Study Abroad Options
There are a number of resources available to you when selecting a study abroad program. Most students consult their study abroad office, the IIE Washington office, the IIE publications Academic Year Abroad or Short-Term Study Abroad, or www.iiepassport.org online.
The Boren Scholarship online application requires you to designate both a program sponsor and a program name. IIE/NSEP classifies all study abroad programs as falling within the following six categories:
- U.S. Institution with Its Own Program: This option is open to all applicants. Many study abroad programs are run directly by American post-secondary institutions. Many students enroll in programs run by their own or another university. When applying for NSEP funding to cover this option, you must select the institution name for the sponsor category. Example: Sponsor: State University; Program Name: State University in Prague.
- U.S. College/University Consortium Program: This option is open to all applicants. Some U.S. institutions work collaboratively to offer programs for students attending a number of different colleges or universities. When applying for programs in this category, you must select the consortium name for the sponsor category. Example: Sponsor: Consortium of Southern Colleges; Program Name: Language and Culture Program at Moscow State University.
- Study Abroad Organization: This option is open to all applicants. Study abroad organizations are independent organizations providing programs for students interested in particular fields of study and countries. When applying for these types of programs, please select the organization name as the sponsor. Example: Sponsor: Study Abroad Organization; Program Name: Yunnan Province, Language and Cultures.
- Foreign University with Its Own Program: This option is open to all applicants. Many foreign universities have established programs for international students. If the foreign university has a special program structure in place for foreign students, IIE/NSEP does not consider the program to be direct enrollment (see option entitled, Individually Arranged Study), and does not require accompanying letters of support. When applying for programs of this nature, you should select the name of the foreign university as the sponsoring organization. Example: Sponsor: American University of Cairo; Program Name: Arabic Language Unit.
- The Language Flagship Program: This option is open to applicants who have an advanced level proficiency (2+ on the ACTFL scale) in Mandarin Chinese, or Russian. Boren Scholars can participate in the overseas component of either of these Flagship programs. In addition to applying for the Boren Scholarship Program, the applicant must apply directly for admission to the Flagship Program of his or her choice. The overseas component of each of these Flagship Programs entails an immersion language program with participation in a professional externship. When applying for such a program, you should select the names of the domestic and foreign universities as your sponsoring organizations. Example: Sponsor: Brigham Young University; Program Name: Chinese Overseas Flagship Program.
- Individually Arranged Study: This option is available only to juniors and seniors. Applications involving direct foreign university enrollment or individually arranged supervised study will be judged on their feasibility and on each student's ability to succeed in the proposed situation. Both options require letters of support from both the home and foreign institution to supplement the Boren Scholarship application. There are two types of individually arranged study.
- Direct enrollment in a foreign institution: Some students are interested in direct enrollment at universities that do not have programs in place to support foreign students. If you are interested in this option, you should thoroughly investigate all foreign university and language requirements to make sure that this is a viable option for you. When applying for such a program, you should select the name of the foreign university as the sponsoring organization and "Direct Enrollment" as the name of the program. Example: Sponsor: Harbin Normal University; Program Name: Direct Enrollment. You may need to call IIE/NSEP at 1-800-618-6737 to have the direct enrollment option added to the application drop-down menu.
- Individually arranged supervised study: Advanced students with strong language skills are eligible to apply for NSEP funding to cover individual study projects abroad. The students should formulate their proposals in conjunction with both an academic advisor at their home campus and at least one university professor at the foreign institution. IIE/NSEP anticipates that few scholarships for individually arranged study will be granted. When applying for such a program, you should select the name of the foreign university as the sponsor and the name of your research project as the program. Example: Sponsor: National Taiwan University; Program Name: Genotypes of the Hepatitis B Virus in Taiwan. Alternatively, you can select the name of your home institution as the sponsor and designate your program name as "Independent Study." Example: Sponsor: State University; Program Name: Independent Study. You will need to call IIE/NSEP at 1-800-618-6737 to have the name of your independent study added to the application drop-down menu.
- Direct enrollment in a foreign institution: Some students are interested in direct enrollment at universities that do not have programs in place to support foreign students. If you are interested in this option, you should thoroughly investigate all foreign university and language requirements to make sure that this is a viable option for you. When applying for such a program, you should select the name of the foreign university as the sponsoring organization and "Direct Enrollment" as the name of the program. Example: Sponsor: Harbin Normal University; Program Name: Direct Enrollment. You may need to call IIE/NSEP at 1-800-618-6737 to have the direct enrollment option added to the application drop-down menu.