Global Seminar Scholarships and Grants

We have tailored this list of awards that are applicable to many students going on Global Seminars. Talk to an advisor in our office if you have financial questions or concerns. We also recommend you discuss your plans with the CU Office of Financial Aid so you have a clear picture of grants and loans available to you. 

Summer financial aid is dependent on the number of credit you take in that term. The CU Achieve Grant as well as most loans require you to take 6 or more credit hours (this can be met by a combination of education abroad, on-campus, or online courses). Pell Grants are offered based on full-time enrollment (12+ credit hours) and will be prorated if enrollment is less than full time (1 to 11 credit hours). 

• Buffs Abroad Scholarship (award range of $500 - $3,000; average award is $1,500; students with financial need are guaranteed an award!)
  • GO Scholar award (Apply as a first-year student; if selected you can use $3,000 toward a Global Seminar)
• Pell Grant (amount prorated based on the total number of summer credits you take)
• CU Achieve Grant (must enroll in at least 6 summer credits to be eligible; amount ranges based on your need)
• Gilman Scholarship (average award of $2500 for students who receive a Pell Grant)
• Gilman McCain ($5,000 for undergraduate dependents of active or activated United States military personnel who also receive federal financial aid)
• Global Seminar Access Scholarship from CU Education Abroad: All students accepted to one of these programs will automatically receive a $500 Global Seminar Access Scholarship. Students who also apply for Buffs Abroad Scholarships and who have financial need will receive an additional $500, and will possibly be considered for more funds depending on need level. For Summer 2026 this includes the following programs:
  1. Education in Action (San Pancho, Mexico)
  2. Sustainable Engineering in a Material World (Amsterdam, Netherlands & Copenhagen, Denmark)
  3. The Art & Science of Zen (Japan)
• Anthropology Grants ($500 for Anthropology majors going on ANTH Global Seminars – Costa Rica, Mexico, Tanzania, Vietnam) - students who apply for Buffs Abroad Scholarship will be automatically considered.
• Cinema Studies & Moving Image Arts - The Cinema Studies department offers $3,000 a year to aid need-based CINE majors in attending any one of the faculty-led global seminars (CINE/THTR 3020 Edinburgh or CINE 3402 Paris/Rome). Apply via Buffs Abroad Scholarship
• College of Engineering & Applied Science ($500 - $1,500 for Engineering majors) - apply via Buffs Abroad Scholarship
• College of Music - All College of Music students are eligible for a $1,000 scholarship through the College to participate on the Chamber Music Performance (Aix-en-Provence, France) or Vienna 1900: Music, Arts & Culture (Vienna, Austria) programs.
• Eaton Travel Sabbatical Scholarship ($2,000 - $4,000; Anthropology, History, and Economics majors with junior standing by the start of their program. Preference is given to students studying in a non-traditional location.)
• IAFS Global Grant (up to $3,000 for International Affairs majors) - apply via Buffs Abroad Scholarship
• Max Kade Scholarship for students studying in Germany or Austria. Award is $1,200. Apply via the Buffs Abroad Scholarship application.
• Mayes Endowed Travel Award Fund For Herbst Humanities (up to $1,000 for Engineering majors going on a Herbst faculty-led programs - in 2026 this includes):
  • Culture Wars in Rome
  • Voices of Vienna
• Tang Scholarship: This scholarship is designated for specific Global Seminars in China and/or Taiwan. All students accepted to the program will receive the scholarship which covers a significant portion of the program costs. Students must complete the Buffs Abroad Scholarship application as part of the process. Upcoming Tang-funded programs:
  • 2026:
    • Organizational Behavior & Business in China
    • Social Change in Contemporary China
• UROP ($2,000 - $3,000 for students to engage in research with their faculty director) - contact UROP to inquire about eligibility. UROP guidelines require that 1) students’ travel plans are necessitated by project goals, 2) the majority of the students’ time abroad is invested in project activities, and 3) their study abroad program does not take place in the same term as the grant term for their UROP funding. Students may apply for UROP funding in a grant term either before OR after a term involving a study abroad program.
• WorldStrides (for students going on programs we run in partnership with WorldStrides). In Summer 2026 this includes:
  1. Operations Management (Valencia, Spain)
  2. Primates of Vietnam (Ho Chi Minh City, Cat Tien, Da Nang, Vietnam)
  3. The Athlete as a National Symbol (Mexico City, Mexico)
     • Scholarships
     • Financial Assistance Program
     • Passport Grant (up to $1,000) - apply via Buffs Abroad Scholarship above

Don't forgot to check out our main Scholarships page for more awards your could be eligible for.