Scholarships
Anyone can study abroad...
The challenge is finding the program that fits both your needs and your budget. Spending a summer, semester, or year abroad is a valuable academic and personal experience. The good news is that financial aid is available to defray your educational costs abroad. In addition to the scholarships listed below, please visit the Financial Aid website to learn about study abroad financial aid eligibility.
All information about available scholarships is listed below.
To complete a undergraduate scholarship application, click on the link below corresponding to the term you're planning to study abroad.
Applications for 2025-26 programs are now open.
Scholarship Deadlines:
November 1, 2024: Winter 2025, Spring Break 2025, & Summer 2025 programs
(Decisions: December 15, 2024)
March 1, 2025: Fall 2025 & Spring 2026 programs
(Decisions: April 5, 2025)
JMU Study Abroad Scholarships
The CGE provides several scholarships each year to students who wish to study abroad.
Below you will find a list of scholarships and their elegibility requirements. To apply for any of the undergraduate scholarships below, complete the undergraduate scholarship application for your respective term above. Based on your answers to the questions, the scholarship committee will decide the scholarships for which you are eligible (it is possible to be considered for more than one scholarship). If you are a graduate student, please read about the scholarship opportunity at the bottom of this page and submit the graduate scholarship application above. If you have questions about specific scholarships, email studyabroad@jmu.edu.
Other Scholarships that are external of JMU are also available.
Please note: To be able to award scholarship money to the highest number of applicants, the scholarship amounts are designed to offset a portion of the total fees associated with studying abroad. The scholarships are not meant to cover the full cost, so all applicants must be prepared to find additional means to finance their study abroad experience. Winter 2025, Spring Break 2025, and Summer 2025 students will be notified by December 15; Fall 2025 and Spring 2026 students will be notified by April 5.
JMU Summer Abroad Scholarship - $1,000
The Center for Global Engagement will be offering several scholarships in the amount of $1,000 for students participating on one of our JMU Short-Term programs for the spring, summer, or winter terms.
This scholarship applies to the following JMU programs:
- JMU Short-term Programs
This scholarship award will be based on academic merit as demonstrated by GPA, financial need, and application essays.
JMU Semester Abroad Scholarship - $5,000
The Center for Global Engagement will be offering several scholarships in the amount of $5,000 for students participating on one of our JMU Semester Programs for the fall or spring semester.
This scholarship applies to the following JMU programs:
- Semester in Antwerp
- Semester in Florence
- Semester in London
- Semester in Salamanca
This scholarship award will be based on academic merit as demonstrated by GPA, financial need, and application essays.
Centennial Scholars and 1st Generation Abroad - $1,000
The Center for Global Engagement along with the Office of Access and Inclusion will be offering several scholarships for students participating on one of our JMU Study Abroad Programs who identify as a 1st Generation college student or is part of the Centennial Scholarship Program.
This scholarship applies to the following JMU programs:
- Winter Break
- Spring Break
- Summer (short-term programs only)
This scholarship award will be based on academic merit as demonstrated by GPA, financial need, and application essays.
JMU Exchange Programs Scholarship - $1,000
The Center for Global Engagement will be offering one scholarship in the amount of $1,000 for students participating in one of our JMU Exchange Programs for the fall or spring semester.
This scholarship applies to the following programs:
- JMU Exchange Programs for the Fall or Spring semester
This scholarship award will be based on academic merit as demonstrated by GPA, financial need, and application essays.
The Holly Bachand ('84) Finchem and Timothy W. Finchem Scholarship - $1,000 to $2,000
In the fall of 2012, Semester in London alum Holly Bachand Finchem and her husband Timothy Finchem established The Holly Bachand (’84) Finchem and Timothy W. Finchem Scholarship for Study Abroad. As an alum, Holly wanted to help students realize the benefits of study abroad. Her goal in setting up the scholarship was to eliminate some of the financial barriers. The Donors intend this scholarship to be a special resource to facilitate study abroad experiences for students who demonstrate both financial need and academic excellence.
This scholarship applies to the following JMU programs:
- Semester in Antwerp, Florence, London, Salamanca or Scotland
- Short-term Programs (spring break or summer)
- JMU Exchange Programs
- JMU Study At... Programs
This scholarship award will be based on academic merit as demonstrated by GPA, financial need, and application essays.
Helene Cecile Gallagher Scholarship - $1,000 to $2,000
Born in 1963, Helene Cecile "Nina" Gallagher attended Thomas A. Edison High School in Alexandria, Virginia and attended JMU as did her three siblings, John, Kevin, and Diane. Among Helene’s various interests were an extensive involvement with her major in the communications and the theatre departments and a minor in philosophy and religion. While at JMU, she appeared in several productions, including The Ice Man Cometh, Remus Tales, and Hedda Gabler. Helene attended the JMU Semester in London during the fall of 1983 and was awarded a scholarship herself for an outstanding essay she had written. While attending classes at JMU the following summer, she died suddenly of a cerebral hemorrhage at the age of 21. To commemorate her short but meaningful life, Helene's family and friends support this ongoing endowed scholarship.
