No, only U.S. citizens currently enrolled as undergraduate students at a U.S. institution of higher education and participating in a study abroad program of up to one academic year are eligible for the Gilman Program. The Gilman Scholarship does not fund full-degree study overseas.

One avenue you should explore is to see if the institution you wish to attend abroad is eligible to receive federal financial aid. There are a number of institutions abroad that would be eligible to receive U.S. financial aid and you can search for these online at the FAFSA website. Once there you will need to choose the Find My School Codes option and do a school code search. Within the search screen select Foreign Country as the school state. A list of institutions abroad that are eligible to receive federal financial aid will then pop up. If your school is listed you would use their designated school code to apply for financial aid just as you would if you were attending a U.S. institution.

You should also contact the university abroad directly and find out if they offer any financial aid or scholarships for incoming international students. Some countries will also allow student visa holders to work on a part-time basis, which might also help fund your degree overseas. The international student office at your university abroad should be able to assist you in finding out what the relevant regulations are for students studying there.

For the Fall cycle programs must begin between July 15 and October 15, excluding summer-only study abroad programs. For the Spring cycle programs must begin between December 15 and April 15. Thus the Spring cycle would include most Winter Inter-session and Spring Break programs.

Summer programs are not eligible for the Gilman Scholarship as there is no summer cycle nor are awards made for summer-only study abroad. For information on other study abroad scholarships that you can refer your students to please access the Study Abroad Resources page of the Gilman website.

The Statement of Purpose essay is an opportunity for students to share with the selection panels the reason behind their choice of program and the impact that it will have on them academically, professionally, and personally. All applicants should ensure they clearly explain their choice of program but this is especially important for those applying for programs of less than one quarter in length.

When composing your Statement of Purpose essay it is helpful to address the impact that your study abroad program will have on your academic, professional, and personal goals. You should also address the impact that receiving the Gilman Scholarship would have on your achievement of these goals. Some key ideas to keep in mind are:

• What impact will this study abroad program and receiving the Gilman Scholarship have on my academic goals? Will I be able to take coursework abroad towards my major or minor requirements? Will I be able to take electives or pursue further language training not available to me on my home campus? How will this study abroad program impact any future academic goals, such as obtaining a graduate degree, that I may have?
• What impact will my choice of country have on my experience abroad? What initially inspired me to want to study abroad in this particular country or learn this language? What factors led to my choice of country of study.
• What impact will my choice of program have on my experience abroad? Are there unique components, such as home-stays, that will impact my experience abroad?
• What impact will this study abroad program and receiving the Gilman Scholarship have on my professional goals? How does my study abroad program relate to my future professional goals? Will I be able to pursue internship or volunteer opportunities that support my overall career goals? Will I be able to learn skills or conduct research that will be necessary to me in my future career?
• What impact will this study abroad program and receiving the Gilman Scholarship have on me personally? On a personal level, what initially inspired me to want to study abroad in this particular country or learn this language?
• What challenges, if any, have you faced in your decision to study abroad? What impact would receiving the Gilman Scholarship have on these challenges? For example do you face familial obligations or concerns that hinder your ability to study abroad? Other examples include, but are not limited to, being a non-traditional student, having a learning or physical disability, being in a field of study for which it is difficult to incorporate study abroad, etc.

The most critical aspect of this and any other essay for a nationally competitive scholarship is to ensure that it is proofread prior to submission. Applicants that do not have their essays proofread compete poorly during the selection process and generally will not receive a scholarship award. Compose your essay first in Microsoft Word so that you may keep a copy and forward it to your advisors for review and approval. Then simply copy and paste your essay into the application screen. Keep in mind the online application does not have a spell or grammar check function nor are these tools always reliable.

"Prior to going abroad, I'd already given presentations on Japan to a local elementary school. This year my presentations were expanded to include two more classrooms where I brought examples of Japanese culture such as music, writing, utensils, and of course pictures of the country. The teachers and students enjoyed the presentation so much, that although they were supposed to move on to another part of the world, the children continued learning and doing different activities about Japan until the end of the school year."
- Gilman Scholar from Emory University on her Follow-on Service Project

To help expand the impact of the Gilman Scholarship all Gilman Scholars are required to carry out a follow-on project upon their return from abroad that helps to promote international education and/or the Gilman International Scholarship. This project can be done on your home campus or in your local community and must be completed within six months of your return home. All applicants must submit a project proposal within their application and this proposal is closely reviewed during the selection process. When composing your project proposal it is helpful to keep the following in mind:

• Who is my target audience and how am I going to reach them? Will I carry out this project on my campus or in my local community? What impact will my project have on this group and how will my project interest my target population in international education and/or encourage them to apply for the Gilman International Scholarship?
• How will I inform members of my target audience about my project? What arrangements will I need to make to publicize my project? For example, will I post notices to all Pell grant recipients on campus via email or send invitations to presentations to members of a specific campus population?
• Are there already established campus or community organizations, offices, student groups or networks that I can utilize in reaching out to my target audience? How will working with these groups/offices help benefit and expand the impact that my project will have?
• What is the timeline for my project and how will this impact my target audience? For example, will I return in time to present at a campus study abroad fair or if your project involves working with a local K-12 classroom will that class be in school when you return and are completing your project?
• How will I carry out my project? Are there methods I can utilize, such as power point presentations, websites, slide shows, photos, etc., that can assist me in achieving my project goals and reaching my target audience? What impact will the methods I use have on my audience?

