Best travel scholarships for college students


As much as you will learn at college, there is nothing quite like the education that is available to you if you hop on an airplane and explore the world. Unfortunately, college isn’t exactly a time in your life when you are rich in money, even if you want to be rich in experiences. Thankfully, there is a whole load of scholarships and grants that will allow you collect stamps in your passport without breaking the bank.

AIFS Study Abroad Scholarships, Grants and Financial Support

Offering more than just money (although they do award over $800,000 every year across 18 different grants and scholarships!), AIFS also offers support and protection to students, as well as setting up social and cultural activities to really help students acclimate to their country of choice, and make the most of their time abroad.

The Fulbright Program

With hundreds of programs in over 160 countries, this grant is one you have likely heard of. Fulbright works with the U.S. Department of State’s Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs (ECA) to give students the opportunity for once-in-a-lifetime experiences, such as heading to Iceland to study the glaciers or visiting Luxembourg to work with the US Embassy. The application for this program is heavy, so give yourself plenty of time to work on it.

Fund for Education Abroad (FEA)

The FEA requires one application that will then put you in the running for ten different scholarships. They prioritize students who are from minority groups, although they allow anyone to apply; however one caveat is that all FEA Scholars have to blog at least once a week while they are studying abroad – but who wouldn’t want to look back on all their adventures in 10 years time!?

GoEuro Study Abroad Scholarship

Fancy studying beneath the Arc de Triomphe? Crossing Abbey Road? Or making a wish in the Trevi fountain? GoEuro offers ten scholarships every year for participating colleges, of €2,000 which is approx. $2,400. The application is just a short, two-minute survey, or enter their Instagram competition for one of two €500/$600 awards. Use a creative image or video that represents the European country that you’d like to study in with @goeuro and #goabroad plus a caption explaining why you want to go there.

Ashley Soule Conroy Foundation Scholarship

Ashley Soule was a student who loved to travel but sadly passed away while studying abroad in India in 2016. To celebrate her life and wanderlust, her parents created a foundation to award $4000 to students to allow them to get the most out of studying abroad. A great way to honor the memory of Ashley.

Benjamin A Gilman International Scholarship

This scholarship is all about the importance of learning about the world if you are ever going to help change it. Gilman can cover the full cost of your trip, and offers over 2,900 travel scholarships every year! The amount is based on each student’s needs but will be up to $5000. Gilman’s scholarships stretch across 145 different countries, so the world really is your oyster!

CEA Scholarships

It is really worth applying for a CEA Scholarship, as almost 100% of applicants receive some form of aid for their adventure – in fact, they give out around $2 million every year! The scholarships are categorized as merit-based, diversity and need-based, as well as offering vouchers and guidance for up to 20 studying abroad destinations.
Don’t let the money side of things stop you from studying abroad. An experience like that is truly priceless, and as you can see, there are plenty of programmes willing to help you out along the way.

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