Financial Aid and Scholarships

Scholarships

The UNC Asheville Study Abroad Office is pleased to administer a number of awards for study abroad, made possible by generous donors who value the benefits of an overseas experience.

To apply for a scholarship, select financial aid as part of your online application process and complete the Scholarship Application.  Students will be considered for any award for which they meet the criteria.

All award recipients must meet the following eligibility requirements:

• Minimum 3.0 GPA
• Maintain full-time status while on program (equivalency of 6 credit hours for Summer or short-term, 12 credit hours for Semester)
• Must be degree-seeking and making successful progress toward graduation
• Demonstrated financial need (for some scholarships)
• Applied and accepted into a Study Abroad program through UNCA

UNC Asheville Grants and Awards for Study Abroad

McClinton Scholars Program

The McClinton Scholars Program was established in 2022 with a generous $1 million dollar gift from Susan and Ray McClinton. This program provides $5,000 in financial support to four students each semester who are participating in semester-long study abroad programs. $4,000 is awarded directly to each McClinton Scholar in support of their study abroad experiences. Returning Scholars are expected to work as peer mentors in the Study Abroad Office in order to receive the final $1,000 of the award. To be eligible you must:

• be enrolled and accepted in a semester-long study abroad program
• be in good academic standing
• submit a full application

Awardees will be selected from a range of disciplines, majors, and destinations to engage a diverse range of regional, linguistic, and cultural contexts. Academic merit and financial need will both be considered in selecting McClinton Scholars, with priority given to students who demonstrate both.

International Experience Grant

Need-based grants to students who are receiving academic credit through any of our UNC Asheville faculty-led programs or semester/year exchange opportunities.

Janet Spreckels Study Abroad Award

In memory of Janet Spreckels, a German exchange student to UNC Asheville from University of Heidelberg in 1996, an award has been established which will provide annual stipends to UNC Asheville students who will study abroad in Germany or German-speaking countries as well as a stipend for a student from a German-speaking country who will be studying at UNC Asheville. Applicants from any field of study may apply.

International Education Initiative

Our Summer faculty-led programs, which have a service-learning element, also have received funds from the  International Education Initiative to help reduce the program cost to students.

UNCA Biology Study Abroad/Away Scholarship for Faculty-led Programs

Biology majors who are interested in participating in Study Abroad/Away programs through the UNCA biology department are encouraged to apply for the Biology Study Abroad Scholarship for summer 2023! Scholarships will be awarded up to a maximum of $500 for UNCA Study Away (domestic off-campus field courses) or $1,000 for UNCA Biology Faculty-Led Study Abroad. Applications will be reviewed based on both financial need and academic merit. To be eligible you must:

• be a full-time Biology Major (declared)
• have North Carolina residency
• have a minimum GPA of 3.0

Please contact the Office of Study Abroad at email: studyabroad@unca.edu for a summer 2023 application form.  Once complete, please send the Biology Study Abroad-Away Scholarship Application and your statement of interest as a single PDF email attachment to Dr. Grosser at email: mgrosser@unca.edu no later than Feb 10th, 2023.

Other Funding Resources and Opportunities

The links below are other sources of aid you may apply for. Although this is not a comprehensive list, it can help you begin your research and explore multiple resources to fund your study abroad experience.

• AIFS Study Abroad – scholarships available only to students going abroad with AIFS
• American Association of Teachers of Japanese (Bridging Scholarship)
• Benjamin A Gilman International Scholarship (for students already receiving federal Pell Grant funding)
• Boren Scholarship – Program Scholarships and Fellowships focusing on geographic areas, languages, and fields of study that are critical to U.S. interests and underrepresented in study abroad.
• Critical Language Scholarship – The CLS Program is a nationally competed award open to all eligible U.S. undergraduate and graduate students in every field.
• CDS International (primarily specific to Germany)
• DAAD (specific to study in Germany)
• FinAid for Study Abroad Program – information on financial aid for college and tips on how to help ease the burden of college expenses
• Freeman-ASIA Scholarship – scholarships for U.S. undergraduate students with demonstrated financial need to study abroad in East or Southeast Asia.
• Fulbright Scholarship – With advance notice, the UNCA Fulbright Committee will be pleased to help in the Fulbright application process for a post-bac experience. For more information on the program, or to request help and feedback in preparing an application, please contact Heidi Kelley (hkelley@unca.edu) and Eric Roubinek (eroubine@unca.edu) for student inquiries.  For faculty inquiries, please contact Tiece Ruffin (truffin@unca.edu) and Charlotte Smith (csmith20@unca.edu).
• Fund for Education Abroad – scholarships and ongoing support to students who are underrepresented among the U.S. study-abroad population. FEA makes life-changing, international experiences accessible to all by supporting students of color, community college, and first-generation college students before, during, and after they participate in education abroad programs.
• IES Study Abroad – Need-based aid, grants, and scholarships available only to students going abroad with IES
• IES Social Impact Scholarship – The Hemera Foundation Summer Social Impact Internship Scholarship was initiated by the Hemera Foundation, whose mission is to foster basic human goodness in individuals and society. This Scholarship, which will be sustained through a foundation collaborative, aims to inspire students to make a social impact through summer internships within philanthropic or direct service/social service organizations. Scholarship available only to students going abroad with IES
• ISEP Scholarship Resources – help with budgeting, financial aid information, and scholarships exclusive to ISEP students
• John Philip Couch Scholarship – for Study Abroad in France
• NAFSA Resources for Students – links to help with financial aid
• National Science Foundation (focus on social sciences, chemistry, computers, engineering, geosciences, math,  physics, psychology, and other related fields)
• PHI KAPPA PHI Abroad Grant – Phi Kappa Phi Study Abroad Grants are designed to help support undergraduates as they seek knowledge and experience in their academic fields by studying abroad. Applicants do not have to be Society members but must attend an institution with an active Phi Kappa Phi chapter
• Robert B. Bailey Scholarship and other CIEE Scholarships – specific to groups that have traditionally been underrepresented in study abroad
• Rotary International Ambassadorial Scholarships – four different grant types but students must become a Rotary member.
• Rotary World Peace Fellows – designed for leaders with work experience in peace and development. Each year, The Rotary Foundation awards up to 50 fellowships for master’s degrees and 80 for certificate studies at premier universities
• Toshizo Watanabe Study Abroad Scholarship – Study Abroad in Japan
• UNESCO (United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization – Funding and Fellowship Information Resources)