The Benjamin Gilman Scholarship offers a unique opportunity for community college students to study or intern abroad despite financial constraints. The program is sponsored by the U.S. Department of State and is designed to enhance U.S. national security and economic prosperity by equipping students with critical language skills, including Japanese. Applicants must be receiving the Federal Pell Grant. The Benjamin Gilman Scholarship will cover up to $3,000 for the study aboard program.
- Eligibility: US citizen, undergraduate with good standing, receiving Federal Pell Grant, enrolled in a credit-bearing study/intern program in countries with Travel Advisory Level 1 or 2.
- Application Cycle opens: The application opens approximately one-and-a-half to two months before the application deadline.
- Students submit applications: Applicants must submit their applications through the Gilman Online Application System.
- Study Abroad and Financial Aid Advisors certify submitted applications: Both a study abroad advisor and financial aid advisor from the applicant’s home institution must certify specific information in the application.
- Gilman Program screens eligibility of submitted applications: The Gilman Program screens the applications to ensure eligibility based on the provided information.
- Selection Panelists recommend eligible applications: Selected panelists review the eligible applications and recommend those deemed suitable for further consideration.
- U.S. Department of State reviews and approves recommended applications: The U.S. Department of State reviews the recommendations made by the selection panelists and approves the final list of scholarship recipients.
- Gilman Program sends award notifications to all applicants: All applicants are informed of their status via email, typically in May for the March 2024 Deadline and December for the October 2024 Deadline.
