Scholarship provides aid to students abroad

Last spring, two Augustana students were given the chance to enrich their study abroad experiences with the Benjamin A. Gilman International Scholarship.

The Gilman Scholarship provides grants to students who wish to study abroad, but may not be financially able. Students must already be receiving a Pell Grant as part of their financial aid package to be eligible for the scholarship.

Senior biology and government major Ryan Lee was one of the students selected among entrants from across the nation for a grant to study abroad in Salzburg, Austria.

"It's a great scholarship for those who want to go overseas, but who don't have the available funding," Lee said.

Apart from financial need, the program also looks for students who are interested in areas that are usually considered atypical for study abroad.

"The Gilman Scholarship seeks to promote diversity in study abroad," Associate Director of International Programs Ben Iverson said. "It is very broadly conceived and looks at socioeconomic background, ethnicity, location, majors, gender, etc."

"Part of the application is explaining why you are unique," Lee said. "Its purpose is to promote study abroad for people who normally wouldn't have the option. The more unique you make yourself, the better chance you have."

The application process for the scholarship is competitive. Applicants must submit a statement of purpose and must also demonstrate strong academic achievement.

"The application has a lot of components included, but since studying and traveling abroad are things I really love, it wasn't too difficult to put together a few essays," senior nursing major Lauren Stephens, who was awarded the scholarship to study in Durban, South Africa, said.

Students are required to spend at least 28 days in the same country, so multi-country or shorter trips (like those offered during j-term) are ineligible. According to Iverson, all of Augustana's successful applicants within the last few years have been on either semester or year-long trips.

Upon their return, students must also complete a follow-up project in which they promote international education and the opportunities the Gilman Scholarship provides.

Depending upon the size of need, the program awards up to $5,000 toward an individual student's study abroad costs.

"I was able to use the Gilman to not only pay for tuition and plane tickets, but I was also able to to use the scholarship to stay in South Africa for two weeks after the conclusion of my semester and travel with friends," Stephens said.

Lee also used his scholarship to assist with extra travels.

"It didn't pay just for school," Lee said. "It gave me funds to travel around on my own, which I would not have been able to do otherwise."

"The Gilman is a very competitive and somewhat time consuming project," Stephens said. "But if you take the time to put together a compelling application, the results can change what you expected from your time abroad. The Gilman really helped me experience more parts of South Africa than I ever could have without."

For more information on the Gilman scholarship, visit www.iie.org/gilman.