This scholarship applies to the following JMU program:
- Semester in London
This scholarship award will be based on application essays.
Kevin Robert Dunbar ('80) Scholarship - $2,000 to $3,000
An endowed scholarship established with a gift from Kevin Robert Dunbar '80, Vice Chairman & President of Dunbar Armored, Inc. to create the Kevin Robert Dunbar '80 Scholarship Endowment for the Semester in London Program.
This scholarship applies to the following JMU program:
- Semester in London
This scholarship award will be based on academic merit as demonstrated by GPA, financial need, and application essays. *Students must have a FAFSA on file to qualify for the scholarship.
Michael and Amanda Ross Scholarship - $2,000 to $3,000
Michael P. ‘92 and Amanda Beard ‘93 Ross have generously established an endowment that awards need-based scholarships for qualifying students studying in the Semester in London study abroad program.
This scholarship applies to the following JMU program:
- Semester in London
This scholarship award will be based on financial need.
Katelyn Fuller Cavelius ('11, '12M) and Kelsey E. Fuller ('14) Scholarship - $1,000 to $2,000
Established with a gift from the Dorothy L. and Henry A. Rosenberg, Jr. Foundation, the Katelyn Fuller Cavelius '11, '12M and Kelsey E. Fuller '14 Scholarship for Study Abroad will provide resources to facilitate engaged-learning study abroad experiences for James Madison University students.
This scholarship applies to the following JMU programs:
- Semester in Antwerp, Florence, London, Salamanca or Scotland
- Short-term Programs (spring break or summer)
- JMU Exchange Programs
- JMU Study At... Programs
This scholarship award will be based on financial need and application essays.
Amy & Paul Goodall Study Abroad Scholarship - $1,000-$2,000
The Amy and Paul Goodall Study Abroad Scholarship generously provides support for a student in the College of Integrated Science and Engineering wishing to participate on a study abroad program.
This scholarship applies to the following JMU programs:
- Winter Break
- Spring Break
- Summer (short-term programs only)
This scholarship award will be based on demonstrated financial need, with preference given to in-state, first-generation students participating on a program with a sustinability focus.
CGE Global Engagement Scholarship - $500 to $1,000
The Center for Global Engagement will be offering one scholarship for students participating on one of our JMU study abroad programs.
This scholarship applies to the following JMU programs:
- Semester in Antwerp, Florence, London, Salamanca or Scotland
- Short-term Programs (spring break, winter or summer)
- JMU Exchange Programs
- JMU Study At... Programs
This scholarship award will be based on academic merit as demonstrated by GPA, financial need, and application essays.
The Graduate School Global Opportunity Grant - $1,000
The Global Opportunity Grant is designed to provide support for students who participate in graduate-level study abroad experiences, including, but not limited to, short-term programs offered through Study Abroad at JMU, practicum, internship and field placements outside the United States, and conducting research outside the United States.
The grant may be used to support any aspect of the global experience, including supplies or other research costs, housing, or travel expenses.
Eligible:
- You must be an active graduate student in good standing at JMU, and participating in a JMU-affiliated global experience.
- You must be receiving course credit for your work, including but not limited to thesis, dissertation, or internship credit.
- You must be enrolled in credit related to this work in Fall or Spring semester; summer enrollment is not required.
Not Eligible:
- Students matriculated into one of the degree programs offered “Abroad” (see https://www.jmu.edu/online/distance-learning.shtml) are not eligible for this grant.
- Students presenting at conferences outside the United States are not eligible for this award; instead, those students should apply for international travel support through The Graduate School’s Travel Grant Program.
IIE American Passport Project
The Center for Global Engagement is accepting applications the IIE American Passport Project. This initiative provides full passport processing costs for 25 eligible JMU students. The application portal is only open from September to December 2024. While students must apply for a passport in that window of time, students are welcome to study abroad at anytime during their time at JMU.
Eligible students include:
- Aged 18 or older
- U.S. Citizen
- Pell-eligible
- Must identify as a member of a traditionally underrepresented student population
- Preference is given to first-year students
Please allow for ample time to complete the application. In addition to demographic questions, there are three short-answer questions:
- In what ways will receiving a U.S. passport empower you?
- Did someone or something influence you to pursue study abroad?
- What key skills or areas of development would you hope to improve or achieve through study abroad?
Successful applicants must complete additional steps upon being selected. More information about those steps can be found on the application.
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