The Benjamin A. Gilman International Scholarship Program supports students of limited financial means to study or intern abroad. The program encourages students to study or intern abroad in all world regions and from all U.S. states, academic fields, backgrounds, and types of institutions.

Gilman Scholars receive up to $5,000 and are also eligible to receive a Critical Need Language Award (of up to $3,000) if they are studying a critical need language while abroad, for a total possible award of $8,000.

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Who should apply?

To be eligible, you must:

• be a U.S. citizen undergraduate in good academic standing
• receive a federal Pell Grant at the time of application and/or during the study abroad term
• apply or be accepted to a study abroad program, internship, or co-op eligible for credit at Drexel
• plan to study/intern abroad in a country with an overall Travel Advisory level of 1 or 2, according to the US State Department's Travel Advisory System

The Gilman Scholarship program encourages students to choose underrepresented study and internship destinations, meaning those outside of Western Europe, Australia, China, Japan, and South Korea.

Preference is given to applicants who have not studied abroad before and to veterans of the U.S. Armed forces. 

The Gilman-McCain Scholarship

Separate from the traditional Gilman Scholarship, awards of up to $5,000 are available for child and spousal dependents of active duty service members through the Gilman-McCain Scholarship.

To be eligible for Gilman-McCain, you must:

• be a U.S. citizen undergraduate in good academic standing
• be a dependent child or spouse of an active duty military member(s) during the time of application in one of the following: Air Force, Army, Marine Corps, Navy, Coast Guard, Space Force, NOAA Commissioned Corps, or USPHS Commissioned Corps
• receive any type of Title IV federal financial aid at the time of application and/or during the study abroad term

Deadlines for the Gilman-McCain Scholarship may differ from the traditional Gilman Scholarship; please check the Gilman-McCain Scholarship page for current deadlines.

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How to Apply

To apply for the Gilman Scholarship, you must first select a Drexel-approved study abroad or international co-op program and meet with an Education Abroad or International Co-op advisor. 

Once you have opened an application for Drexel study abroad or international co-op, fill out the Gilman Intent to Apply Form for advising and feedback on your Gilman application essays. Visit our Gilman Resource Page for application writing resources (Drexel login required).

Application Timeline

Gilman has two application cycles per year:

Cycle 1 Deadline: early October (for abroad programs beginning the following December through October)

Cycle 2 Deadline: early March (for abroad programs beginning the following May through April)

If an applicant is not selected, they may re-apply for the next cycle as long as they continue to meet eligibility requirements and their program falls within the eligible start dates.

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More Information

More information about the Gilman Scholarship, including application resources and sample application materials, can be found on the Gilman Resource Page (Drexel login required).

For official information on the Gilman Scholarship (which supersedes any information provided here) and access to the online application, please see the official Gilman Scholarship website.

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Related Awards:

Freeman-ASIA

Last updated: April 2025