Are you interested in studying abroad? Are you a Federal Pell Grant recipient? Or are you the child of an active duty service member in the US military? If you answered yes to two or more of those questions, you should apply for the Benjamin A. Gilman International Scholarship or the Gilman-McCain Scholarship! 

The U.S. Department of State’s Benjamin A. Gilman International Scholarship Program enables students receiving a Federal Pell Grant to study or intern abroad, providing them with skills critical to our national security and economic prosperity.  The program aims to encourage students to study and intern in a diverse array of countries or areas and world regions. The program also encourages students to study languages, especially critical-need languages (those deemed important to national security). Veterans of military service are encouraged to apply, and preference is given to veterans when other factors are equivalent. 

By supporting undergraduate students who have high financial need, the program has been successful in supporting students who have been historically underrepresented in education abroad, including but not limited to first-generation college students, ethnic minority students, students with disabilities, and students attending HBCUs or other minority-serving institutions. 

The staff of the UMBC's Education Abroad Office will sponsor several information sessions to help students learn about the Gilman program, as well as offer guidance for a competitive application.  You can register for this in-person information session by clicking this link here.