Please review the following information about how scholarships and financial aid can help your dream of studying abroad come true:

Internal Scholarships

UMass Lowell - College of Fine Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences, World Ready Scholarships

  • Amount: $500
  • Who’s Eligible? For students enrolled in the College of Fine Arts, Humanities, and Social Sciences who wish to take advantage of Faculty-led programs within FAHSS.
  • How to apply: Contact the Office of Study Abroad to receive the application and submit it, when completed, to the the Office of Study Abroad. Although it is not mandatory, Academic Departments are encouraged to match the $500 scholarship and commonly do so. If this is the case, then this scholarship may reach $1,000 in value. Please note this award is directly applied to the program fee.

UMass Lowell - Other College Scholarships Specific to Study Abroad

  • Amount: Varies
  • Who’s Eligible?For students enrolled in majors within their respective college.
  • How to apply: Contact your Dean's Office to determine if there are scholarships and/or travel grants available.

UMass Lowell - Study Abroad and International Experiences Partner-Led Program Scholarships

  • Amount: Up to $1,000
  • Who's Eligible? All UML students participating in API or ISA programs
  • How to Apply: The Office of Study Abroad will provide all participating students with application information.

UMass Lowell - Study Abroad and International Experiences Partner-Led Program Discounts

All UMass Lowell students who participate in programs led by AIFS, CAPA, CIS Abroad, and Global Semesters are eligible to receive discounts toward program fees in the following amounts:

  • AIFS: $400 Semester/ $200 Summer
  • CAPA: $600 Semester/ $300 Summer
  • CIS Abroad: $250 Semester/ $100 Summer
  • Global Semesters: $500 Semester/ $250 Summer

The Academic Engineer Endowed Scholarship

  • Amount: $100-2500 based on the number of applicants.
  • Who’s Eligible? Full-time Engineering undergraduate or graduate student, currently pursuing or planning to pursue a minor or second major in humanities, social science, and fine arts, demonstrate financial need based on federal formulas (complete FAFSA).
  • How to apply: Applications to this scholarship are found on the Scholarship page of the UMass Lowell Financial Aid website.

External Scholarships

Partner-led Scholarships

Students who participate in partner-led programs are eligible for additional scholarships offered directly from their program provider. Students should review the offerings directly on the website of their program:

  • Academic Programs International (API)- Student scholarship awards between $250 to $1,000 per student. Additionally, there is a Full-Tuition Diversity Scholarship. There are also regional scholarships available and students who intend to study abroad in less popular regions are encouraged to apply.
  • American Institute for Foreign Study (AIFS) -Student scholarship awards between $500 to $5,000 per student. Additionally, there are 50% off Program Fee Scholarships available.
  • Academic Studies Abroad (ASA) - Student scholarship awards of up to $1250 for an academic year, $1000 for a semester, and $250 for summer. There is also a Diversity Scholarship that awards $2000 for a semester and $1000 for summer.
  • CAPA The Global Education Network - Student scholarship awards between $500 to $5,000 per student. Additionally, there are Blogger and Diversity Advocate Grants awarded each semester.
  • Council on International Education Exchange (CIEE) - The Council on International Education Exchange offers a great deal of scholarships for many different types of students and programs and, as such, we encourage you to view their website. In addition to need based scholarships, there are merit based scholarships that we encourage you to apply to. For summer programs, if a CIEE student wishes to enroll in a second session that summer, they will receive 20% off the program cost of the second session.
  • Center for International Studies Abroad (CIS abroad) -Student scholarship awards between $100 to $500 per student. Additionally, there are many scholarships involving blogging and social media.
  • Global Semesters -Student scholarship awards between $250 to $2,000 per student. Additionally, there is the HSAS diversity scholarship worth up $1,000.
  • International Studies Abroad (ISA) - Student scholarship awards between $100 to $500 per student. Additionally, there are scholarships awarded by individual host universities through ISA. There are also Early Application Discounts awarded. Students interested in studying during Summer Sessions will receive a $100 discount if they apply between December 1st and January 15th. Students interested in studying during Fall Semester Sessions will receive a $100 discount if they apply between December 1st and January 31st.
  • The School of Field Studies - The School of Field Studies offers many different types of financial aid and scholarships based on the need of the student. 90% of SFS students receive an amount of aid from the organization. SFS also list other external scholarships that they are partnered with on their website.
  • The Education Abroad Network (TEAN) - The Education Abroad Network boasts a Full Ride Scholarship to one applicant per year which can award up to $26,000 to cover tuition, program fees, and housing. Other scholarships include Need, Merit, and Diversity Scholarships which range from $500-$2500. Additionally, there is a scholarship for photography which awards $500 for a semester and $250 for summer.
  • University Studies Abroad Consortium (USAC) - USAC offers $750-$1000 in aid to students who will be the first of their family to graduate college. For family members of alumni of USAC, they will be awarded $500 per semester and $300 for summer programs. Each program offers location specific scholarships as well.

