Gilman Scholarship

Website: Gilman Scholarship

Campus Contacts:

The U.S. Department of State’s Benjamin A. Gilman International Scholarship Program enables students of limited financial means to study or intern abroad, providing them with skills critical to our national security and economic prosperity. To be eligible for the Gilman Program, applicants must be receiving a Federal Pell Grant during the time of application or provide proof that they will be receiving a Pell Grant during the term of their study abroad program or internship. The Institute of International Education has administered the program since its inception in 2001.

While the Gilman Scholarship is competitive, about 1 in 4 (25%) of applicants receive an award.

Who May Apply

U.S. citizens and nationals (e.g., from American Samoa) who are eligible for the federal Pell Grant are the focus of the Gilman program. Applicants must be applying for a credit-bearing international program in one of the countries on the approved locations listing. Applicants must be eligible for the Pell Grant (a need-based federal grant program for U.S. students with the highest financial need, as determined by the FAFSA process and the Financial Aid office) either at the time that the application is submitted, or at the time that the program is scheduled. (You do not have to Pell-eligible at both of those times – only one of them, minimally.)

Eligibility Limitations

  • Open only to U.S. citizens and U.S. nationals. Not available for U.S. permanent residents, DACAmented students, or international students.
  • Must be eligible for the Pell Grant at one or both of the two moments described above.
  • Must be applying for an international experience. The Gilman does not support domestic experiences such as Intern Philly or Semester in the City.
  • All international experiences are eligible as long as they include registration for credit at Earlham College. (This includes, for example, international internships.)
  • Note that virtual international programs and internships are eligible for funding through April 30, 2023. This is a special allowance during the pandemic only.
  • There is no minimum length requirement, so eligible students planning to participate in shorter experiences are eligible.

Award Description and Duration

The award amount typically ranges between $1000 and $5000, with larger awards going to students in semester-length programs. In addition, students studying one of the Gilman Scholarship’s Critically Needed Languages may get an additional amount up to $3000, making the maximum total award $8000.

Application Requirements and Deadline

Applications are accepted in two cycles each year:

  • A deadline in the fall, usually in October, for programs that start between December 1 of that same year and October 31 of the next year. This includes winter break, spring, summer, academic-year, and fall opportunities.
  • A deadline in the spring, usually in March, for programs that start between May 1 of that same year and April 30 of the next year. This includes summer, academic-year, fall, winter break, and spring opportunities.

Note that there are two opportunities to apply for most programs. For example, for a summer 2023 program, both the October 2022 and March 2023 deadlines are viable.

The application is completed in an online applicant system. Applicants must have two certifications, which they request through the online system: one from one of the three program contacts listed above, and one from the Financial Aid office.

Note that the campus contacts listed above are happy to read drafts of Gilman essays and give feedback.

Notification

Winners are announced in November for the October deadline and in April for the March deadline.

Recipients

  • Spring 2020: Kendra Parker, United Kingdom
  • Fall 2016: Bria Walker, Japan
  • Spring 2015: Johnnie Fitzpatrick, Spain
  • Spring 2015: Imani Lewis-Norelle, United Kingdom
  • Fall 2015: James Johnson, Ecuador
  • Spring 2013: Alyssa Stankiewicz, Spain
  • Fall 2012: Shannon Herbert, Japan
  • Summer & Fall 2011: Broguen Whetstone, Japan
  • Fall 2010: Kaitlyn Husar, India
  • Fall 2009: Chelsea Smith, India
  • Fall 2008: Daemon Wolf, Japan
  • Fall 2007: Nicole Rioux, Japan
  • May Term 2005: Courtney Mitchel, India
  • May Term 2004: Isaiah Rembert, French West Indies