Education Abroad Undergraduate Scholarships
To support the International Experience for Carlson undergraduate students, the Carlson Global Institute offers scholarships and fellowships. To prepare for your International Experience, we encourage you to plan ahead, apply for scholarships well in advance, and complete your financial aid paperwork on time.
Scholarship and Fellowship Eligibility
Carlson Undergraduate Students participating in Carlson Global Institute (CGI) or the Learning Abroad Center (LAC) are eligible for need-based study abroad scholarships.
The selected education abroad program must:
- Be affiliated with the University of Minnesota
- Travel Abroad
- Carry academic credit
Students may only receive one need-based scholarship during their academic career to fulfill the International Experience.
It is possible to receive both a need-based scholarship and CGI Fellowship. Also, to receive both CGI and LAC scholarships for the same program.
Scholarships cannot be applied to virtual learning abroad programs/the domestic international experience alternative at this time.
Students who started at the Carlson School in Fall 2020 and after (Including Transfer Students):
Students ( and transfer students) admitted to the Carlson School in Fall 2020 or after are automatically considered for the need-based study abroad scholarship upon admission to the Carlson School based on FAFSA information.
If your financial situation has changed since your admission, you need to email CGI directly at cgischolarships@umn.edu to be considered for a Need-Based scholarship.
Students who started at the Carlson School in Summer 2020 or before:
Students who were admitted to the Carlson School in Summer 2020 or before need to apply for a need-based scholarship. Application questions are included in their Program Application checklist.
To be considered for the CGI Undergraduate Fellowship (essay-based scholarship), you must complete the checklist item on your Program Application.
Students should only submit one essay per review cycle. We recommend that you base your essay answers off your top-ranked, first- choice program. Your GPA and Essay will be reviewed by our Fellowship Awards Committee.
- We will not review any applications received after their respective cycle deadlines, please review the Cycle Deadline table and email cgischolarships@umn.edu if you have questions or requests
- If you apply to both a Learning Abroad Center Program and a CGI Program, we recommend that you submit an essay for both applications, given there are multiple deadline cycles where the respective submissions are reviewed
Fellowship Essay Requirements
Prepare an essay of no more than 500 words that answers two of the following three prompts:
- Identify a social/political/business current event in the country of your program choice. Why is this current event compelling to you? How may this impact your time abroad?
- Think of a time in your life when you needed to be flexible and adapt; what was the situation and how did you overcome and learn from it?
- Identify someone who could be considered a leader from the country of your program choice; which of their leadership qualities do you find most important and/or do you identify with?
We encourage you to utilize your resources at University of Minnesota Center for Writing.
*Quotes or sections from your application materials may be featured on CGI's website and/or publications. Do not submit any information or personal details that you would prefer to keep private.
The Scholarships teams reviews all applications after each "cycle" deadline. Notifications will be sent in 30 days, or the following weekday if that date falls on a weekend or holiday.
Fellowship Review Cycles
Students applying to Business in Barcelona or Business in Dublin Programs: these are jointly ran programs between the Carlson Global Institute (CGI) and the Learning Abroad Center (LAC). Students should follow the LAC deadlines column in the table below. If you are confused as to which deadline to apply for, please reach out to cgischolarships@umn.edu to confirm
| Date | CGI Programs | LAC Programs | Awards Available |
|---|---|---|---|
| October 16th at 12:00 pm CST | Short-Term Programs: Spring Break and May | Short-Term Winter Break, Spring Semester Programs | 6 awards of $1,000 each |
| February 1st at 12:00 pm CST | Semester & Summer Programs | Spring Break, May Session, & Summer Programs | 8 awards of $1,000 each |
| April 1st at 12:00 pm CST | Short-Term Programs: January Programs | Fall Semester & Summer Programs | 6 awards of $1,000 each |
Need-Based Scholarship Review Cycles
There is no hard deadline for need-based scholarships, but we will not review until after each "cycle" deadline. If you have missed the deadline, and your program starts before the next deadline, please reach out to cgischolarships@umn.edu to directly request a review.