U.S. outbound · Undergraduate
Benjamin A. Gilman International Scholarship
U.S. Department of State
- Award
- Up to $5,000. Averages about $4,000 for fall/spring and $3,000 for summer. Up to $8,000 total with the Critical Need Language supplement (+$3,000).
- Deadline
- 25 February 2027
- Where
- Worldwide
- Length
- Any credit-bearing study or intern abroad program. No minimum length. (summer · semester · year)
- Who
- U.S. citizen undergraduate receiving a Federal Pell Grant at a two-year or four-year institution.
Covers programs starting 1 Dec 2026 – 31 Oct 2027 (Winter/J-term 2027, Spring 2027, Maymester, Summer 2027, Fall 2027, AY 2027–28). Advisor certification due 4 March 2027.
The catch most people miss. The Pell Grant requirement is absolute — no Pell, no Gilman, regardless of financial need. Your program must also carry academic credit, so most volunteer and unaccredited gap programs don't qualify.
U.S. outbound · Undergraduate
Boren Scholarship
National Security Education Program (DLNSEO)
- Award
- Up to $25,000 for programs of 12 weeks or longer. STEM majors only: up to $8,000 for 8–11 week summer study.
- Deadline
- Late January / early February 2027 (confirm on borenawards.org)
- Where
- World regions critical to U.S. interests — excludes Western Europe, Canada, Australia and New Zealand.
- Length
- 12+ weeks for the full award. Summer-only option restricted to STEM majors. (summer · semester · year)
- Who
- U.S. citizen undergraduate studying a less commonly taught language in an eligible region.
2027 cycle funds programs starting as early as June 2027 and as late as 1 March 2028. Many campuses set an internal deadline weeks earlier.
The catch most people miss. Comes with a binding one-year federal service requirement after graduation. That's a genuine commitment, not a formality — but it also carries hiring preference for many federal roles.
Needs confirming: Exact 2027 deadline date not yet posted at time of review.
U.S. outbound · Undergraduate
Freeman-ASIA
Institute of International Education / Freeman Foundation
- Award
- Summer up to $3,000. Quarter or semester up to $5,000. Academic year up to $7,000.
- Deadline
- Applications open February 2027
- Where
- East and Southeast Asia
- Length
- Summer through full academic year (summer · semester · year)
- Who
- U.S.-based undergraduate with demonstrated financial need.
The February 2027 opening covers Summer 2027, Fall 2027, Academic/Calendar Year 2027–28, and Spring 2028.
The catch most people miss. Requires a post-program service component — you agree to share your experience back on your home campus. Funding covers airfare and living costs, not just tuition.
U.S. outbound · Undergraduate, Graduate
Critical Language Scholarship (CLS)
U.S. Department of State
- Award
- Fully funded — tuition, travel, housing, and a stipend.
- Deadline
- November 2026 (for summer 2027)
- Where
- Varies by language. Arabic, Chinese, Japanese, Korean, Russian, Portuguese, Swahili, Turkish, Urdu and others.
- Length
- 8–10 weeks, summer only (summer)
- Who
- U.S. citizen undergraduate or graduate student. Several languages accept complete beginners.
Full 2027 cycle details publish in Fall 2026. This is one of the earliest deadlines on this page — it lands more than six months before the program starts.
The catch most people miss. Widely assumed to require existing fluency. It doesn't — several language tracks are explicitly designed for students with zero prior study. That misconception keeps the applicant pool smaller than it should be.
U.S. outbound · High school
NSLI-Y (National Security Language Initiative for Youth)
U.S. Department of State
- Award
- Fully funded — tuition, travel, housing, and language instruction.
- Deadline
- Early November 2026 (for 2027–28)
- Where
- China, Estonia, India, Indonesia, Japan, Korea, Kyrgyzstan, Latvia, Moldova, Morocco, Taiwan, Tanzania, Türkiye (varies by cycle).
- Length
- Summer or full academic year (summer · year)
- Who
- U.S. citizen high school student, roughly ages 15–18 at program start.
