International Scholarship Programs

An increasing number of post-secondary students across the world, along with professors, scholars, and professionals, are partaking of international study abroad programs. These study opportunities are continuing to increase, and funding for these opportunities in the form of scholarships, grants, and fellowships is also increasing. There are numerous international scholarship programs available both for U.S. and non U.S. students from diverse backgrounds and disciplines. A few of these scholarship programs, such as the Rhodes Scholarship, are highly prestigious and well-known, but there are many other scholarships that nevertheless provide partial or full funding for multiple study abroad programs. Some scholarships focus on specific areas of study or particular universities, while others cover a wide variety of different study abroad programs. Finally, there are many international study abroad programs for specific groups.

Keywords Developing Country; Developed Country; Fellowship; Globalization; Primary Education; Scholarship; Secondary Education; Study Abroad; Tertiary Education

Overview

As humanity continues to advance, there are two prevalent educational trends that continue to increase in importance across the world. First, education is becoming more accessible to the people of the world. Hundreds of humanitarian organizations and numerous governments are recognizing that education is the best way to improve, extend, and enrich lives. Educational opportunities are increasing, especially for people in impoverished areas and rising numbers of formerly illiterate children and adults have access to primary and secondary education opportunities. Additionally, more people around the world are receiving a tertiary education, and college enrollment continues to rise both in developed and developing countries.

The second trend is that education is becoming a more global, mobile concept. University systems in developed countries, such as the U.S., often contain high numbers of international students from many different countries. It is not just the well-known U.S. universities like Harvard that are seeing increases in international students; smaller, lesser known U.S. universities and colleges are often selected by international students. For example, the University of Nebraska at Omaha, currently has over 1300 international students who represent over 114 different nations (University of Nebraska at Omaha, n.d.).

Additionally, students from Western countries find their way to universities in diverse places such as Jamaica, Togo, and Malaysia. These students may partake of study abroad programs that are a week, a month, or a year or more. Furthermore, many international students are enrolled in their host universities as regular, full-time students, not just contingent students.

Some study abroad students are involved in programs that are not traditional classroom style. Service projects in which students combine classroom work with hands-on practice and community service, practicum programs where teaching or medical students can gain experience and internships are some of the many international study programs that students have as options.

Studying abroad is becoming increasing more popular and accessible. Approximately half of U.S. college students expect to study abroad at some point (Stohl, 2007). Although studying abroad was originally the privilege of the few and the rich, today there are many opportunities for students from diverse backgrounds and income levels to study abroad.

However, studying abroad is costly. An international study program of a one or two weeks' duration can cost a student thousands of dollars when tuition, transportation, and living expenses are added up. Many students studying in foreign countries desire a longer experience than just a few weeks, especially if they are studying a language, and a semester or a year program can be a significant financial investment. Additionally, regular enrollment at a foreign university can also be extremely costly. When this cost is coupled with the fact that most study abroad students cannot work in their host country, it is easy to see that finances are arguably the biggest barrier to students who want to study overseas.

Funding the Cost of International Study

Thankfully, there has been an increase in the amount of international scholarship programs available to students who wish to study overseas. These valuable sources of funding allow students to gain the important international experience they need. This especially helps those students from more underprivileged backgrounds who could not afford the experience on their own.

International study abroad scholarships, like most scholarships, are quite diverse in their funding and scope. Some scholarships provide full funding while others offer partial funding. Some are program, discipline, or university specific while others are more broad and general. These scholarships may fund a week to a year or more of study. Additionally, international study abroad funding is not limited only to traditional undergraduate scholars; there are a variety of funding programs for graduate and doctorate students in addition to fellowships and grants for instructors, professionals, and scholars. Finally, many scholarship programs are reserved for a particular group (Hispanic students for example), and minority or disabled students often have specific scholarships available to them.

Further Insights

In the 2006/2007 school year, international student enrollment in U.S. schools was a record 582,984: Japanese, Indian, Chinese, and Korean students comprised 43% of this enrollment. Additionally 223,534 U.S. students studied abroad during the 2005/2006 school year (Institute of International Education 2007). As the world becomes more globalized and international study continues to be seen as valuable and desirable, these numbers are likely to increase. These impressive numbers of study abroad students would likely not be nearly as high if it were not for the many international scholarship opportunities available.

