KU Study Abroad Scholarships

KU strongly supports the transformative nature of study abroad experiences. Study Abroad & Global Engagement as well as many departments and offices at KU devote funds to the establishment of study abroad scholarships for KU students. Additionally, KU alumni and friends who recognize the value of study abroad in themselves or a family member have donated money to create opportunities to help fellow Jayhawks continue the tradition of studying abroad.

KU Study Abroad & Global Engagement Merit and Financial Need Scholarships 

With generous support from alumni, donors, the chancellor, the provost, and KU International Affairs, Study Abroad & Global Engagement (SAGE) is able to provide more than $200,000 per year in total scholarship funding for study abroad. 

SAGE administers competitive merit and need scholarships through a common online scholarship application. Students eligible for both scholarships will be considered for both. Awarded students will receive either a merit or financial need scholarship.  

Academic merit scholarships are competitive and are awarded on academic merit as determined by KU GPA and a personal statement. Students applying for an academic year or semester program are eligible.

Financial need scholarships are competitive and are awarded based on financial need as determined by the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA), a financial need essay, and a personal statement. Students are required to have filed the FAFSA for the current year. Students who are applying for any study abroad term are eligible to apply. 

Eligibility

All students must meet the following requirements to apply:

  • Be a degree-seeking undergraduate or graduate student at the University of Kansas;
  • Meet the requirements for the study abroad program to which they have applied;
  • Have started an application for their study abroad program

Scholarship Award Information

Scholarship Award Table of Information
Term of StudyScholarships AvailableAverage AwardApplication DeadlineNotification

 Academic Year & Fall Semester

 Merit & Financial Need  $1,500  March 15  Early April
 Summer Financial Need  $500  March 1

  Late March

 Spring Semester

 Merit & Financial Need  $1,500  October 1  Late October

 Winter Break &   Spring Break

 Financial Need  $500  October 1   Late October

Application Instructions

The application deadline is 11:59 pm on the application deadline, no exceptions. See the deadlines listed above.

The application consists of the following items:

  • Personal statement
  • Advising report
  • Financial need essay (only for students applying for a financial need scholarship)

Successful applicants will have essays that:

  • Clearly speak to why they chose their specific study abroad program;
  • Thoroughly articulate their academic, career and/or personal goals for study abroad, how the program will aid in fulfillment of these goals and how these goals enhance intellectual learning;
  • Are logical, well organized, and free of spelling errors.

Apply for a KU Study Abroad & Global Engagement Financial Need and Merit Scholarship

Many of the funds to support study abroad scholarships come from donors. Students who are awarded a scholarship from a donor may be asked to write a thank you letter to the donor, including information about their plan of study. Additionally, semester and academic year awardees are asked to do an outreach project such as writing essays or providing photos about your time abroad. Students will be notified of any scholarship requirements in their award email.

We thank our donors for providing funds for the KU Study Abroad & Global Engagement Merit and Financial Need Scholarships.


Program and KU Departmental Scholarships 

These scholarships are for a specific program or group of programs and are available due to the generous support of donors as noted below. Additionally, some scholarships are given through a KU academic department. Each scholarship has specific eligibility requirements, so read them carefully. Generally, the application deadline will be March 1 for Academic Year, Fall, and Summer and October 1 for Spring, Winter Break, and Spring Break. Click the application link to see the exact application deadline for each scholarship because some have one annual deadline. 

Program and KU Departmental Scholarships 

As a Global Scholar, Mackenzie Aden (‘18 Cohort) travelled abroad for the first time. Grateful for the opportunity, and especially a scholarship from KU, Aden has established an award to support those currently in the KU Global Scholars Program. Any Global Scholar who has applied to participate in an international study, internship or research abroad program, for which they will earn credit through KU or another accredited institution, is eligible to be considered for this scholarship of $1,000.  Apply for the Mackenzie Aden Scholarship for Global Scholars.

The Center for Latin American and Caribbean Studies (CLACS) offers several awards of up to $600.​ Students must be KU degree-seeking undergraduates who have applied to a program for an academic year, semester, or summer and have a minimum 3.0 GPA. Complete the Center for Latin American & Caribbean Studies Study Abroad Scholarship application to be considered for the awards below.

Anita Herzfeld Award

This award honors Anita Herzfeld, professor emerita of Latin American and Caribbean Studies, former director of the KU Study Abroad and beloved teacher and noted linguist, who retired in 2012 after working to expand international education for KU students during a distinguished career spanning more than fifty years. The award is for study in any Latin American country.

Fund created by estate gift from the late Dean and Elisabeth Collins. Awards up to $10,000 for students on semester or $20,000 for year-long programs to Germany. Open to all majors but preference for students studying music, and particularly opera. Minimum 2.5 GPA requirement. Apply for the Dean and Elizabeth Collins Study Abroad Scholarship scholarship online.