The 2026–27 cycle closed 12 November 2025. Expect a comparable date for 2027–28 — applications typically open late summer.
The catch most people miss. One of the very few genuinely free ways for a high schooler to spend a year abroad. Competitive, but the applicant pool is far smaller than for university-level awards.
U.S. outbound · High school
Congress-Bundestag Youth Exchange (CBYX)
U.S. Department of State / German Bundestag
- Award
- Fully funded — travel, tuition, host family placement, and stipend.
- Deadline
- Early November 2026 (for 2027–28)
- Where
- Germany
- Length
- Full academic year (year)
- Who
- U.S. citizen high school student. No German language requirement to apply.
The 2026–27 application period closed 3 November 2025. Confirm exact 2027–28 dates with your placement organisation (YFU, AFS, or Cultural Vistas depending on region).
The catch most people miss. No prior German required — the program includes intensive language training on arrival. Applicants routinely rule themselves out over a requirement that doesn't exist.
U.S. outbound · High school
Kennedy-Lugar YES Abroad
U.S. Department of State
Paused — verify before applying
- Award
- Fully funded
- Deadline
- Status uncertain — recruitment was paused
- Where
- Varies by year — typically includes Bosnia, Ghana, India, Indonesia, Malaysia, Morocco, North Macedonia, Philippines, Senegal, Thailand.
- Length
- Full academic year (year)
- Who
- U.S. citizen high school student.
Recruitment for 2026–27 was paused as of this review. Check the official site before building a plan around this award.
The catch most people miss. Listed here because it's frequently recommended in older articles that don't mention the pause. Verify it's running before you invest application time.
Host country · Undergraduate, Graduate
JASSO Student Exchange Support Program
Japan Student Services Organization
- Award
- Monthly stipend. Published figures vary by student category and cycle — confirm the current rate with your host university before budgeting.
- Deadline
- Set by your host university, not by JASSO
- Where
- Japan
- Length
- 8 days to 1 year (summer · semester · year)
- Who
- International student accepted by a Japanese institution under a short-term student exchange agreement.
You do not apply to JASSO directly. Your Japanese host institution nominates you, so their internal deadline is the one that matters.
The catch most people miss. Two things trip people up: you can't apply yourself, and the stipend is capped in combination with other scholarships. Stacking it with a large award may reduce or void it.
Needs confirming: Published monthly stipend figures conflicted across sources at time of review.
Host country · Undergraduate, Graduate
DAAD Short-Term Scholarships
German Academic Exchange Service
- Award
- Varies by programme — university summer course grants are the main undergraduate route.
- Deadline
- Varies by programme, typically Dec–Jan for following summer
- Where
- Germany
- Length
- Up to 6 months for short-term awards (summer)
- Who
- Undergraduates are mostly limited to short-term options — summer or winter courses and internships. The headline DAAD scholarships target graduates, doctoral students and postdocs.
DAAD runs many separate funding lines with independent deadlines. Use their scholarship database rather than assuming a single date.
The catch most people miss. The most-shared DAAD scholarships aren't open to undergraduates at all. If you're a bachelor's student, the summer course grant is realistically your route.
Host country · Undergraduate, Graduate
Erasmus+ (eligibility warning)
European Commission
Eligibility warning
- Award
- Mobility grant — but see eligibility.
- Deadline
- Set by your home university
- Where
- Europe
- Length
- Semester or academic year (semester · year)
- Who
- Restricted. Students from EU member states and associated countries — Iceland, Liechtenstein, North Macedonia, Norway, Serbia and Türkiye. Switzerland and the UK are planned to associate in 2027.
Erasmus+ mobility runs through inter-institutional agreements. Your home university's international office is the only entry point.
The catch most people miss. This is the single most common false lead for American students. U.S. students are generally not eligible for Erasmus+ grants, despite countless blog posts implying otherwise. If you're a U.S. student headed to Europe, your funding routes are Gilman, FEA, and your host university's own bursaries — not Erasmus+.
Done —