U.S. Department of State, Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs (administered by the Institute of International Education)Scholarship

$5,000 Gilman-McCain Study Abroad Scholarship

Oct 01, 2026 23:59:00 PT

Opportunity type

Scholarship

Funding

Partially Funded

Location

United States

Deadline

Oct 01, 2026 23:59:00 PT

About this opportunity

The U.S. Department of State's Gilman-McCain Scholarship gives $5,000 to undergraduate children and spouses of active or activated U.S. military personnel so they can study or intern abroad on a credit-bearing programme. It is run under the Benjamin A. Gilman International Scholarship Program, administered by the Institute of International Education, and named after the late Senator John S. McCain. The Fall 2026 application covers programmes starting between December 1, 2026 and October 31, 2027.

What you get:

A $5,000 award towards the cost of a study abroad or international internship programme
Eligibility to also apply for the Gilman Critical Need Language Award if you study a critical need language in a specified location
No application fee

What you'll do:

Study or intern abroad on a credit-bearing programme during Winter or January term 2027, Spring 2027, Maymester 2027, Summer 2027, Fall 2027 or academic year 2027 to 2028
Submit an online application with your dependent military ID (DD1173) and have your study abroad and financial aid advisors certify it

Key dates:

Applications close Thursday, October 1, 2026 at 11:59pm Pacific Time
Advisor certification deadline: Thursday, October 8, 2026
Applicants notified by email in December 2026
A separate Winter application opens mid-November 2026 and closes January 7, 2027, for programmes starting February 1 to October 31, 2027

More information:

100 awards of $5,000 are offered for the current academic year
Programmes must be in a country or area with an overall U.S. Travel Advisory of Level 1 or 2
Programmes involving an overseas institution on the Section 1286 NDAA list are not eligible
Dependents of veterans, or of service members who died while on active duty, are not eligible; the standard Gilman Program may suit them instead
A student eligible for both Gilman and Gilman-McCain can receive only one

Who can apply

A citizen or national of the United States
An undergraduate student in good standing at an accredited U.S. institution of higher education, two-year or four-year
The child or spouse of active or activated U.S. military personnel at the time of application (Air Force, Air Force Reserve, Air National Guard, Army, Army National Guard, Army Reserve, Coast Guard, Coast Guard Reserve, Marine Corps, Marine Corps Reserve, Navy, Navy Reserve, Space Force, NOAA Commissioned Corps, USPHS Commissioned Corps)
Receiving any type of Title IV federal financial aid at the time of application, or able to prove you will receive it during the programme
Applying to, or accepted to, a credit-bearing study abroad or internship programme; proof of acceptance is required before the award is paid
Must provide the dependent military ID (DD1173 Form)

AI Verification

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Good to know

+$5,000 towards a study abroad or international internship programme, from the US Department of State
+No application fee, and the Institute of International Education has run the Gilman programme since 2001
+100 awards this academic year, for programmes starting between December 2026 and October 2027
+You can also apply for a Critical Need Language Award if you study a listed language

Worth checking yourself

!Only for US citizens who are the child or spouse of active or activated US military personnel; dependants of veterans are not eligible
!You must be an undergraduate at a US college and receiving federal student aid
!Closes Thursday 1 October at 11:59pm Pacific, and your advisors must certify your application by 8 October
!$5,000 will not cover a whole programme, and you must get into a credit-bearing programme separately
!The programme must be in a country with a US Travel Advisory of Level 1 or 2

Sources checked

GIgilmanscholarship.orgApplyGIgilmanscholarship.orgApplyAPapply.gilmanapplication.orgOfficial

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