Worried about paying to study abroad this summer? Gilman has you covered.

The Gilman Scholarship is a grant program under the US Department of State that helps undergrads pay for study abroad costs. It allows students that are economically limited to afford the often-expensive price tags that come with doing school overseas. The only requirement to apply for it is that one must be a recipient of the Pell Grant through Federal Financial Aid, an award that gives many of us, including myself, the ability to afford school as a whole. Last Spring, I studied for the semester in Belgrade, Serbia. Being in Eastern Europe, my trip wasn't as costly as most other programs people get out of the country, but I was still concerned with covering the full bill. This was when Mr. Goen in the Office of Global Education brought up the idea of applying for a Gilman to me, which I decided was worth the shot. After a review process which lasted a few months, I was selected and awarded $3,000 to cover my expenses, which allowed me to pay off my study-abroad in full, on top of transferring my VMI financial aid to my program. The Gilman also has several non-financial benefits as well. Being an award given directly by the Department of State, it is a strong highlight on any job application in the public sector. Recipients of the award are automatically enrolled in the Gilman Alumni Program, which allows you to network with past recipients now employed within the government, being a tight knit community looking out for one another similarly to that of VMI. On top of this, a Gilman Scholarship also qualifies you for something called Non-Competitive Eligibility (NCE). This is a status in any federal hiring process that allows you to essentially skip past the first round of application reviews and interviews. It sets your application ahead of those without the status because you've already proven yourself once to a government application that you're worthy of being looked at. Though it doesn't guarantee you a job, it's a significant benefit to have and essentially puts your application at the top of the stack. For Summer 2025 programs, the application window will be open from mid-January until March 6th. Awards will be announced in early May and given out soon after. Gilman also awards scholarships to those studying for a semester, such as myself, however the application for this Spring has already closed. If you're looking to apply, reach out to COL Kendrick or Mrs. Hardin in the study abroad office. Both are happy to help you through the application process!