How to Find International Fellowships and Scholarships

Take Advantage of Existing Opportunities for Study Abroad

By Erin Alisa Guntly

A bridge in Cambridge, England.

International study fellowships and scholarships can be a springboard to international careers. The opportunities exist. Successfully taking advantage of them requires early planning, research, and a well-prepared application.

While traditional study abroad requires participants to pay their expenses, fellows and scholars are funded — normally for tuition, fees, tickets, room and board, and sometimes for books and materials as well. Fellowships and scholarships are not work programs; there is no set of tasks for participants to accomplish. They are study opportunities, where the participant has the autonomy to take control and the responsibility to make it work.

A good place to start looking for opportunities is the Institute for International Education, the administrator of the Fulbright program. This and similar websites have links that allow you to search by region, specialty, undergraduate or postgraduate support, duration, and amount of stipend. Some fellowships, such as Fulbright and Rotary, are also available to applicants without university affiliation.

Planning well ahead is critical to success. Departure dates are often as much as 9-15 months after applications are due, and preparing a solid application can take two or three additional months.

When choosing a sponsoring program, it is important to read the fine print carefully. Some federally funded programs have a service commitment after graduation. Others have speaking commitments before, during, and after your term of support. Some require stringent reporting practices during time abroad. While the terms and conditions are usually not decisive in choosing which program is best, applicants should nevertheless be aware of the commitment to the supporting organization.

Once you choose a program and know its requirements, then you must design a program of study. A well-designed program includes verifiable details that demonstrate that the applicants have has done their research and that their program is viable. Consider the difference between the following two statements: “I intend to study Kazakh at a language school in Kazakhstan.” “I will begin my program abroad with a month-long private intensive course in Kazakh at the University of Alma Ata’s Department Language and Literature, which will provide a foundation for beginning my research.”

The first sentence is a statement of intent, but the second shows that the scholar has a clear agenda and has taken the time to research their program so that it will work on the ground.

This level of detail — listing approximate dates, specific organizations and locations, achievable goals — can mean the difference between a worthy applicant and a successful scholar. The litmus test is viability: Can you accomplish what you say you want to accomplish? The application is the only chance to prove that a program is viable, and including details helps sell the package.

Other details to include are the names of relevant nonprofits and other organizations that you plan to use in your work, contacts in the country doing related work, a general timeline and travel dates, goals for each phase of the program, and an explanation as to how this program fits into your broader educational agenda.

Another way to improve viability is to have made contact with people and institutes that you mention. This can be as simple as sending an email describing your program and asking for a tentative meeting, but it demonstrates that you can do what you describe.

Evidence is also important if part of the application involves a budget. Any program-related expense outlined in a budget has to be backed up by printouts of ticket prices, course tuition, and room and board costs. Also remember that this is only a budget request; the amount of support is determined by the sponsoring organization.

Finally, the issue of language: Most of the world’s languages are not taught at universities in the U.S., and you will not be expected to presently have a command of Mongolian or Swahili. Finding a tutor, private course, or even self-study materials and describing these efforts in an application can demonstrate an earnest commitment to Language Learning.

ERIN GUNTLY completed a David Boren Fellowship in Russia and Japan and a master’s degree in Commercial Diplomacy at the Middlebury Institute of International Studies at Monterey.