Study Abroad Scholarship

This scholarship is open to KU degree-seeking undergraduate students who have applied to an academic year, semester, or summer study abroad program in a French or Italian speaking country where the student will take a minimum of 6 credit hours in Italian or French Studies that are transferrable as FFIT credit. Popular program options include: Université Catholique de l’OuestParis Summer Language InstituteFlorence Summer Language Institute, and Student Initiated Programs in France or Italy. Multiple scholarships of are awarded each term. The average award is $1,000. Apply for the Study Abroad Scholarship online.

Clyde E. Jacobs Scholarship

Clyde E. Jacobs (January 19th, 1924—June 23rd, 2009) completed his undergraduate degree at KU, and his MA and PhD at the University of Michigan. In 1952 he joined the Department of Political Science at UC Davis, where he taught for many years, and was especially dedicated to undergraduate education. He provided funds to assist French majors studying in France. The Department of French, Francophone and Italian Studies will be awarding a French major studying in France for an academic year, a minimum of one non-renewable study abroad award of $10,000 in honor of Clyde E. Jacobs. We will also offer at least two $5,000 awards for students studying for the semester in his honor. 

Applicants must be French majors who plan on studying in France on an accredited program at a French university. Applicants should have completed FREN 240 or FREN 234. Preference will be given to applicants who intend to spend a semester option or a year (two consecutive semesters) in Angers at the Université Catholique de l’Ouest.

Please contact Professor Caroline Jewers in the Department of French, Francophone and Italian Studies if you have any questions regarding this scholarship.

Apply for the Clyde E. Jacobs Scholarship online.

This fund shall be used to provide scholarships or direct financial support for University of Kansas students performing field studies abroad, with the primary goal of solving real-world human and social problems in different cultural systems. Preference shall be given to senior undergraduate and graduate students in the social sciences who are citizens of the United States and are committed to developing cultural and linguistic fluencies. One award of $1,500 - $2,500 will be available each year.  Apply for the Felix Moos Fund for Field Studies Abroad.

The U.S. Department of Education awards FLAS funding to four area studies centers at KU to provide financial support for less commonly taught languages. Eligible students must be a U.S. citizen, national, or permanent resident and can be a graduate student or an undergraduate with at least intermediate language ability. Students can study domestically and/or abroad. Academic year fellowships provide up to $18,000 for tuition and a $20,000 stipend for graduate students and up to $10,000 for tuition and a $5,000 stipend for undergraduate students. Summer fellowships (for graduates and undergraduates) provide up to $5,000 for tuition and a stipend of $3,500. For more information about FLAS funding and links to the designated area studies centers at KU, visit Foreign Language and Area Studies Fellowships.  

Through generous support of the Freeman Foundation, Study Abroad & Global Engagement is able to award scholarships ranging from $2,000 to $5,000 to KU undergraduate or graduate students participating in a summer or semester-length credit-bearing internships that is at least six weeks. Students must be U.S. citizens or permanent residents and will be required to complete a follow-on project. Read more detailed information on the Freeman East Asia Internship Scholarship page.

Funds provided with support of Mary-Elizabeth Debicki Guinness, former Director of the KU Study Abroad and former wife of Andrew Debicki. Awards up to $2,000 for degree-seeking undergraduate students on ISEP direct exchange programs. Apply online through the Study Abroad Merit and Financial Need Scholarship application.

Funds provided with support of the Honorable Judge Joan Fowler Kessler. One $500 scholarship will be awarded annually. Open to Watkins Scholarship Hall residents who will live in Watkins hall before and after the study abroad program, have demonstrated financial need as determined by the FAFSA, have completed foreign language coursework at KU relevant to her study abroad program, and have applied to a summer, semester, or academic year study abroad program in a country in which English is not the primary language. Apply for the Joan Fowler Kessler Watkins Women Study Abroad Scholarship online.

Funds provided with support of Richard Paegelow, KU study abroad alumnus. This scholarship is open to KU degree-seeking undergraduate students to study at Korea University through KU Study Abroad. Recipients must have successfully completed at least one semester of Korean language course at the University of Kansas prior to the study abroad program, meet the eligibility requirements of Korea University, and enroll in one or more Korean courses while at Korea University. Awards of up to $6,500. Apply for the Korea University Study Abroad Scholarship online.

Fund created with the contribution of Carl Krehbiel to provide support for KU degree-seeking undergraduate students attending one of the German Summer Language Institute programs in Eutin  or Holzkirchen, Germany. Minimum 2.5 GPA requirement. Awards are up to $4,000. Apply for the Carl C. Krehbiel and L. Neil Slentz German Language Summer Institute Scholarship online.

