Global Engagement Scholarship
The Global Engagement Scholarship is an annual award of up to $4,000 given to one or two Carnegie Mellon undergraduate students for study abroad during the summer term.
Eligibility Requirements for Application and Funding
- The Global Engagement Scholarship is for Carnegie Mellon undergraduate students to pursue study abroad experiences during the summer.
- The international experience must be at least four weeks in length.
- The recipient must be applying to or have been accepted into a study abroad or internship program eligible for academic credit (no independent travel will be considered).
- Applicants must demonstrate financial need. Students who receive need-based financial aid from Carnegie Mellon University are considered to meet the financial need criteria for the award. Students should include a copy of their financial aid award or statement from The HUB with their application to show their eligibility.
- Scholarships will not be available for students to travel during the summer after their final semester of study at the university because awardees must commit to sharing their overseas experience with the Carnegie Mellon community upon their return and will participate in various events sponsored by the Office of International Education (OIE).
- Applicants should include ideas for proposed outreach in their application and each scholarship recipient will work with the study abroad office upon their return from abroad to coordinate efforts.
- Awardees must attend a Pre-Departure Orientation Session hosted by the Office of International Education and complete ALL pre-departure registration materials before departing campus. Scholarship funds will not be released until this requirement has been met.
Preference Will be Given to Students Who:
- Have not previously had a study or travel abroad experience.
- Choose a program rich in cultural immersion opportunities and who demonstrate their intention to make meaningful connections to the host country.
To Note
- OIE does not typically fund travel to countries where the U.S. State Department has a Level 3 Travel Advisory or higher in effect. In cases where the travel warning is loction-specific within a country, the request will be reviewed by the University on a case-by-case basis.
- Students may apply, but are not permitted to accept both the Global Engagement Scholarship and the Jennings Family Brave Companions Fund award for the same international experience.
Application Deadline
Students interested in applying for a Global Engagement Scholarship will need to apply via the Global Engagement Scholarship Google Form.
Global Engagement Scholarship applications are due no later than 11:59 p.m. on March 1.
Incomplete or late applications will not be accepted for any reason. You must submit all components of the application, including a letter of recommendation, prior to the deadline for your application to be considered. Questions may be directed to the Office of International Education at 412-268-5231 or GoAbroad@andrew.cmu.edu.
Application Checklist
- Applicants will be required to answer all prompts, including a detailed budget proposal.
- Applicants will need to submit a personal statement addressing the following criteria and upload it with their application:
- Please share some information about you! And why you want to study abroad. Specifically, why have you chosen this study abroad program and/or institution?
- Have you encountered any challenges in your decision to study abroad, and what challenges, if any, do you foresee related to this decision?
- What do you hope to learn abroad that you would not be able to learn by staying at CMU, what do you hope to do on a daily basis to achieve your international goals, and what do you anticipate will be the impact of your experience abroad?
- For the purposes of the Global Engagement Scholarship, students who receive need-based financial aid from Carnegie Mellon University are considered to meet the financial need criteria for the award. Students should include a copy of their financial aid award or statement from The HUB with their application to show their eligibility.
- Applicants are required to provide one recommendation letter from a CMU faculty member, advisor, student affairs representative, department head or college dean. Recommenders are to be sent to our GoAbroad@andrew.cmu.edu email. Letters submitted will be matched with the appropriate student file.