LATEST INFORMATION REGARDING CORONAVIRUS/COVID-19
IAU will host in-person courses for Spring, Maymester, and Summer 2021. More information here.

Interested in pursuing an American degree in France? Learn about options through IAU's degree-granting institution - The American College of the Mediterranean.

Bachelor's and Master's Programs

Scholarships, Grants and Professional Development Opportunities 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/Maymester students, IAU is a leader in the industry when it comes to breaking down the cost barrier. 

To be eligible for IAU scholarship and grant opportunities, students must be full-time, in demi-pension housing, abide by all IAU policies and regulations as stated on the policies page and maintain a 3.0 or higher GPA while attending IAU. Students currently enrolled in an undergraduate degree program from any US institution of higher education and who meet the scholarship criteria are eligible to apply. Students participating in faculty-led programs or virtual programs are not eligible for IAU scholarships. Specific grants are awarded automatically based on the criteria listed below. 

Scholarships

Merit Scholarships

  • Presidential Scholarship - 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. Selected recipients receive up to $5,000 each semester. Summer and January term recipients receive up to $2,500.
  • Dean’s Scholarship - Awarded to students with consistent outstanding academic achievement. Students applying for this scholarship must have a 3.0 GPA or higher. Selected recipients receive up to $2,500 each semester. Awards range from $500 to $1,500 each summer and January term.
  • Trustees Diversity Scholarship - Funds from this scholarship will be used to attract outstanding students from diverse backgrounds who are traditionally underrepresented in international education including LGBTQIA+, first-generation college students, those identifying by a certain race, ethnicity, religion, disability, age, national origin, or ancestry, students from low-income families, and students with a history of overcoming adversity. Semester awards range from $500 to $2,000 while summer and January term awards range from $500 to $1,000


Program-Specific Scholarships

  • Amos Booth French Honors Scholarship - In honor of Amos Booth, esteemed teacher, director, and second President of IAU, IAU offers a merit-based scholarship to eligible students who have been accepted into the French Honors Program. Students applying for this scholarship must have a 3.5 GPA or higher. Selected recipients receive up to $1,500 each semester. Summer recipients receive up to $500.
  • Spanish Honors Scholarship - IAU offers a merit-based scholarship to eligible semester and summer students who have been accepted into the Spanish Honors Program in Barcelona. Students applying for this scholarship must have a 3.5 GPA or higher. Selected recipients receive up to $1,500 each semester. Summer recipients receive up to $500.
  • John Rewald Art & Art History Scholarship - IAU offers an endowed scholarship in honor of Mr. John Rewald, art historian and colleague of Leo Marchutz- namesake of the Marchutz School of Fine Arts. 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 applying for this scholarship must have a GPA of 3.0 or higher.  Selected recipients receive up to $1,000 each semester. Summer and January term recipients receive up to $500.
  • Judith L. Rice International Relations & Global Studies Scholarship - IAU offers a merit-based scholarship to students majoring in political science, international relations or global studies. This scholarship is made possible by the generous support of Judith L. Rice, a University of Oregon alumna and IAU student in 1967-1968. Students applying for this scholarship must have a 3.0 GPA or higher. Selected recipients receive up to $2,000 each semester. Summer and January term awards range from $500 to $1,000.
  • J-Term/Maymester Seminar Scholarship - January Term/Maymester Traveling Seminar Scholarships range from $100-$500.

Scholarship Applications

IAU Scholarship Applications
CCIS Diversity Scholarship Application*

*For students applying through CCIS only.

Scholarship Application Deadlines for On-site Programs:
January Term: October 1
Spring Term: October 1
Summer Term: April 1
Fall Term: May 1


Recipients will be notified within one month of the application deadline. 

Students interested in applying for a scholarship must complete the online application and submit any other application requirements via email. Students are welcome to apply for more than one scholarship. Applications submitted after the application deadline will not be considered for scholarships.

Students applying for the Presidential, Dean's and Trustees' Diversity Scholarships who wish to be considered based on financial need must submit a copy of their Student Aid Report via email.


Recipient Responsibilities
If awarded an IAU scholarship, recipients are expected to share their experience at IAU in one or more of the following ways:

• Post a minimum of two photos to IAU's Instagram profile, Twitter account, or Facebook page per week. IAU hashtags and tags must be used in the posts, as provided by IAU staff. Posts should reflect academic experiences and engagement with the local culture. Or, students may participate in a 24-hour IAU "Instagram takeover" once per month. Further instructions on posting to IAU's social media accounts will be provided by IAU staff.

