Scholarships and Grants for Studying Abroad

IAU is committed to making studying abroad a reality for students who otherwise may not have the opportunity. Through a robust offering of merit scholarships, grants, and need-based assistance for its semester, summer, and J-Term students, IAU is a leader in the industry when it comes to breaking down the cost barrier.

SCHOLARSHIP DEADLINES FOR ALL SCHOLARSHIPS AND GRANTS

J-TERM 2026: October 15
SPRING 2026: October 15
SUMMER 2026: March 15
FALL 2026: May 1

Applications submitted after the application deadline will not be considered.

ELIGIBILITY

Student must have a completed IAU application for the term indicated in their scholarship application
Student must complete the scholarship application in its entirety, including any supplemental information requested
Student must abide by IAU policies and regulations as stated in the policies page and maintain a 3.0 or higher GPA while attending IAU
Students must be attending IAU as a full-time student (in IAU housing), and currently enrolled in an undergraduate degree program (faculty-led programs and virtual programs are not eligible for scholarship)
Students must attend an institution that allows students to receive IAU scholarship funds. Please check with your study abroad advisor (enroll@iau.edu) before completing your scholarship application to confirm your eligibility

Scholarships & Applications - Click Below to Submit the Online Applications!

Merit Scholarships
COMPLETE YOUR MERIT SCHOLARSHIP APPLICATION HERE!

Presidential Scholarship (Up to $2,500) - Awarded to students with exceptional academic ability who also have demonstrated outstanding out-of-classroom and co-curricular involvement and leadership. Students applying for this scholarship must have a 3.5 GPA or higher, and participate in an IAU program during Fall or Spring terms. The IAU Scholarship Committee awards up to five President Scholarships each term. Letter of Recommendation Required.

Dean’s Scholarship (Up to $1,500) - Awarded to students with consistent outstanding academic achievement. Students applying for this scholarship must have a 3.0 GPA or higher, and participate in an IAU program during Fall, Spring, or Summer terms. Letter of Recommendation Required.

The Board of Directors Scholarship (Up to $1,000) - Awarded to outstanding students from backgrounds which are traditionally underrepresented in international education, including first-generation college students, those who have served in the military, and students with a history of overcoming adversity. Students applying for this scholarship must participate in an IAU program during Fall, J-Term, Spring, or Summer terms.

James Baldwin Scholarship (Up to $2,000) - Awarded to students who have demonstrated superior academic achievement, extracurricular leadership, community service, and involvement with the African American community and African American issues and will continue to do so during their studies abroad. Students applying for this scholarship maintain a minimum of 3.0 GPA and active participation in community or cultural initiatives. Supplemental Essay Required.

Academic Interst Scholarships:
COMPLETE YOUR ACADEMIC INTEREST SCHOLARSHIP APPLICATION HERE

Amos Booth French Studies Scholarship (up to $1000 Fall/Spring, up to $500 Summer) - In honor of Amos Booth, esteemed teacher, director, and second President of IAU, IAU offers a academic interest scholarship to eligible students who are studying French (French majors or minors). Students applying for this scholarship must have a 3.5 GPA or higher, and participate in an IAU program during Fall, Spring, or Summer terms. Letter of Recommendation Required.

Spanish Studies Scholarship (up to $1000 Fall/Spring, up to $500 Summer) - IAU offers a academic interest scholarship to eligible semester and summer students who are studying Spanish (Spanish majors or minors). Students applying for this scholarship must have a 3.5 GPA or higher, and participate in an IAU program during Fall, Spring, or Summer terms. Letter of Recommendation Required.

