One of the biggest myths about going overseas is that it’s outrageously expensive — but the reality is there are hundreds of organizations offering scholarships & grants dedicated to helping students realize their study and volunteer abroad dreams.
So before you get discouraged by the price of the program you have your heart set on, remember that there are millions of dollars out there available to students just like you. All you have to do is strategically select which opportunities you’re eligible for and be willing to put the hard work into preparing those applications.
At Global Nomadic, we believe all students can have the opportunity to study, volunteer, and work abroad — experiences that profoundly shape the individual and contribute to a more conscientious global society.
Because we want as many people to have these opportunities as possible, we’ve sifted through the internet to come up with 50 of the best scholarships that will help you make traveling overseas a reality.
Once you have found your opportunities, read our Ultimate Guide to Successfully Applying & Getting a Scholarship to Travel Overseas!
[Last Updated March 2019]
General Study, Volunteer and Travel Abroad Scholarships
Eligibility: Open to all applicants.
We are proud to announce our Scholarship programme for 2019. Simply submit your 2-minute video to enter for your chance to win a $500 USD credit to be used for any of our programmes. We have also teamed up with our partners Global Travel Academy and World Nomads, to get you a Certificate in International Volunteering, and 2 weeks complimentary Travel Insurance.
Eligibility: Open to students enrolled in any institute of higher education in specified regions
Offers up to €500 grants to students from Europe, the Americas, and Australia who are studying at select universities in Indonesia, Thailand, China, Malaysia, Japan, and South Korea.
Eligibility: Must be a US citizen or permanent resident
Offers a range of scholarships with an emphasis placed on supporting students who are underrepresented in the study abroad population. Awards up to $10,000 for academic year programs or $5,000 for semester programs for US undergraduate students.
4. Rotary Ambassadorial Scholarships
Eligibility: Open to citizens of any of the countries where Rotary Clubs exist
Awards range from $13,000 to $25,000 for an academic year, multi-year, or 3-6 months of cultural immersion abroad. Applicants must be a citizen of a country that has Rotary Clubs and have completed at least two years of university coursework.
5. UniPlaces Scholarship
Eligibility: Open to students from any country
Live rent-free for a semester by applying for the Uniplaces Scholarship. The criteria: tell UniPlaces about acts of kindness you’ve done! Two scholarships are available to students worldwide.
6. David L. Boren Undergraduate Scholarships
Eligibility: Must be a US citizen to apply
Supports US undergraduate students with awards of between $2,500 and $20,000 to study abroad in exchange for a commitment to seek work with the federal government. Must be studying in regions of critical interest to the US (i.e. Western Europe, Canada, Australia, and New Zealand are excluded).
Eligibility: Must be a citizen of a Chevening-eligible country
Funded by the UK government and open to graduate students worldwide, this grant helps recipients study at a British university.
8. Critical Language Scholarship (CLS) Program
Eligibility: Must be a US citizen, permanent residents are not eligible
Fully-funded intensive summer language programs sponsored by the US government to expand the 
number of students mastering critical foreign languages like Arabic, Chinese, Korean, Russian, Farsi, and Japanese. Must be a US citizen to apply.
9. Confucius Institute Scholarships
Eligibility: Open to students worldwide
Confucius Institutes promote the study of Chinese language and culture around the world and provide generous scholarships of all types of students to study Chinese.
10. BUNAC Educational Scholarship Trust (BEST)
Eligibility: Must hold a UK passport
Multiple awards for students from the United Kingdom to undertake post-graduate study in North America. Awards range from £2,000 and £10,000. Must be a UK passport holder to apply.
11. The Study Abroad Journal Scholarship
Eligibility: Open to all students enrolled in a US college or university, including international students
$500 awards based on how you creatively record and share your memories from study abroad with the world. Application includes a response to a short answer question and a photo/video submission via Instagram. Open to US and international students enrolled in US universities.
12. uVolunteer Travel Scholarship
Eligibility: Anyone from any country over the age of 18
Covers the full cost of volunteering abroad in Costa Rica for 3 weeks, including airfare and housing. Applicants must submit a video demonstrating their dedication to making a difference in their home community.
13. Cultural Vistas Fellowship
Eligibility: Must be a US citizen to apply
Covers the majority of the costs for 12 underrepresented US university students to take part in eight-week summer internships in Argentina, Germany, and India.
14. Fulbright Scholars Program
Eligibility: Must be a US citizen, permanent residents are not eligible
Fulbright offers multiple awards for English-teaching, research, creative storytelling, and graduate study.
15. Allianz Global Assistance ScholarTrips Award
Eligibility: Must be a US resident
Up to six $2,500 awards to study or volunteer in the country of your choice are available if you answer the question “What inspires you to travel abroad?”
16. Hostelling International USA Explore the World Scholarship
Eligibility: Must be a US citizen or permanent resident.
