Costs and Funding

You can apply for Study Abroad Office scholarships and grants online.

• Study Abroad Travel Grant
• The Clara Sperling Memorial Scholarship
• John and Lili LaTourette International Studies Scholarship

• Center for Latino and Latin American Studies graduate student research grants
• Office of Student Engagement and Experiential Learning
• University Honors Program Enhance Your Education Grant

The following departmental scholarships can be found in MyScholarships, NIU’s scholarship application system.

• Business
  • John and Mary Larson Global Business Fund
• Economics
  • Scaperlanda Family Scholarship in Economics to Study Abroad
• English
  • Russell and Jeanne Durning Family Fund
  • Charles W. Hagelman Jr. Scholarship Fund
• World Languages and Cultures
  
  • InterPro Translation Solutions Foreign Language Residence Program
  • Michael Morris Memorial Expendable Fund
  • Joseph Suhadolc Memorial Scholarship

The following departmental scholarships are not found in MyScholarships. Contact the department for more information.

• Business
  • Study abroad scholarships
• Education
  • John A. Niemi Memorial Scholarship for Travel
• English
  • Robert T. Self Scholarship
• World Languages and Cultures
  
  • Blog Study Abroad Scholarship
  • Study Abroad Scholarship for Minors in Chinese, Italian, Japanese and Russian

NIU approves many carefully selected study abroad programs organized by providers specializing in international education. The following list of approved providers includes links to scholarship opportunities specific to each organization. Affiliate discounts are given to NIU applicants only.

• American Institute for Foreign Study (AIFS)
  • Affiliate discount awarded to every applicant: $400 semester, $200 summer/January
• Council on International Educational Exchange (CIEE)
  • Gilman applicants are eligible to receive the Gilman Go Global Grant:
    • Up to $2,500 toward semester programs
    • Up to $1,000 toward summer programs
  • Global Access Initiative (GAIN) Grant
    • $750-$2,000 toward airfare for students who demonstrate high financial need
  • Open Campus Grant
    • $4,000-$6,000 grant for fall 2018 and spring 2019 open campus locations (three-block semester only)
• CISabroad
  • Affiliate discount awarded to every applicant: $250 semester, $100 summer
• Cultural Experiences Abroad (CEA)
  • Affiliate discount awarded to every applicant: $1,000 semester, $500 summer
• Danish Institute for Study Abroad (DIS)
• Institute for Study Abroad (IFSA-Butler)
• International Studies Abroad (ISA)
  • Affiliate discount awarded to every applicant: $200
• Institute for American Universities (IAU)
  • $1,800 automatic scholarship awarded to every accepted NIU semester applicant
  • $250-$750 automatic scholarship awarded to every accepted NIU summer applicant
  • Work-study positions available
• Study Abroad Italy Inc. (SAI)
  • Affiliate discount awarded to every applicant: $300 semester, $100 summer
• Salzburg College
  • $1,000 automatic scholarship awarded to every accepted NIU semester student
  • $320 rebate for all semester students
• School for International Training (SIT)
  • Pell Grant Match for semester programs, ranging from $500-$5,000
• Semester at Sea
• University Studies Abroad Consortium (USAC)

Other Resources

Finding money to fund your study abroad experience requires planning, perseverance and creativity. Below are examples of fundraising approaches students have successfully used in the past.

• Work with your church, synagogue or mosque.
• Contact local support groups for fundraising: Chamber of Commerce, Rotary, Kiwanis and Lions Clubs.
• Ask your parents if any scholarships exist for children of employees where they work.
• In lieu of birthday or holiday gifts, ask for money to fund your study abroad program.
• Hold a raffle or bake sale.
• Organize a car wash or offer to clean houses.
• In exchange for the use of your car while you're gone, have a friend or sibling make all or part of your car payments.
• Utilize an online fundraising site such as YouCaring or GoFundMe.

• Banks Family Scholarship
• Benjamin A. Gilman International Scholarship
• Boren Awards for International Study
• Bridging Scholarships for Study in Japan
• British Universities Transatlantic Exchange Association (BUTEX)
• DAAD German Academic Exchange Service Undergraduate Scholarship
• Freeman Awards for Study in Asia (Freeman-Asia)
• Foundation for Global Scholars General Scholarship
• Fulbright U.S. Student Program Grants
• Fund for Education Abroad (FEA) Study Abroad Scholarships
• Fund for International Service Learning
• George J. Mitchell Scholarship
• Glimpse Abroad Correspondents Program
• Global Studies Grant for Student Travel and Study Abroad
• Go! Study Abroad Scholarship!
• Golden Key International Honour Society Study Abroad Scholarships
• Hashi.Org Travel Scholarships
• King Olav V Norwegian-American Heritage Fund Scholarship
• Lund Fund Scholarship
• National Italian American Foundation Scholarship Program
• Order Sons of Italy in America General Scholarship
• Oslo International Summer School Scholarship
• Oxford and the Rhodes Scholarships
• Phi Kappa Phi Study Abroad Grants
• Study Abroad Turkey Scholarship for Minority Students
• Snowdon Trust
• Upper Midwest Rebild Scholarship