The Benjamin A. Gilman International Scholarship

The Benjamin A. Gilman International Scholarship Program was developed to reduce barriers to study abroad by providing assistance to those undergraduate students in two- or four-year institutions who demonstrate financial need. This program provides awards for study abroad for US citizen or US national students who are receiving federal need-based financial aid. Please note that CIS will grant an additional $500 to the Benjamin Gilman Scholarship recipients! For additional information please visit the Benjamin A. Gilman International Scholarship website.

Critical Language Scholarship:

The Critical Language Scholarship (CLS) Program is a fully-funded overseas language and cultural immersion Summer program for American undergraduate and graduate students. With the goal of broadening the base of Americans studying and mastering critical languages and building relationships between the people of the United States and other countries, CLS provides study opportunities to a diverse range of students from across the United States at every level of language learning. Full program costs (including housing and airfare) are covered by the scholarship.

Boren Scholarships & Fellowships:

Boren Scholarships and Fellowships provide unique funding opportunities for US undergraduate and graduate students to study less commonly taught languages in the world regions critical to US interests: Africa, Asia, Central and Eastern Europe, Eurasia, Latin America and the Middle East. For additional information please visit the Boren Awards For International Study website.

DAAD

The German Academic Exchange Service offers various scholarship opportunities to study in Germany. More information can be found on their scholarship search website.

Diversityabroad.com

The Diversityabroad.com website offers a list of a variety of scholarships for minority/low income students as well as a general list for anyone.

IIEPassport Study Abroad Funding:

This valuable funding resource allows you to search by country or subject to find the study abroad funding information that you need; an online directory of scholarships, fellowships, and grants designed to help students study outside the United States.

InternationalScholarships.com

The internationalscholarships.com website provides a list of scholarships specifically for those who wish to study abroad. 

The Foundation for Global Scholars

The Foundation for Global Scholars (FGS) is a 501(c)3 nonprofit organization, serving US undergraduate, graduate, and professional students pursuing accredited study abroad programs. Through scholarships for international study, we empower globally minded college students who want to make an impact. We support global changemakers and we help our nation’s future workforce become better prepared for the fast-changing global marketplace and interdependent world. FGS awards scholarships to US citizens studying abroad, three times annually. Scholarships are valued at $2000.

Fund for Education Abroad

Applicants must be US citizens or permanent residents currently enrolled as undergraduates in US universities/colleges who plan to study abroad for at least four weeks (a minimum of 30 days). Fund for Education Abroad awards are intended to support students planning to participate in high-quality, rigorous education abroad programs in the academic year or summer . The financial support for these scholarships up to $10,000, is provided by generous donors, who are committed to increasing study abroad opportunities for dedicated American students. 

Other Sources:

Financial Aid

Check out the Financial Aid Worksheet.

Fall, Spring and Full Academic Year Programs

  • Federal aid - All Federal aid with the exception of work-study is able to be used towards a study abroad program.
  • State aid - All state aid with the exception of tuition waivers can be used towards a study abroad program.
  • Need based institutional aid - All need based aid is currently able to be used towards a study abroad program.
  • Merit based institutional aid - All merit based aid except for tuition waivers are able to be used for one semester of a study abroad program.
  • Other - Most private scholarships will be able to be used towards a study abroad program.

Summer Program Financial FAQ

Note: Summer aid consists of any remaining federal loan eligibility that was not used during the Fall/Spring semesters. Students can apply for additional credit-based loans with a parent or co-signor. There is NO grant or scholarship aid available through the Financial Aid Office for Summer Session Programs.

What if I have a current balance on my UMass Lowell account?

Students may also apply for additional credit-based loans to cover Fall / Spring balances in most cases.

Please check your SiSAccount Summary to view your current balance due.

How do I apply for additional loans?

Please visit thefinancial aid websiteto learn more about the loan options that are available to you and your family.

When would I receive the funds from my loan?

In many cases the funds for summer loans would be disbursed to UMass Lowell in mid-June. This means that any anticipated refund would be issued to the student in late-June to early July. There are a few exceptions to this timeline depending on aid used during fall/spring.

How will my costs be covered?

If a student has remaining eligibility from fall/spring then they may receive a partial refund for expenses prior to departure. The remaining funds would come in June as noted above to cover tuition and fees charge at UMass Lowell.

If a student is only receiving a credit-based loan for summer then they would need to pay for flights, housing and expenses out of pocket and be reimbursed by their loan in June / July.

Please contact theFinancial Aid Officeif you have additional questions about your eligibility.