Texas State GPA of 2.75. First-semester transfer students must have an admission GPA of at least 2.75. Graduate students must be enrolled at least part-time at Texas State with a minimum cumulative Texas State GPA of 3.25. Each applicant is required to be enrolled full-time in study abroad, unless otherwise stated in the inter-institutional agreement or specified by the program requirements. International students at Texas State, like all other Texas State students, are eligible to apply for a Texas State-approved study abroad program. However, no money will be awarded to international students for study at Texas State University-San Marcos or in their home country. Students who are on academic or disciplinary probation/suspension are not eligible. All applicants must be Texas Success Initiative compliant and must be in attendance at Texas State University-San Marcos during the semester that precedes their study abroad.
Award Selection Process 40 if high need 30 if medium need 20 if low need 10 if long term (more than three months abroad 5 if short term (0-3 months abroad) 10 if first-time recipient 0 if prior recipient
Category Number of Points 1. Texas State cumulative GPA Multiply your Texas cumulative GPA by 10. 2. Financial need (determined by the Financial Aid and Scholarships Office) 3. Length of program 4. Prior IEFS recipient
Learn about the IEFS by viewing the IEFS Slide Show. Read more and apply by completing the online IEFS Application.
Gilman International Scholarship Program
The Gilman Scholarship is sponsored by the U.S. Department of State, Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs and is administered by the Institute of International Education. Gilman Scholarships provide awards of up to $5,000 for U.S. undergraduate students who are receiving federal Pell Grant funding at a two-year or four-year college or university to participate in study abroad programs worldwide. During the 2010-2011 academic year, over 2,300 scholarships will be awarded.
In order to be eligible, students must be enrolled as an undergraduate student at a two or four-year U.S. institution and must meet the following criteria:
- U.S. citizen
- Receiving a Federal Pell Grant at the time of application or during the term of study abroad
- Participating in a study abroad program that is no less than four weeks long and no more than an academic year
- Receiving academic credit for their study abroad program
- Studying in any country not currently under a U.S. State Department Travel Warning or Cuba
For more information about the Gilman Scholarship, application deadlines and timeline, and the application process, please visit the Gilman website at www.iie.org/gilman, contact the Gilman Program at 713-621-6300 ext. 25 or e-mail gilman@iie.org. Before you apply for the Gilman Scholarship, please contact Texas State Study Abroad Programs, 302 Academic Services Building-North.
Freeman-ASIA Program
The Institute of International Education is pleased to announce that funding for the Freeman-ASIA Program has been approved for two years, beginning with the summer 2011 term. The application system will open in January 2011, and grants will be offered for summer, semester, and academic year terms.
Detailed information is available at http://www.iie.org/programs/freeman-asia.
Sigma Delta Pi Scholarships for Spanish Majors or Minors
Texas State Spanish majors or minors who are active members of the Spanish National Honor Society, Sigma Delta Pi, may be eligible to apply for Sigma Delta Pi undergraduate scholarships. For additional information on eligibility and the 29 scholarship awards for the summer of 2011 and the 2011-2012 academic year, see the Sigma Delta Pi Undergraduate Scholarship web page.
Rocky Mountain Regional Scholarships
The Institute of International Education (IIE) Rocky Mountain Regional Center offers competitive scholarships for outstanding students at IIE Educational Associate member institutions in the 16-state Rocky Mountain region, which includes Texas. The scholarships are awarded annually.
Scholarship applications can be found at http://www.rockymountainiie.org/scholarships.
Exchange Programs
Foundations and Private and Public Organizations
In addition to the financial assistance you can pursue at Texas State, there are resources such as foundations and private and public organizations that provide financial assistance for study abroad. Private organizations and associations related to your field of study or destination are worth consulting, as well as ethnic organizations.
The following resources contain useful information on this financial assistance:
Online
- FinAid: The SmartStudent Guide to Financial Aid
- www.ed.gov/index.jhtml
- FastWeb
- StudyAbroad.com
- StudyAbroadFunding.org - More Scholarships Have Been Added
Publications
- A Student’s Guide to Scholarships, Grants, and Funding Publications in International Education and Other Disciplines, Michigan State University, Rm.209, Office of International Studies and Programs, East Lansing, Michigan (April 1997). Contains 79 pages of annotated bibliographical information on references and websites.
- Scholarships, Fellowships and Grants for Programs Abroad (American Collegiate Service, 1989).
- Marie O’Sullivan, ed., Financial Resources for International Study, Institute of International Education, New York(1996).
- Worldwide College Scholarship Directory, Dan Cassidy.
Boren Awards for International Study
Boren Scholarships and Fellowships provide unique funding opportunities for U.S. undergraduate and graduate students to add an important international and language component to their educations. Boren Scholarships and Fellowships focus on geographic areas, languages, and fields of study that are critical to U.S. interests and underrepresented in study abroad.
Boren Scholarships provide up to $20,000 for an academic year’s study abroad. Boren Fellowships provide up to $30,000 for language study and international research.
Applications and detailed information on the Boren Scholarships and Fellowships are now available on www.borenawards.org.
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