John Rewald Art & Art History Scholarship (up to $1000 Fall/Spring, up to $500 Summer) - In honor of Mr. John Rewald, art historian and colleague of Leo Marchutz - namesake of the Marchutz Core Art Program in Aix-en-Provence, France. Through the collaborative study of artist Paul Cezanne’s work in Aix and the surrounding region, Rewald and Marchutz sought to deepen understanding of Cezanne’s impact on the art world and preserve his memory in the city of Aix. This scholarship is awarded to students of art and art history who demonstrate consistent and profound study in the disciplines of art and art history. Students who study at any IAU campus with a major or minor in art or art history studies are eligible to apply. Students applying for this scholarship must have a 3.0 GPA or higher, and participate in an IAU program during Fall, Spring, or Summer terms.
Judith L. Rice International Relations & Global Studies Scholarship (up to $1,500 for Fall/Spring, up to $500 Summer) - In honor of and made possible by the generous support of Judith L. Rice, a University of Oregon alumna and IAU student in 1967-1968. This scholarship is awarded to students majoring in political science, international relations or global studies.

Global STEM Scholarship - The Global STEM Scholarship is available to select students taking science courses at an IAU global campus. Students applying to this scholarship must have a 3.0 GPA or higher, and participate in an IAU program during Fall, Spring, or Summer terms.

J-Term Traveling Seminar Scholarship ($500) -The IAU Scholarship Committee awards up to five $500 January Term Traveling Seminar Scholarships each year.

Note: While IAU adheres to the quantity of awards given as described above, exceptions can be made on occasion and more awards can be offered than indicated, assuming that a high caliber of applications calls for such an adjustment.

Scholarship Application Deadlines & Recipient Guidelines

Scholarship Application Deadlines

J-TERM 2026: October 15
SPRING 2026: October 15
SUMMER 2026: March 15
FALL 2026: May 1

Recipient Responsibilities

If a student is awarded an IAU scholarship, recipients are required to share their experience at IAU by completing the following:

Write a thank you letter to one of the scholarship donors (template included in award letter)
Provide social media content by choosing one of the following:

3-5 days of Instagram Story Takeover over the course of their time abroad
1 Instagram Reel focused on an agreed upon topic

Grants

Grants are awarded automatically based on the criteria listed below, no additional application materials are required. Please note, students must check with their Study Abroad Advisor (enroll@iau.edu) for grant eligibility.

Alumni Grants - IAU welcomes and encourages alumni to return to IAU, either to enroll in programs that drew them to IAU in the first place or to experience IAU through one of the many new offerings.

Program	Grant Eligibility
3-credit Summer Program	$250
6-credit Summer Program	$500
January Term Travelling Seminar	$250
Semester Program	$1,000
Virtual Experiences Program	$250

Legacy Grant - Legacy Grant is awarded to the children of alumni who wish to carry on the tradition of studying at IAU. Grants range from $250-$1,500 depending upon the duration of enrollment.

Herbert Maza Academic Year Grant IAU offers a $1,000 grant in honor of Dr. Herbert Maza, co-founder and first President of IAU, to qualified students who enroll for an academic year (two full semesters). The $1,000 grant will be applied against the student’s spring semester invoice. Depending on the billing arrangement IAU has with the student’s home institution, IAU will either credit the student’s spring semester invoice or provide the student with a check for $1,000 on-site. All students who spend a semester abroad and maintain a 3.0 IAU GPA after their first semester will automatically qualify to receive the grant. Note: If an academic year student is also eligible for IAU scholarships, they may be eligible to renew their fall semester scholarship towards the spring semester in lieu of receiving the Herbert Maza Academic Year Grant.

Multi-Country Summer Grant - $1,250 grant, deducted from the Session C invoice, is provided to qualified students who enroll for both a Session B and Session C summer session at two of IAU's locations (for example: Aix-en-Provence and Barcelona; Tangier and Aix-en-Provence).

Gap Year Grant - IAU offers a $5,000 grant to qualified students who enroll independently at IAU (not through another university) for a gap year (two full consecutive semesters), whether that is between high school and college, between undergraduate and graduate programs, or simply between life and career changes. The $5,000 scholarship will be applied against the student’s spring semester invoice. All gap year students who spend a semester abroad and maintain a 3.0 IAU GPA after their first semester will automatically qualify to receive the grant for their second semester.

January Term & Spring Semester Grant - Students who enroll in a January term and a spring semester consecutively are eligible to receive a $2,000 grant credited to their spring invoice. In order to be eligible to receive the grant, students must participate in the Early Start Program.

