Freeman Foundation Scholarship For East Asia Internships

The Freeman Foundation Scholarship for East Asia Internships provides awards ranging from $3,000 - $6,500 to KU undergraduate and graduate students participating in summer or semester-length credit-bearing internships in East or Southeast Asia.  Provided through the generous support of the Freeman Foundation, the scholarship program aims to further strengthen the bonds of friendship between the United States and the countries of East Asia by supporting U.S. students in gaining a deeper understanding of the different cultures, economies, systems and values prevalent in the region.

During the past ten years, Study Abroad & Global Engagement has awarded more than 295 scholarships to KU students interning abroad in China, Hong Kong, Japan, Singapore, South Korea, Thailand, Taiwan and Vietnam.  Study Abroad plans to award approximately 30 additional scholarships in the upcoming academic year.  All eligible students are strongly encouraged to apply.

Eligible Internship Programs in East or Southeast Asia

Students may participate in any credit-bearing internship program offered in one of the following Asian countries: Cambodia, China, Hong Kong, Indonesia, Japan, Laos, Macao, Malaysia, Mongolia, Singapore, South Korea, Taiwan, Thailand or Vietnam.  

The following internship programs are administered directly by Study Abroad & Global Engagement or in collaboration with an approved educational provider in the region:

In addition to these programs offered directly by KU, students may apply for a Freeman Foundation East Asia Internship Scholarship to intern abroad through a non-affiliated organization or internship sponsor.  Students interested in pursuing this option should discuss their plans with Jason Foster, Study Abroad & Global Engagement Internship Coordinator, prior to initiating an application to the host company/organization.

Eligibility

To be eligible for the scholarship award, an applicant must:

  1. Be a U.S. citizen or permanent resident;
  2. Be enrolled at KU as a degree-seeking undergraduate or graduate student in good academic standing;
  3. Have applied to or been accepted to a credit-bearing internship program in East or Southeast Asia that meets the criteria below.

Award recipients will be selected based on the strength and quality of their application materials (statement of purpose and follow-on project proposal).  Preference will be given to students engaging in internship abroad programs of 8 weeks duration or longer, and to students with limited or no travel experience in East or Southeast Asia.  Students who have previously received a Freeman Foundation Scholarship for East Asia Internships are not eligible to apply for a second award.

Awards

It is anticipated that scholarships will be disbursed as follows:

  • Awards of $5,000-$6,000 will be granted to students participating in full-time, summer internships of 8 weeks or more or part-time semester internships.  
  • Awards of $4,000-$5,000 will be granted to students participating in full-time summer internships of 6-8 weeks in duration;
  • Awards of $3,000-$4,000 will be granted to students participating in full-time summer internships of 4-6 weeks in duration.
  • Supplemental awards of up to $500 will be available to Pell-eligible students or students with demonstrable need.

Full-time internships are defined as a minimum of 32 hours/week.  

Follow-on Service Requirements

Upon return from their overseas internship, all recipients of the Freeman Foundation Scholarship for East Asia Internships are required to complete a student impact survey, an outreach service project, and one volunteer engagement coordinated by Study Abroad & Global Engagement. 

The student impact survey will be distributed at the start of the term following completion of the student’s international internship.  The impact survey provides an opportunity for recipients to provide feedback on their internship abroad experiences and share information with Study Abroad & Global Engagement needed for our annual report to the Freeman Foundation. 

The outreach service requirement is an opportunity for each scholarship recipient to share their overseas internship experiences with the broader KU community and to promote interest in internships in East and Southeast Asia.  Students will develop their project ideas as part of their scholarship application submitted to Study Abroad & Global Engagement.  In designing their outreach projects, students should consider their skills and interests in addition to the publicity needs of the KU campus and/or community. 

Lastly, throughout the Fall and Spring semester, Study Abroad & Global Engagement staff will be coordinating events such as fairs, panel presentations, information tables, and orientations to promote international internships and the Freeman Foundation Scholarships.  All recipients are asked to volunteer at one event (approximately 1-2 hours).

All follow-on service requirements must be completed by December 1 for Spring and Summer award recipients and May 1 for Fall recipients.

To Apply

  • Identify and apply for an internship abroad program in East or Southeast Asia that qualifies for a Freeman Foundation Scholarship through KU.  Questions?  Schedule a meeting with the Study Abroad & Global Engagement Internship Coordinator, Jason Foster.
  • Complete the on-line Freeman Foundation Scholarship for East Asia Internships.
  • A complete application consists of a Statement of Purpose, Outreach Service project proposal, and a copy of a student's unofficial transcripts or advising report.

Application deadlines

  • February 1 - deadline for summer and fall programs
  • October 1 – deadline for all spring programs