The Fulbright & Rhodes Scholarships

One of the primary international study abroad scholarships is the Fulbright Program. Fulbright is open to U.S. undergraduate, graduate, and doctorate students and non U.S. graduate and graduate students as well as instructors, professionals, and scholars. Established in 1964, Fulbright is a program dedicated to increasing unity and understanding between the U.S. and the other countries of the world. Funded primarily by the U.S. government, Fulbright dispensed approximately 6,000 awards totaling over $250 million in 2005 to both U.S and non U.S. based students, scholars, and professionals (Fulbright Program, n.d.).

The Rhodes Scholarship is another well-known and highly-esteemed international study abroad scholarship program which brings students from around the world to the University of Oxford in England. The scholarship fully funds all educational costs and living expenses for two years and allows the possibility of funding for a third year. Additionally, students receive funds for travel costs and other necessities during their stay at Oxford (The Rhodes Trust, 2007).

Fulbright and Rhodes are two of the most prestigious study abroad scholarships, and only a few of the multiple elite scholars who apply for these scholarships become recipients. However, there are numerous other international study abroad scholarships that, although not as highly acclaimed, offer a wide variety of funding and opportunities for students, particularly those students that might not be able to compete for a Rhodes or a Fulbright scholarship, or whose educational goals may not be met by these two funding sources.

The IIEPassport Study Abroad Funding

An excellent resource for U.S. students who wish to study abroad is the IIEPassport Study Abroad Funding website. IIEPassport is an online database of information about study abroad programs, and their Study Abroad Funding website has information solely on funds for international study. The database lists a vast number of different scholarship programs such as the Kleinhans Fellowship for Research in Tropical Non-Timber Forest Products, a two year fellowship worth $15,000 a year which funds students studying non-timber forest production harvest and marketing in Central or South America. Another award is the Hispanic Study Abroad Scholars program which awards $1,000 scholarships to Hispanic undergraduate students who want to study abroad and are currently enrolled at an institute that belongs to the Hispanic Association of Colleges & Universities. These are just two of the many diverse international scholarships IIEPassport lists on their Study Abroad Funding website (IIEPassport Study Abroad Funding, 2007).

IIEPassport is maintained by The Institute of International Education, another excellent resource for students. Their main website offers information about international study abroad programs and scholarships, fellowships, and grants for these programs. One such scholarship is the National Security Education Program David Boren Scholarship which awards up to $20,000 for a full year of international study for U.S. undergraduate students. The NSEP "focuses on geographic areas, languages, and fields of study deemed critical to U.S. national security" and heavily emphasizes language study (The Institute of International Education, 2006).

Language study is becoming more crucial to the world, and many international scholarship programs are reflecting this. One program which recognizes this is the Benjamin A Gilman International Scholarship, a scholarship program for U.S. students who are receiving funding from the Pell Grant at a U.S. university and who want to study abroad. The scholarship just added a new $3,000 Critical Needs Language Supplement for students studying a language such as Arabic, Korean, or Kurdish.

American Institute for Foreign Studies

The American Institute for Foreign Studies (AIFS) offers both study abroad programs and scholarships for these programs. One of their scholarships is the AIFS International Scholarship which every year awards $1,000 to forty study abroad students. Another scholarship is the AIFS-HACU Scholarships for London Internship Programs; this scholarship funds up to half the total cost of internships in London for outstanding Hispanic scholars.

While U.S. students interested in studying abroad can find all of these scholarship programs and many more simply by researching on the internet, the U.S. universities can impact their opportunities for studying abroad. Hermes (2007) said that there are two small private colleges in California, less than a mile apart, that together have produced an astounding amount of Fulbright scholars. At Pomona College, 48 out of 1500 students received Fulbright grants in the last four years. In the same period, the nearby Pitzer college produced 36 Fulbright scholars. In comparison, the University of California at Berkley had only 23 Fulbright students out of a student body of 24,000. A small university often means that students usually are better connected with their professors and are better able to seek recommendations and extra assistance. U.S. students who are interested in studying abroad should look to their current universities for information and resources about international study. Individuals who are not currently enrolled in college but are interested in international study one day would also be advised to search for U.S. colleges that offer resources for international study abroad and funding for these programs.

