External Scholarships
University of Houston students are eligible to apply for the external scholarships listed below. Please note that this is not an all-inclusive list of scholarships. You may be eligible for other scholarships you find outside of this list.
First Generation Scholarships
GO for First is an initiative within the Institute for Global Engagement to support the undergraduate First-Generation Student population at the University of Houston to engage globally. This initiative looks to provide outreach, opportunities, resources, and funding to assist First-Generation students become global citizens through learning abroad and other global experiences.
GO for FIRST: USAC Global Opportunities for First Generation Students
4 $2,000 scholarships will be awarded to students that identify as first generation college students at UH, to be used during summer 2024.- Eligibility requirements:
- Deadline: March 1, 2024 at 11:59pm CST
- Application: Apply Here
- Students must submit their application along with two short essays (500 word max each) on Terra Dotta by the deadline.
- Essay prompts:
- a.) Tell us about your academic, career, or personal goals while you're in college. What impact do you think a study abroad program will have on those goals?
- b.) Why do you think it is important to learn abroad as a First-Generation College Student? What do you hope to gain from your learning abroad experience?
GO for FIRST: CEA/CAPA Global Opportunities for First Generation Students
7 $1,000 scholarships are available for UH first-generation students who study for a semester with CEA/CAPA in Barcelona, London, or Prague for Spring and Fall 2024 admission.
Students can choose between a $750 additional discount or a flight voucher worth up to $1,000.
- Deadline: Rolling Admission
- Application: email our CEA/CAPA partner Derek Shepard for application information.
CEA/CAPA First Generation Opportunity Scholarship
Scholarships for students on CEA/CAPA programs, from $200-$5,000
- Available to first-generation students on programs of three weeks or more on affiliated CEA programs. Scholarship amounts are evaluated based on financial need, as well as the student's reflection on identity, program goals, personal investment, and location choice and is only intended for students who are First-Generation students. This scholarship cannot be combined with other CEA CAPA administered scholarships.
- Applications only accepted if you are also applying for a CEA/CAPA program. Apply on their website here.
Nationally Competitive Scholarships for Learning Abroad
Benjamin A. Gilman Scholarship Program
- Students receiving federal Pell Grant funding during the academic term of his/her application are eligible
- Must be applying to or accepted into a program in a U.S. Department of State Level 1 or 2 location. Click here for more information about Gilman’s Travel Advisory Policy
- Contact: Benjamin A. Gilman International Scholarship Program Contact Page.
- Deadlines:
- October 5, 2023 for the fall cycle
- Amount: Up to $5,000 for semester or academic-year programs
- Can be combined with the Gilman Critical Need Language Supplement for up to $8,000
- Arabic (all dialects); Chinese (all dialects); Bahasa Indonesia; Japanese; Turkic (Azerbaijani, Kazakh, Kyrgz, Turkish, Uzbek); Persian (Farsi, Dari, Kurdish, Pashto, Tajik); Indic (Hindi, Urdu, Nepali, Sinhala, Bengali, Punjabi, Marathi, Gujarati, Sindhi); Korean; Russian; Swahili
- Can be combined with the Gilman Critical Need Language Supplement for up to $8,000
- Note: Students must meet with their Learning Abroad advisor to review their essays before submitting to the online portal for certification. Students are also strongly encouraged to attend the Gilman Writing Workshop before meeting with their advisor.
- Awards up to $5,000
- Undergraduate students only
- Must be U.S. Citizen or permanent resident
- Program must be eligible for credit at the student’s home institution
- Deadline: September 20, 2023
Phi Kappa Phi Study Abroad Grants
Applications portal opens December 15th 2022 for programs starting between May 1, 2023 through June 30, 2024- 125 $1000 grants awarded each year
- Eligibility requirements:
- Undergraduate student with a cumulative GPA of 3.75 or higher. This cannot be rounded up, so GPAs of 3.74 or below will not be considered
- Must have applied to or have been accepted into an accredited study abroad program before the session deadline
- You are not a sitting Phi Kappa Phi board member, divisional vice president, member of the Study Abroad Award committee or Society employee
- Deadline: March 15, 2023
- Currently open for Summer & Fall 2023 programs
- $1,500 Scholarship
- Eligibility Requirements:
- Be a U.S. citizen or permanent resident
- Be a currently enrolled undergraduate or graduate student who will be studying abroad
- Deadlines:
- March 15, 2023 for Summer & Fall 2023 programs
- October 15, 2023 for Spring 2024 programs
Tortuga Study Abroad Scholarship
- Currently open for Fall 2023 programs
- $1000 & a travel backpack awarded
- Eligibility requirements:
- Be a U.S. citizen, permanent resident, or currently studying in the US on a student visa
- Full-time undergraduate student in good standing
- Must be applying or accepted into a program eligible for credit
- Deadline: April 15, 2023
Other Nationally Competitive Scholarships
For information on the Fulbright and other scholarships and fellowships for programs abroad, please visit the Nationally Competitive Opportunities website with the Office of Undergraduate Research.
Scholarship Portals
The following links are to portals listing scholarships offered by many organizations.
Institute of International Education
- Gateway to various scholarships based on merit, need, and major.
- Various scholarships based on merit, applicant demographic information, destination, affiliated program, and/or subject of study.
- Various scholarships based on merit, applicant demographic information, destination, affiliated program, and/or subject of study.
Diversity and Inclusion Scholarships
All students are encouraged to review the opportunities and resources below. Included are merit- and need-based scholarship opportunities.