Need-Based Grants

Through need-based funding, IAU aims to increase access to international education experiences. The opportunities below are available to students at IAU's partner institutions where this initiative has been identified on the signed agreement. Students are encouraged to contact IAU (enroll@iau.edu) if they have questions about their eligibility.

Pell Grant Plus Program – In an effort to encourage socioeconomic diversity in study abroad and expose more undergraduate students to international academic experiences, IAU will award a $3,000 grant to Federal Pell Grant recipients to be used for any of its on-site semester programs and a $650 grant to Federal Pell Grant recipients to be used for any of its on-site short-term programs (summer and January term).

Please submit the following form to IAU Study Abroad (enroll@iau.edu) in order to confirm your eligibility in the Pell Grant Plus Program. Students must have full-time student status at IAU, partake in IAU-arranged housing, and be currently enrolled in an undergraduate degree program to be eligible. Kindly note that students would not be eligible for other IAU scholarships or grants by receiving the Pell Grant Plus.

The Yamina Boudellal Travel Grant - In honor of Yamina Boudellal, for her forty-six years of untiring and devoted service to the students of the Institute for American Universities. Each semester for programs abroad, IAU will provide 3 travel grants of $750 each to students with financial need.

To be considered for the Yamina Boudellal Travel Grant, students must have full-time student status at IAU, partake in IAU-arranged housing, and be currently enrolled in an undergraduate degree program to be eligible and submit supporting documentation to demonstrate their eligibility to the Office of Financial Aid Supporting documentation can include but is not limited to the following:

A copy of your federal student aid report (FAFSA)
Financial aid award letter from your home university
Parent's Tax Returns and/or explanatory essay advocating your financial aid

Foundation & Institutional Scholarships

The Ella Bandes Scholarship - IAU offers the Ella Bandes Scholarship for qualified Macalester students accepted to a semester or summer abroad with IAU's Marchutz Core Art Program. The scholarship, created in memory of Ella, a former Marchutz Core Art Program student, offers two semester scholarships and one summer scholarship for qualified Macalester students accepted full-time into the Marchutz Core Art Program. The scholarship selection is administered by the Macalester's Department of Art and Art History. Two $5,000 scholarships will be awarded per academic year, as well as a $3,000 summer scholarship. All scholarships will be based on merit and financial need. Summer students must enroll in a minimum of six units to qualify.

The Meredith Hope Emerson French Honors Scholarship - IAU is proud to offer the Meredith Hope Emerson French Honors Scholarship for qualified University of Georgia students interested in a semester or summer abroad with IAU. Created in memory of Meredith, a former IAU French Honors student, this scholarship offers two half-tuition semester scholarships and one half-tuition summer scholarship for qualified UGA French students enrolled in IAU's French Studies Classes.

Pi Delta Phi, the National French Honors Society - In partnership with Pi Delta Phi, IAU is proud to offer one full tuition (6-credit) scholarship each summer to qualified students. The candidate is selected by Pi Delta Phi to participate in the IAU French Honors Program, a comprehensive immersion program for advanced French students.

The Allison Benson Memorial Scholarship - IAU is honored to offer this scholarship in memory of former IAU and Kansas State University student Allison Benson. The scholarship is intended for students wishing to study French at IAU and is in the amount of one full-tuition scholarship or two half-tuition scholarships per semester and/or six-week summer term in IAU's programs in Aix-en-Provence, France. Student(s) will be selected by Kansas State's Department of Modern Languages. Students selected for the Allison Benson Memorial Scholarship are ineligible for IAU's merit, diversity, and need-based scholarships.

Le Détroit Scholarship - In partnership with the French American Chamber of Commerce - Michigan Chapter, IAU is proud to promote the Le Détroit Scholarship to qualified students enrolled at Michigan colleges or universitites. The purpose of the scholarship is to assist students at Michigan colleges or universities studying business and French language studies, and who plan to combine French and business in their future career plans. Scholarships start at $1,500, and are based on merit, need, and the career goals of the student.

Third-party Scholarships

IAU strongly encourages students to apply for Third-Party Scholarships in addition to IAU scholarships.