Other Fellowships & Partnerships

International scholarship programs are not limited only to U.S. students; there are many programs open to non U.S. students. Fulbright and Rhodes are open to international students as well as U.S. students. For international scholars of advanced academic level, there are three premier fellowship programs with exceeding abundant coffers: Rhodes, the Ford Foundation International Fellowship Program, and the Gates Cambridge Scholarship program. The Ford fellowship is particularly focused on leaders from developing countries and does not have an age limit; many of the recipients are in the middle years and have children. The Gates program is open to all but British students, although 40% of the recipients are U.S. students (Rocca, 2003).

Partnerships and collaborative efforts between U.S. and foreign universities have also helped create international scholarships for students. Baneji (2006) discusses the 50 million dollar education initiative called the Training, Internships, Exchanges, and Scholarships program (TIES) initiative. This initiative is funded and maintained by U.S. and Mexican governments, universities, and private organizations. While TIES is beneficial to both countries, it will particularly help Mexican students and marks the first time a collaboration has existed between Mexican universities and U.S. universities.

The above international scholarship programs are just a handful of the many funding opportunities available for students across the world who wish to study in another country. Present trends indicate that these opportunities are most likely to increase and the study abroad experience will become more common among students around the world.

Issues

With the dizzying array of interesting study abroad programs located in nearly every part of the world, about half of all U.S. college students expect to study abroad at some point in their college career. Yet surprisingly, only 3% of them each year actually do study abroad (Stohl, 2007).

The Cost is Still High

Clearly financial reasons are one major reason why students do not participate more in international study. Certainly international scholarship programs assist students in affording international study, but many of the programs do not fully fund all the costs of the study abroad. Additionally, students studying abroad usually cannot work at the same time they are studying. This is troublesome because studying abroad is often more expensive than studying at home due to travel costs and other expenses. Many students need the summer and other school breaks to work and save up money for the next school year. Thus, studying abroad may therefore be too expensive, both in the sense of the extra cost of the program and travel and the lost working time.

Tuition rates in the U.S. are rising at roughly double the cost of inflation ("Tuition inflation," 2007), it is understandable that international study, with all its extra costs of travel and fees, is not financially viable for many students. This is not just a U.S. problem; Stohl (2007) stated that tertiary students around the world are facing both rising tuition costs and increased pressure to pay for their costs with private sources. Some countries such as Germany and France where students traditionally had free access to college education are now charging tuition and fees for higher education. Even with many international scholarship programs available, students who are going deeper into debt and struggling significantly to pay for education in their home country will likely not pursue study abroad programs.

Controversy in Mexico

For non-U.S, students studying abroad, other problems with funding arise. For example, there are two main government-sponsored international scholarship programs available in Mexico: Fulbright (which is a Mexico/U.S. cooperative program) and CONACYT (Mexican National Science and Technology Agency). According to Andere (2004), "The policy of providing scholarships for studying abroad financed with taxpayers'money as part of educational and cultural cooperative programs among governments is wrong" (p. 58). He argued that higher level education is not a "public good," rather it is something that largely benefits only the individual. Countries like Mexico are taking scarce financial resources and diverting them to funding higher-level education instead of focusing financial resources on critical needs such as nutrition programs, poverty reduction, and primary education. In fact, Andere (2004) argued that most higher level college students receive their funding from private or public sources, not government sources, but Mexico is unique in giving more governmental support to their higher level students than other countries.

Andere (2004) argued that the Mexican government should not be financing and managing the higher level educational "market," or at least should not be doing so the way it currently is. In fact, he stated that "The irrational government intervention feeds the field with free riders" (p. 67). This results in three problems: less resources are devoted to primary and secondary education, higher education students and their families feel that the government should provide more financing for higher education, and Mexico's already credit-adverse culture becomes increasingly more resistant to the idea of students incurring debt to finance their educations.

