Are you a Pell Grant recipient, or the child/dependent of active U.S. military personnel, who is thinking of studying abroad in 2025-26? If so, consider applying for the Benjamin A. Gilman International Scholarship Program! Nearly 3,000 Gilman scholarships of up to $5,000 are awarded each academic year!
The below information is taken from the Benjamin A. Gilman Scholarship website.
BENJAMIN A. GILMAN PROGRAM OVERVIEW
The Benjamin A. Gilman International Scholarship Program enables students of limited financial means to study or intern abroad. Award recipients are chosen by a competitive selection process and must use the award to defray eligible study or intern abroad costs. These costs include program tuition, room and board, books, local transportation, insurance, international airfare, and passport and visa fees.
The Gilman Scholarship Program broadens the student population that studies and interns abroad by supporting undergraduates who might not otherwise participate due to financial constraints. The program aims to encourage students to study and intern in a diverse array of countries or areas and world regions. The program also encourages students to study languages, especially critical need languages (those deemed important to national security). Veterans of military service are encouraged to apply, and preference is given to veterans when other factors are equivalent. By supporting undergraduate students who have high financial need, the program has been successful in supporting students who have been historically underrepresented in education abroad.
ADDITIONAL AWARD OPPORTUNITY: GILMAN-McCAIN SCHOLARSHIP FOR MILITARY FAMILIES
If your parent or guardian (or your spouse) is active or activated U.S. military personnel, you should also consider applying for this separate award (in addition to the standard Benjamin A. Gilman award). The Gilman-McCain scholarship requires that students receive ANY type of Title IV federal financial aid during the study abroad program; it is not limited to Pell Grant recipients. Please go to the Gilman-McCain website for additional information about this award. The information that follows in this article is focused specifically on the Benjamin A. Gilman International Scholarship.
APPLICATION CYCLE & DEADLINE
The Gilman application cycle is now open for programs with start dates between May 1, 2025 to April 30, 2026. This cycle encompasses Maymester 2025, Summer 2025, Fall 2025, academic year 2025-2026, and Spring 2026 abroad programs or internships. The application deadline is March 6, 2025.
ELIGIBILITY
Undergraduate students in good standing, who are U.S. citizens or nationals receiving federal Pell Grant funding are eligible to apply for the Benjamin A. Gilman Scholarship. Students must be in the process of applying to, or be accepted to, a credit-bearing study abroad or internship program.
CRITICAL NEED LANGUAGE AWARD
Applicants who are studying a critical need language while abroad can apply for a supplemental award of up to $3,000, for a combined total of $8,000. A list of eligible languages can be found on the Critical Need Language Award page.
MORE INFORMATION & DETAILS
Additional information about the Gilman International Scholarship can be found on their website by clicking on the following links:
NEED HELP PLANNING YOUR STUDY ABROAD EXPERIENCE?
Schedule an appointment with a study abroad adviser – we’ll help you find the program that’s right for you. You can also join the Study Abroad page on Engage, and follow us on Instagram and Facebook.
International Programs
074 Peggy Ryan Williams Center
(607) 274-3306
studyabroad@ithaca.edu
