Funding
To schedule a study abroad funding advising session, please contact Kim Simpson at ksimpson@polk.edu | 863.669.4917
Gilman Scholarship Information for Study Abroad
The Fall 2026 Application will open in mid-August for applicants whose abroad programs or internships start between December 1, 2026 to October 31, 2027. This cycle encompasses Winter or January term 2027, Spring 2027, Maymester 2027, Summer 2027, Fall 2027, and academic year 2027-2028 programs. The application deadline is Thursday, October 1, 2026, at 11:59 p.m. Pacific Time, and the advisor certification deadline is Thursday, October 8, 2026.
All applicants will be notified of their status via email in December 2026.
Eligible Programs: Programs that start between December 1, 2026, and October 31, 2027.
Terms Accommodated: Spring/Maymester 2027, Summer 2027, Fall 2027, and academic year 2027-2028
The Spring 2027 Application will open in mid-January for applicants whose abroad programs or internships start between May 1, 2027 to April 30, 2028. This cycle encompasses Maymester 2027, Summer 2027, Fall 2027, Spring 2028, and academic year 2027-2028 programs. The application deadline is Thursday, February 25, 2027, at 11:59 p.m. Pacific Time, and the advisor certification deadline is Thursday, March 4, 2027. All applicants will be notified of their status via email in May 2027.
Eligible Programs: Programs that start between May 1, 2027, and April 30, 2028.
Terms Accommodated: Maymester 2027, Summer 2027, Fall 2027, Spring 2028, and academic year 2027-2028
Eligibility Note
Gilman scholarship recipients can only receive the scholarship once. If a student previously declined a Gilman scholarship, they are welcome to re-apply, as long as they still meet all eligibility requirements listed below.
The Benjamin A. Gilman International Scholarship Program (Gilman Program) is a program of the U.S. Department of State’s Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs. To be eligible for a Gilman scholarship, an applicant must be:
A citizen or national of the United States;
An undergraduate student in good standing at an accredited institution of higher education in the United States (including both two-year and four-year institutions);
Receiving a Federal Pell Grant during the time of application or providing proof that they will be receiving a Pell Grant during the term of their study abroad program or internship;
In the process of applying to, or accepted to, a credit-bearing study abroad or internship program. Proof of program acceptance is required prior to award disbursement;
Applying for credit-bearing study abroad programs in a country or location with an overall Travel Advisory Level 1 or 2, according to the U.S. Department of State’s Travel Advisory System.