Yes, international scholarships = free money to study abroad, but did you know that there are other career benefits to these scholarship programs?
Keeping in mind that these scholarships all require US citizenship, they all have significant career benefits, especially if you are open to working for the US government.
Gilman Career Benefits
First, the U.S. Department of State’s Benjamin A. Gilman International Scholarship Program has a mission to enable "students of limited financial means to study or intern abroad, providing them with skills critical to our national security and economic prosperity." Career benefits include:
- Noncompetitive eligibility for federal employment
- Grad school discounts
- Gilman Scholar Network access & networking opportunities
- Exclusive professional development opportunities
Applications for the program are due twice annually, in early March and October, depending on the term abroad.
Learn more about career benefits
Boren Career Benefits
The National Security Education Program, often called the Boren Awards, includes the Boren Scholarship, supporting undergraduate students who pursue "a wide range of critical languages, including Arabic, Chinese, Portuguese, and Swahili." For graduate students, the Boren Fellowship is a comparable option. Career benefits include:
- Fast-track to employment in federal government areas like:
- Department of Defense,
- Department of State, or
- One of the intelligence communities
- Enhanced language, cross-cultural communication skills
This program expects awardees to make a good faith effort to seek government employment when completing their education goals.
Applications for the program are due in December or January for students seeking a campus endorsement for the following summer, fall, or beyond.
Critical Language Scholarship Career Benefits
The Critical Language Scholarship (CLS) Program "is part of a wider government initiative to expand the number of Americans studying and mastering foreign languages that are critical to national security and economic prosperity. CLS plays an important role in preparing students for the 21st century's globalized workforce and increasing national competitiveness." It is the only common fully funded study abroad program. Career benefits include:
- Noncompetitive eligibility for federal employment
- Enhanced language, cross-cultural communication skills
- ACTFL Oral Proficiency Interview assessment certification of language skills
CLS recipients are often well-positioned to go on to advanced studies in foreign language, to pursue the Boren Awards, and similar international opportunities.
Applications for the program are typically due in November for the following summer.