Affordable Colleges Online - Going Global - Scholarships and resources for students participating in learning abroad programs.
Insight Into Diversity - Study Abroad Scholarship for Underrepresented Students
- Eligibility: U.S. Citizen, Be from an underrepreented group based on race, ethnicity, LGBTQ or Veteran status, or have a physical disability
- Must be applying to or accepted into a program 21+ days in length in a U.S. Department of State Level 1 or 2 location
- Application: Online application, transcript, faculty recommendation letter, program acceptance
- National Deadline: TBA
- Amount: TBA
Diverse International Women of Color (DIWC) Scholarship
Applications for Summer 2023 programs will open March 1st. Applications for Fall 2023 will open June 5th.
- Available to women of color who are currently enrolled as undergraduates in the United States
- Must have GPA of 2.7 or higher
- Must be accepted to an In-Person Summer or Fall 2023 study abroad program (international internship is included)
- Deadline:
- April 17, 2023 at 11:59pm EST for Summer 2023 programs
- July 17, 2023 at 11:59 pm EST for Fall 2023 programs
- Amount: $500 scholarships
- Available to U.S. citizens or permanent residents who are currently enrolled as undergraduates
- Program must be at least 4 weeks long and student must earn UH credit
- Deadline: mid-September 2023 for Spring 2024 programs
- Amount: up to $5,000 for semester programs
National Action Council for Minorities in Engineering
Affiliated Program Provider Scholarships
American Institute for Foreign Study (AIFS)
Council on International Education Exchange (CIEE)
Cultural Experiences Abroad (CEA)
International Studies Abroad (ISA)
Knowledge Exchange Institute (KEI)
School for Field Studies (SFS)
School for International Training (SIT)
University Studies Abroad Consortium (USAC)
Additional Scholarships
- Create a Business Plan Infographic for a chance at a $1000 scholarship award
The Critical Language Scholarship (CLS) Program
- Offered by the U.S. Department of State.
- Must be enrolled in an Undergraduate or Graduate/Doctoral program at an accredited US university and must have completed at least one year (two semesters) of an undergraduate program
- Available languages:
- Azerbaijani, Hindi, Indonesian, Persian, Punjabi, Turkish, Portuguese, & Urdu
- Beginning to advanced levels
- Arabic, Korean, & Russian
- Advanced beginning to advanced levels
- Chinese & Japanese
- Intermediate & Advanced levels
- Azerbaijani, Hindi, Indonesian, Persian, Punjabi, Turkish, Portuguese, & Urdu
- Contact: CLS Program Contact Page
David L. Boren Undergraduate Scholarships (NSEP)
- U.S. citizens at the time of the national application deadline
- A high school graduate, or have earned a GED
- At least 18 years of age or older at the time of the national application deadline
- Program in a country outside of Western Europe, Canada, Australia, or New Zealand
- Planning to study in a country of which they are not a citizen
- Matriculated for the duration of their Boren Awards-funded program in an undergraduate program located within the United States and accredited by a body recognized by the U.S. Department of Education
- Minimum one year federal service required. For more information about this requirement, click here.
- National Deadline: 2023 Boren Scholarships application is open now and due on Wednesday, February 1, 2023 at 5 pm EST
- UH Campus Deadline: Two weeks prior to national deadline
- Contact: David L. Boren Undergraduate Scholarships Contact Page.
- Amount:
Korean Intensive Summer Language Program
- Open to all U.S. undergraduate and graduate students
- Participants must have taken at least two semesters of university-level Korean or the equivalent before the program begins in June.
- Minimum GPA of 2.7
- Applicants must be at least 18 years old by the application deadline
- KISLP applicants are encouraged to apply for the Judith Ehm Foundation Fellowship, which provides recipients with a minimum award of $5,000.
- Deadline: February 15, 2023
Scholarships by Program Location
Please note that several of the scholarships listed below are for specific programs.
Asia
Freeman-Asia Scholarship - *Please speak with your Learning Abroad Advisor before applying. For undergraduate students who demonstrate financial need and wish to study in East or Southeast Asia.
China
Chinese Government Scholarship - For any student who does not have citizenship in The People's Republic of China and wishes to study Mandarin Chinese.
France
The Alliance Francaise de Houston Léonardon Magne Scholarship - For more information about this scholarship for students of French language, please contact the Alliance Francaise of Houston or the UH French Department.
The American Society of the French Academic Palms (ASFAP) - Offers two summer scholarships annually to be used in a French-speaking country to students whose interest in the French language and Francophone cultures has been identified by their French instructors. Their primary purpose is to provide students with the opportunity to become more proficient in the language and to understand and appreciate cultures found in the French-speaking world.
Germany
Multiple scholarship links - Various scholarships based on merit, need, and major.
Italy
Italian Cultural & Community Center (ICCC) Study Abroad Scholarship - for Houston area college students participating in study abroad programs in Italy. Program should be greater than 4 weeks and up to a full semester. Recipients chosen based on academic performance. Click here for instructions on how to apply.
Japan
Japan Student Services Organization (JASSO) - Various scholarships based on merit, need, and major.
Multiple scholarship links - Various scholarships based on merit, need, and major.
Norway
Norway-America Association (NORAM) - This scholarship is for American graduate exchange students studying in Norway.
United Kingdom
Multiple scholarship links - Various scholarships based on merit, need, and major.
British American Foundation of Texas (BAFTX) - Scholarships for Undergraduate and Graduate Students from Texas