Lack of Promotion by Faculty

Financial reasons are not the only barriers preventing students from studying abroad. Stohl (2007) pointed to the faculty at U.S. universities as the reason why international study abroad is not as prevalent among U.S. students. He stated that the faculty and departments of universities decide what topics are valid for research and who receives positions or tenure according to what work they are performing; essentially, the departments and faculty define the reward system for the faculty. Therefore, the faculty themselves must place a high value on international education for it to receive much attention. For there to be a greater increase of U.S. students studying abroad and more scholarship opportunities and resources for these students, faculties at U.S. universities need to place a much higher emphasis upon international collaboration and vision.

One of the reasons why U.S. professors and faculty may not emphasize international study as much might be because of the purpose behind international study programs development. Overwhelmingly, advertisements and PR statements for study abroad programs and scholarships speak in terms of human connection and collaboration, shared growth and vision, and mutual respect and connection between nations. Stohl (2007) said that during the 1980's and 1990's, U.S. universities began focusing their efforts internationally to collaborating with foreign universities. However, he stated that "mobilizing support for international education initiatives has been framed in terms of national security defined first in terms of traditional political and military security and then economic security and competitiveness" (p. 363). Furthermore, he argued that security and international competitiveness were the two selling points of international education. Perhaps the resulting clash between the humanitarian veneer and the political core of international study abroad programs has led many faculty to lose interest in promoting such programs.

Inconsistent Funding Distribution

Another troublesome point of international study abroad scholarship programs is the disproportionate recipient ratios. For example, the Benjamin A Gilman scholarship program compared information specifically about its recipients to general statistics about U.S. international scholarship recipients collected by the Report on International Education Exchange. This comparison showed that during 2006-2007, a high percentage (83%) of U.S. international scholarship recipients were Caucasian and over half of them (57%) went to Western Europe, which is the traditional destination of U.S. study abroad students. In comparison, only 40% of the Gilman scholarship recipients were Caucasian and many of them went to non-traditional destinations such as Asia (31%) and Africa (9%) ("Gilman Recipient Comparison," 2006-2007).

Even though there are many scholarships such as the AIFS-HACU Scholarships for London Internship Programs and other international scholarship programs for minority students, the information that the Benjamin A Gilman scholarship program gathered indicates that there is further need for more funding for minority students and students wishing to study in non-Western European universities.

It is precisely this reason that some scholarship foundations have received criticism. Bill Gates' Cambridge Scholarship Program has drawn fire, both because 40% of its recipients are U.S. students and because the scholarship is not open to British students. Additionally, the scholarship, unlike Ford and other international study abroad scholarships, does not make special effort to seek out marginalized or underprivileged students; many of the recipients come from Harvard or other elite colleges (Rocca 2003).

For international study to continue to be valued and crucial to some career fields, there must also be an increase in funding so that students are not prevented from accessing the education they need to stay competitive and fulfill their potential in an increasingly globalized, interconnected world.

Terms & Concepts

Developing Country: A country with a relatively low level of income per person, standard of living, and Gross Domestic Product.

Developed Country: A country with a relatively high level of income per person, standard of living, and Gross Domestic Product.

Fellowship: Financial support awarded to a scholar or professor at a university in order for him or her to continue further research, training, or instruction.

Globalization: A broad term which refers to the increasing connection and unity of the countries of the world through the development of technology, the spread of commerce and business, and the popularity of democratic governments.

Primary Education: Education equating to grades first through sixth.

Scholarship: Financial support awarded to a student for the purpose of funding his or her education.

Secondary Education: Education equating to grades seventh through twelfth.

Study Abroad: An educational program in another country. This program may be as short as a week or longer than a year.

Tertiary Education: Equates to college/university level education

Western Country: This generally means a country located in Europe, the Americas, and Australia, although there is debate over what countries are considered Western. Japan, for instance, is often considered Western. Western countries are generally developed and their citizens enjoy a high level of education and standard of living in a usually democratic government structure.

