IEF Study Abroad Scholarship

The Georgia State University International Education Fee (IEF) Study Abroad Scholarship Program, initiated in 2004, is funded by the mandatory international education student fee. Additional funds are provided by the Georgia State University Foundation, and students who apply for the IEF Scholarship are automatically considered for funds from the Foundation. Students generally receive either IEF funds or Foundation funds, but not funds from both sources. Post-baccalaureate students not enrolled in a degree or certificate program are not eligible for the IEF Scholarship.

**Students studying abroad for an academic year are eligible to apply for both the Fall and Spring scholarship competitions.

 -Applicants must be enrolled in and working toward completion of an undergraduate or graduate degree or certificate at Georgia State University.
-A minimum institutional GPA of 2.75 is required for undergraduate students.
-A minimum institutional GPA of 3.2 is required for graduate and professional students.
-Post-baccalaureate students are not eligible for the IEF Scholarship.

**Transfer and first semester graduate students: If this is your first semester at Georgia State University, in lieu of a GPA eligibility requirement, verification of your projected grades must be sent to us by your current professors. Freshmen can only study abroad after their first two semesters. These must be received no later than the application deadline.

At the time of scholarship application, applicants must be in the process of enrolling in a study abroad program for which they will be receiving academic credit at Georgia State University for the term for which they are applying for the scholarship. Recipients must agree to complete a minimum of five hours of service in support of international education upon their return to Georgia State University. Service will be approved and coordinated by the Office of International Initiatives, Study Abroad Programs. IEF funds may not be used towards study in countries that are currently under a U.S. Department of State Travel Warning. Click here for a list of those countries.

Criteria

Preference is given for the following: academic merit, longer programs, financial need, under-represented countries, students participating on Georgia State University sponsored programs, and students with little or no international experience. Students who apply for the IEF Scholarship are also automatically considered for the Georgia State University Foundation Study Abroad Scholarship.
The following will be taken into consideration when determining ranking for the award:
-Institutional GPA (transfer GPA is not considered)
-Demonstrated financial need as determined by your financial aid package.
-Program sponsor (GSU or other)
-Program location (traditional or non-traditional)
-Previous international experience
-Number of credits being earned (only applicable to Maymester and Summer programs)

*Please note: there is NO LONGER AN ESSAY REQUIREMENT for the IEF Scholarship.

Award Amounts

If awarded the IEF Scholarship, students will be eligible for a $1000 award.
Please be aware that there are no minimum amounts on possible Georgia State University Foundation awards.

Please be aware that applying for the IEF Scholarship does not guarantee an award.

Deadlines

Spring - mid-October

Summer/Maymester - mid-February

Fall/Academic Year - mid-April

Service Requirement

All scholarship recipients, whether they receive IEF or GSUF funding, are required to offer five hours of assistance to the Study Abroad Programs Office for each term that they are awarded a scholarship. This requirement can be fulfilled in many ways, such as writing essays, volunteering to assist with the Study Abroad Fairs, or speaking to students about your overseas experience. The service requirement is coordinated through the Study Abroad Programs Office, and must be completed within two terms of returning from abroad. If a student is unable to perform this requirement, repayment of the scholarship can be arranged.

Application Rules

 • Incomplete applications will not be eligible for review.  We will not follow up on incomplete applications.

• Cover letters, letters of recommendation, resumes, references, etc. are not required for this scholarship. Do not submit any of these with your application, as they will not be considered.

• Late applications will not be accepted. In order to ensure fairness and process awards in a timely manner, there will be no exceptions to this rule.

• Students participating in non-GSU programs must complete Study Abroad Programs Transfer Credit Approval Forms (TCAF) before awards can be disbursed.

• Students must complete necessary paperwork with the Office of Student Financial Aid before awards can be disbursed. Forms are required by this office even for students who are not currently receiving other forms of financial aid. Check with our office for info on which forms are required.

• In the event that a student must cancel their participation in a program for any reason, the student is required to notify Study Abroad Programs Office immediately. Charges for awards that are disbursed prior to cancellations will be assessed against the student's student account with a hold placed on registration and graduation until the funds are recovered.

• Questions about the IEF Scholarship or application process should be directed to 404-413-2529.

Disbursement of funds

• Please Note: In most cases scholarship funds will not be released before students must pay program tuition and fees and in some cases not before students depart for their programs. Students are responsible for covering all such expenses directly and the scholarship will serve as a reimbursement. Federal regulations control this process.

• Upon notification of recipients regarding their awards (via GSU student e-mail), students must complete all acceptance materials as listed in their online application and/or as described through emails. Students will be given one week from the date of notification to complete these items in order to accept their scholarship funds. Failure to return this completed form by the deadline given will result in loss of the scholarship (no exceptions).

• After the deadline, a list of recipients will be forwarded to the Office of Student Financial Aid, where the awards will be processed. Funds will be deposited directly into the recipients' student account at the time regular financial aid is disbursed for the term abroad (usually the first week of classes for that term). Under no circumstance will the funds be disbursed directly to a student's program.

• Please check with our office if funds are not received within the timeline described above. Any problems relating to non-receipt of funds must be resolved within two semesters of student's program abroad. After this time, any funds not received by the student will be unrecoverable.