This fund was created through the generosity of the Lipsey family in memory of Lynne Hinkel Lipsey, a Lawrencian who loved the German language and culture and studied and traveled in Germany many times throughout her life. The Lipsey family created this fund to provide direct financial support for students at the University of Kansas pursuing study abroad opportunities in a German-speaking country, and for German-speaking students participating in study abroad opportunities at the University of Kansas through KU Study Abroad.  Support may include providing travel assistance for recipients to visit cultural sites or take part in other activities that provide a deeper understanding of the society, culture, and people. One non-renewable award of up to $2,500 will be given to a KU student studying abroad for a semester or academic year in a German-speaking country, and one award will be given to a German student studying at KU. Preference will be given to students engaging in KU’s reciprocal student exchange programs in Austria, Germany, or Switzerland or students studying at KU from one of these same reciprocal exchange partner institutions.   Apply for the Lynne Hinkel Lipsey Memorial Travel Fund online.

Funds provided by the support of Cheryle A. & Burton MacKenzie through the KU Psychology Department. This scholarship is open to Psychology majors who are participating in a semester-long study abroad experience. Preference given to students studying at the Danish Institute for Study Abroad-Copenhagen,  National University of SingaporeUniversity of BirminghamUniversity of ExeterUniversity of KentUniversity of LeicesterUniversity of New South Wales, or University of Wollongong. Awards based on merit and financial need and are approximately $1,000. Apply for the Cheryle A. & Burton MacKenzie Study Abroad Scholarship for Psychology Majors online.

Created with the contribution of Mark D. McBride, KU alumnus and participant in multiple undergraduate and graduate study abroad programs in Germany, this scholarship provides support to undergraduate students at the University of Kansas who are graduates of a Kansas high school, have financial need and are majoring in German Studies or Slavic Language & Literatures/REES and will be studying in the region. Awards are up to $2,500. Upon return from their study abroad experience, scholarship recipients will be asked to write an essay about how the scholarship made a difference and furthered their academic and professional interests, which will be shared with the donor. Apply online through the Study Abroad Merit and Financial Need Scholarship application.

Funds provided with support of Kevin and Joann Nunnink. Recipients must be undergraduate student participants in the St. Lawrence Catholic Campus Center, have demonstrated financial need as determined by the FAFSA, and graduated high school from a metropolitan area with a population under 75,000 in Kansas, Missouri, Colorado, Oklahoma, Iowa, Arkansas, or Nebraska. Minimum 3.0 GPA requirement. Apply for the Kevin and Joann Nunnink Scholarship online.

Funding provided with the support of Christine Pederson, KU alumnus and former participant in the University of Oslo International Summer School (ISS) in Oslo, Norway. This scholarship provides financial support of up to $5,000 to KU degree-seeking students to participate in the ISS at the University of Oslo. One award available each year. Minimum 2.5 GPA requirement. Apply for the Christine Pederson Fund for the International Summer School at the University of Oslo online. 

The Peter Gilles Springer Fellowship for Study in France is an annual award to support an outstanding graduate student from the departments of French, History, or Political Science. The fellowship shall be used for the student’s studies or research, in France only.  Awards are determined based on both need and merit. The award amount will be between $1,500 and $2,500.  Apply for the Peter Gilles Springer Fellowship.

Funds provided with support of Richard Paegelow, KU study abroad alumnus. This scholarship is open to KU degree-seeking undergraduate students to study at the University of Hong Kong through KU Study Abroad. Recipients must have successfully completed at least one semester of a Chinese language course prior to the study abroad program, meet the eligibility requirements of the University of Hong Kong, and enroll in one or more Chinese courses while at HKU. Awards of up to $6,500. Apply for the University of Hong Kong Study Abroad Scholarship online.

Funding provided with the support of Allan W. Wicker and Edna Elnar-Wicker. Awards are designed to assist degree-seeking undergraduate KU students with demonstrated financial need or high academic merit to participate in semester-long, single country study abroad programs through SIT Study Abroad in conjunction with KU Study Abroad. Eligible students must have a minimum 2.5 GPA and have applied to an eligible SIT program. One $10,000 scholarship will be awarded annually. Apply for the Allan W. Wicker and Edna Elnar-Wicker Study Abroad Scholarship online.

Students can also check with their academic departments and organizations on campus to see if they offer study abroad scholarships or grants. Historically, study abroad awards have been given through Architecture, Art HistoryBiologyBusinessCenter for East Asian StudiesCollege of Liberal Arts and SciencesEngineering, EnglishEnvironmental StudiesGermanHonors, and ROTC Project GO. Additional KU Scholarships can be found through the KU Scholarship Portal database.