A generous scholarship that plans to award approximately 100 young people (ages 18-30) $2,000 awards for overseas experiences that have an educational or service component.
17. Benjamin A. Gilman Scholarship
Eligibility: Must be a US citizen to apply
Sponsored by the U.S. Department of State, this grants offers up to $5,000 annually to students who will participate in study or intern 
abroad programs worldwide. Open to undergraduate students who are receiving Federal Pell Grant funding at a two-year or four-year college or university.
18. Go Overseas Study and Intern Abroad Scholarship
Eligibility: Open to all students enrolled in a US college or university, including international students
Go Overseas sponsors $500 awards for US undergraduate students to study, volunteer, or intern abroad. Rewards creative approaches to their application.
19. Tortuga Backpacks Travel Scholarship
Eligibility: Must be a US citizen, permanent resident, or currently studying in the US on a student visa
Tortuga Backpack’s mission is to “help people take amazing trips.” Awards $1,000 and a Tortuga backpack for students from any US university studying abroad. Applicants don’t have to be US citizens or residents if enrolled in an American university.
20. Freeman Awards for Study in Asia (Freeman-ASIA) Scholarships
Eligibility: Must a US citizen or permanent resident currently enrolled in a two-year or four-year college or university in the US
Provides scholarships for US undergraduate students with demonstrated financial need to study abroad in East or Southeast Asia for semester, summer, or academic year programs. Awards range from $3,000 to $7,000.
Eligibility: Candidates must be US citizens and nominated by one of 75 participating institutions
The Luce Scholars Program provides financial support to college seniors, graduate students, and young professionals who want to enhance their understanding of Asia. The program provides stipends, language training, and professional placements for approximately 15 scholars every year.
22. Omprakash Ambassador Travel Grants Volunteer Grants
Eligibility: Open to ethical volunteers from all backgrounds
Omprakash is dedicated to ethical cross-cultural volunteering. Their travel grants pay the travel and living expenses for individuals volunteering abroad within the Omprakash network of health, education, and environmental partner organizations. Applications are considered independently of age or nationality.
22. Hispanic Association of Colleges and Universities (HACU) Grants
Eligibility: Must be enrolled as a full-time undergraduate student at a HACU-member institution.
HACU provides scholarships to students studying with their numerous study abroad partner organizations.
23. Travelocity Travel for Good
Eligibility: Must a US citizen or permanent resident
Every year Travelocity provides travelers with awards to volunteer abroad with one of their partners. Submissions are done via Twitter or Tumblr — with big points for creativity!
24. Volunteer Forever Scholarship
Eligibility: Open to residents of the US, Canada, UK, Australia, New Zealand, and the European Union
Awards travel scholarships of $500 to $1,000 to study, volunteer, teach, or work abroad participants. Applications are open twice every year.
25. Samuel Huntington Public Service Awards
Eligibility: Open to anyone from a US college or university, including non-US citizens
This generous scholarship provides a $15,000 stipend for a college senior to pursue one full year of meaningful public service anywhere in the world after graduation. Applicants don’t have to be US citizens or residents as long as they are graduating from a US university.
Program-Specific Scholarships
There are numerous scholarships that are program-specific. If you’ll be traveling with any of these programs, make sure to apply for their grants — or see if the program you’ve already chosen has a similar offering. If you’re still undecided on which provider you’ll go abroad with, you can start by prioritizing the organizations that offer financial support to their own participants.
26. CIEE Scholarships and Grants
27. School for International Training (SIT) Scholarship
28. DIS Scholarships (Scandinavia)
29. Academic Studies Abroad (ASA)
30. IFSA-Butler Study Abroad Scholarships
31. Academic Programs International (API)
32. The Education Abroad Network (TEAN Grants)
33. ISA Scholarships
34. CEA Study Abroad Scholarships
36. American Institute for Foreign Study (AIFS)
37. The Intern Group
38. Eastern European Study Abroad Program
Destination-Based Grants
If you’ve already decided on where you want to travel to, you can look for scholarships based on your destination. There’s an incredible wealth of both private and government-funded scholarships on every continent, so here are just a few to get you started. Most of these are open to students from all countries, but check all eligibility requirements before applying.
40. Kosciuszko Foundation for study in Poland
41. Go Overseas New Zealand Scholarship
42. Swiss Government Excellence Scholarships
43. Australia Awards
44. Shanghai Government Scholarships
45. Swedish Institute Study Scholarship (SISS)
46. German Academic Exchange Scholarships (DAAD)
47. Korean Government Scholarship
48. VLIR-UOS Awards for study in Belgium
49. New Zealand Pacific Scholarships
50. Holland Scholarship for study in the Netherlands
While we’ve been able to generate an extensive list of scholarships and grants available for study and volunteer abroad, this is not an exhaustive compilation. In addition to browsing here, make sure to explore financial aid options offered directly through your university and through your prospective study abroad or volunteer program. You should also check for support offered by your home country as well as the government of the country you plan on visiting.