Bibliography

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Baneji, S. (2006). USAID gives $35 million grant for 10 U.S.-Mexico university partnerships. Diverse: Issues in Higher Education 23 , 19. Retrieved December 21, 2007 from EBSCO online database, Education Research Complete http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=ehh&AN=22354232&site=ehost-live

Benjamin A Gilman scholarship. Program overview. Institute of International Education. Retrieved December 24, 2007 from http://www.iie.org//programs/gilman/index.html

Biraimah, K.L., & Jotia, A. (2013). The longitudinal effects of study abroad programs on teachers’ content knowledge and perspectives: Fulbright-Hays group projects abroad in Botswana and Southeast Asia. Journal of Studies in International Education, 17, 433-454. Retrieved December 15, 2013, from EBSCO Online Database Education Research Complete. http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=ehh&AN=89771256&site=ehost-live

Farrell, E. F. (2007). Study abroad blossoms into big business. Chronicle of Higher Education 54 , A49-52. Retrieved December 27, 2007 from EBSCO online database, Education Abstracts http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=qeh&AN=BEDI07126929&site=ehost- live

Fulbright Program for Foreign Students. (n.d.). About Fulbright. Retrieved December 26, 2007 from Fulbrightonline.org http://www.foreign.fulbrightonline.org/about.html

Gilman Recipient Comparison to National Study Abroad. (2006-2007). Benjamin A Gilman Scholarship. Retrieved December 24, 2007 from Institute of International Education http://www.iie.org/programs/gilman/stats/Gilman%20Comparison%20to%20National%20Bar%20Charts%2006-07.pdf

Hermes, J. J., (2007). In California, 2 small colleges abound in Fulbright scholars. Chronicle of Higher Education 54 , 51. Retrieved December 21, 2007 from EBSCO online database, Education Research Complete http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=ehh&AN=27542071&site=ehost-live

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Institute of International Education. (2007). Opendoors 2007 fast facts. Institute of International Education. Retrieved December 21, 2007 from http://www.opendoors.iienetwork.org/file%5fdepot/0-10000000/0-10000/3390/folder/58653/Fast+Facts+2007+Final.pdf

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O'Neil, R. (2004). Illegal trafficking in arms, drugs, and international scholarship. Chronicle of Higher Education 51 , B9-B10. Retrieved December 21, 2007 from EBSCO online database, Education Research Complete. http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=ehh&AN=15281258&site=ehost-live

The Rhodes Trust: Office of the American Secretary. (2007). Scholarship information. Retrieved December 26, 2007 from http://www.rhodesscholar.org/

Rocca, F. X. (2003). Picking the world's future leaders. Chronicle of Higher Education 49 , A34. Retrieved December 26, 2007 from EBSCO online database, Education Research Complete http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=ehh&AN=8953833&site=ehost-live

Stohl, M. (2007). We have met the enemy and he is us: The role of the faculty in the internationalization of higher education in the coming decade. Journal of Studies in International Education 11 (3/4), 359-372. Retrieved December 21, 2007 from EBSCO online database, Education Research Complete http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=ehh&AN=26647542&site=ehost-live

Travel Pays. (2012). Language Magazine, 12, 37-40. Retrieved December 15, 2013, from EBSCO Online Database Education Research Complete. http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=ehh&AN=82337937&site=ehost-live

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Suggested Reading

Bollag, B. (2005). Panel supports grants for study abroad. Chronicle of Higher Education 52, A48. Retrieved December 26, 2007 from EBSCO online database, Education Research Complete http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=ehh&AN=19034257&site=ehost-live

Carr, N. (2007). A foundation for funding. American School Board Journal 194 , 34-35. Retrieved December 26, 2007 from EBSCO online database, Education Research Complete http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=ehh&AN=25325134&site=ehost-live

Dolby, N. (2007). Reflections on nation: American undergraduates and education abroad. Journal of Studies in International Education 11 , 141-156. Retrieved December 26, 2007 from EBSCO online database Education Research Complete http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=ehh&AN=25159406&site=ehost-live

Ferguson, K. (2007). Organizing the ghetto. Journal of Urban History. 34 , 67-100. Retrieved December 26, 2007 from EBSCO online database, Education Research Complete http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=ehh&AN=27132299&site=ehost-live

Pricer, D. K. (1986, Spring). A yank at Oxford. American Scholar 55 , 195-207. Retrieved December 26, 2007 from EBSCO online database, Education Research Complete http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=ehh&AN=5316671&site=ehost-live