However, the most critical aspect of this and any other essay for a nationally competitive scholarship is to ensure that it is proofread prior to submission. Applicants that do not have their essays proofread compete poorly during the selection process and generally will not receive a scholarship award. Compose your essay first in Microsoft Word so that you may keep a copy and forward it to your advisors for review and approval. Then simply copy and paste your essay into the application screen. Keep in mind the online application does not have a spell or grammar check function nor are these tools always reliable.

Gilman Scholars have proposed and carried out a wide range of follow-on projects. Each cycle a variety of follow-on projects are submitted and there is no right or wrong proposal. We encourage all applicants to propose a unique follow-on project that highlights their individual background, experiences abroad, talents and skills. We have listed below some examples of the types of projects Gilman Scholars have carried out. This is by no means an exhaustive list and we look forward to continue to receive unique, individual proposals from all applicants.

Some examples of Follow-on Projects include:

• K-12 Outreach: Some projects Gilman Scholars have carried out include a) conducting presentations on their country of study to local elementary classrooms; b) working with a local teacher to incorporate study of a specific country into the curriculum through photos, letters and emails from the Gilman Scholar while they are abroad and everyday items the student bring back with them from their host country (i.e. newspapers, fast food menus, magazines, clothing, school textbooks, local toys, etc.); c) organizing a pen-pal program between a local classroom and a classroom in the student's host country; d) organizing and/or working with their university K-12 outreach program which brings international students into local classrooms to present and share information on their home countries; e) participating in their local high school College Night to share information on study abroad opportunities and scholarship; f) working with/giving presentations on study abroad to high school language or area studies classes; g) working with/giving presentations on study abroad and scholarships to programs that mentor at-risk high school students such as the Upward Bound program.
  
• Academic Department Outreach: Students in fields of study traditionally under-represented in U.S. study abroad often choose to focus on their academic department when carrying out their project. Examples of these projects include a) development of a study abroad information page for the department website that lists a suggested academic timeline that allows students to incorporate study abroad into their degree, information on the university-approved study abroad programs that offer coursework and academic credit in their field of study, and links to scholarships and financial aid information that support these opportunities; b) presentations on study abroad at academic club or honor society meetings; c) development of a brochure or informational-flyer specific to that field of study that is then posted in the study abroad office; d) serving as a mentor/peer advisor to potential study abroad students in their field of study; e) submitting an article to their academic department newsletter on their experiences abroad either while the student is still overseas or upon their return.
  
• Campus Office Outreach: Students often propose to work with a specific on-campus office including the Diversity/Minority Services offices, Disability Services offices, the Financial Aid office, Student-Leadership office, and other campus offices. Examples of these projects include a) working with the university office to help promote and encourage study abroad opportunities through presentations to student clubs and organizations and through office organized events; b) posting information on the Gilman Scholarship in specific campus offices; c) adding a web page to the office website that highlights study abroad opportunities and information that would be of help/interest to students; d) serving as an office representative at campus fairs and events and through this sharing information on study abroad and the Gilman Scholarship.
  
• Study Abroad Outreach: This is the most common type of follow-on project students propose. Examples of these projects including a) volunteering or working in the study abroad office as a Peer Mentor/Advisor to potential study abroad students; b) representing the study abroad office at presentations/information sessions on study abroad; c) ensuring the study abroad office website has a Scholarship Information page and that a link to the Gilman Scholarship is provided; d) submitting an article on their experiences abroad to the Study Abroad office newsletter either while they are still abroad or upon their return; e) developing an informational flyer/brochure on university-specific financial aid procedures for study abroad and available scholarships which is then housed in the study abroad office; f) participating in/organizing a Study Abroad Alumni society which assists returned and potential study abroad students; g) serving a resource person for a specific country/program/field of study that would advise/assist potential study abroad students.
  
• Other Outreach: There are a variety of other types of programs that students have proposed. Some examples include a) while the student is abroad they submit a weekly or monthly article on their experiences overseas to their campus or hometown newspaper thereby sharing information with a wide range of readers; b) submitting an article on their experiences abroad to their campus or hometown paper upon their return to the U.S.; c) working/volunteering with a local refugee or immigrant organization thereby utilizing the inter-cultural skills they acquired overseas; d) working/volunteering as an interpreter with a local organization in need of those skills; e) participating in/organizing an on-campus International Student buddy program that links incoming international students with past study abroad students to assist in their adjustment to the U.S. and the university - this may be an especially effective option for those campuses that have exchange programs with a university overseas; f) participating in campus or local international events such as an International Fair, Chinese New Year or other celebration; g) working with another local organization to share information on study abroad and the country they studied in with their members; h) presenting on study abroad opportunities and the Gilman Scholarship at Freshman Orientation or in First-Year Experiences courses thereby encouraging students to consider study abroad earlier rather than later.

A complete application consists of 1) Online Student Section, 2) Online Study Abroad Advisor Certification, 3) Online Financial Aid Advisor Certification and 4) Official University Transcript (sent via U.S. mail).

Study abroad advisors will be asked to verify that you are applying to a credit-eligible study abroad program; whether you have previously studied abroad before and your study abroad program information. Financial aid advisors will be asked to verify whether you are currently receiving a Federal Pell grant and the estimated amount of financial aid you can apply to your program.

Advisors will receive an email immediately after you submit the student section asking them to certify your application. It is very important that you contact your university study abroad and financial aid office prior to submitting your application to ensure you have the correct contact information and a valid, working email address for each advisor. The Gilman Program is not responsible for incorrect email addresses or contact information.

Your application is not considered complete until all sections are completed by the stated deadlines. It is your responsibility as an applicant to ensure that advisors are aware of and complete their portion of your application by the stated advisor deadlines. Please consult the Fall or Spring Timeline for more information. Late or incomplete applications will not be accepted.