Joe Petitti, a Finance major at NIU, has been awarded a Gilman Scholarship for study in China for the Fall of 2008 with the Council on International Educational Exchange (CIEE). Gilman Scholars receive up to $8,000 to apply towards their study abroad program costs. The Gilman Scholarship Program aims to diversify the kinds of students who study abroad and the countries and regions where they go. The program is sponsored by the U.S. Department of State Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs and administered by the Institute of International Education’s (IIE) Southern Regional Center in Houston, Texas. Applications for Spring 2009 study abroad scholarships are due October 7, 2008 and are available at www.iie.org/gilman.Students receiving a federal Pell Grant from two- and four-year institutions are encouraged to apply.