• Share a video of your time at IAU at the end of the program. The video should highlight program activities, class activities, food, culture, and student experiences. The video must be submitted no longer than 1 month after the program end date and be YouTube compatible. Additional production criteria will be shared by IAU staff at the start of the assignment.

• Pursue and gather testimonial from the IAU community (students, professors, faculty, etc.) throughout the duration of your term abroad in the form of writing, videos or interviews, photos with testimonials as captions, or other ways that you think of and share with IAU. Specific examples and methods will be shared by IAU staff at the start of the assignment.

• Write an article about your time abroad with IAU by the end of the program (500-800 words in length). The article should highlight reflections, interactions, and experiences unique to their study abroad experience. Submitting photos and other student testimonials are strongly encouraged.

For more information on IAU scholarship and grant opportunities and the application process, please contact the Office of Admissions.

Grants

Grants are awarded automatically based on the criteria listed below. Please note, students must check with their IAU Enrollment Advisor 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.

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


Legacy Grant - IAU’s 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 scholarship 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 in Aix and maintain a 3.0 IAU GPA after their first semester will automatically qualify to receive the grant.

Multi-Country Summer Grant - A $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 in Aix 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.

Spring Semester & Maymester Grant - Students who enroll in the spring semester in Aix-en-Provence or Barcelona and the Maymester seminar consecutively are eligible to receive a $2,000 grant credited to their Maymester invoice. 

Maymester & Summer Term Grant - Students who enroll in a Maymester Seminar and a summer program in Aix, Barcelona, or Tangier consecutively are eligible to receive a $1,000 grant credited to their summer invoice.

Work-Study Grant 

IAU is pleased to offer several work-study opportunities each semester and summer term in Aix-en-Provence, France and Barcelona, Spain. Eligible students will be asked to work closely with faculty, staff, and students to fulfill various assignments throughout their term including:

  • IT assistance for the IAU computer labs
  • Event preparations (orientation, receptions, lecture series)
  • Study tour and field studies support
  • Social media correspondent to the IAU U.S. Office
  • Clerical duties as needed by the on-site staff (copying, printing, filing)
Work time associated with assignments will amount to 10-12 hours per week, and each student should be prepared to answer to at least ONE last-minute request (none of which will be tasks of more than three hours in length). The Work-Study Grant helps to subsidize the cost of housing and the amount will depend on each term.

Interested applicants must complete the online application. Students can expect to receive notification of their application status prior to their arrival abroad.

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 if they have questions about their eligibility. 

  • Pell Grant Matching Program – (Semester only)  In an effort to encourage socioeconomic diversity in study abroad and expose more undergraduate students to international academic experiences, IAU will automatically match a student’s Pell award used for any of its on-site semester programs.
  • Go Beyond Grant – (Short-Term Programs only) The Go Beyond Grant is available to students enrolled in any of IAU’s short-term, on-site programs who possess high financial need. Federal Pell Grant recipients are guaranteed a Go Beyond Grant. These grants range from $500 to $1,500.
Please submit the following form to the Office of Admissions in order to confirm your eligibility in the Pell Grant Matching Program or for a Go Beyond Grant. Students must have full-time student status at IAU, partake in demi-pension housing, and be currently enrolled in an undergraduate degree program to be eligible. 

  • 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/term 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 submit supporting documentation to demonstrate their eligibility to the Office of Admissions. Supporting documentation can include but is not limited to the following: a copy of your federal student aid report, financial aid award form or award letter from your home university, and/or an explanatory essay advocating your financial need. Students must have full-time student status at IAU, partake in demi-pension housing, and be currently enrolled in an undergraduate degree program to be eligible. 


CONFIRM YOUR ELIGIBILITY 
To be considered for any of the work-study or need-based grants, apply by the following deadlines:

Summer Term: April 1
Fall Term: May 1
January Term: October 1
Spring Semester: October 1

Submissions after these dates can be considered on a case-by-case basis.

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 School of Fine Arts. The scholarship, created in memory of Ella, a former Marchutz School of Fine Arts student, offers two semester scholarships and one summer scholarship for qualified Macalester students accepted full-time into the Marchutz School. 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.

Third-party Scholarships

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

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