Benjamin A. Gilman Scholarship

  • Application status: Open

Two annual application cycles:

  • Mid-August – first Thursday in October
  • Mid-January – first Thursday in March

Award

Up to $5,000 for undergraduates to participate in study and internship abroad programs throughout the world. Additional supplemental awards (see section below) can provide additional funding.

Eligibility

  1. Must be a U.S. citizen or national.
  2. Must receive a federal Pell grant as part of your financial aid at the time of application or while abroad.
  3. Must participate in an undergraduate credit-bearing program.
  4. Must select a program with a U.S. Department of State Travel Advisory level 1 or 2.

Websites

Special awards

  • Gilman McCain:  $5,000 award for children and spouses of active-duty military personnel.  Applicants can receive any type of federal financial aid (federal Pell grant not required).
  • Critical Need Language Award: Enhancement award up to $3,000 (in addition to regular Gilman Scholarship) for applicants who study an eligible language while abroad in a country where the language is primarily spoken.
  • STEM Supplemental Award:  Enhancement award up to $1,000 (in addition to regular Gilman Scholarship) for formal STEM coursework or research while abroad.

Certifying advisors

The Gilman application requires applicants to select one Study Abroad and one Financial Aid certifying advisor. Applicants do not need to meet with the advisors or seek their permission to list the advisors on the application. Please select the following advisors based on program type:

  • UC Summer Programs: Nicole Uhlinger (Study Abroad) and Scott Palmer (Financial Aid)
  • UC Quarter Abroad: Nicole Uhlinger (Study Abroad) and Diana Raveica (Financial Aid)
  • UCEAP and Independent Programs: Tiffany Macias-Silva (Study Abroad) and Nataly Florian (Financial Aid)

Top Producer

UC Davis has been recognized as a “Top Producer” of Gilman Scholars for 2016-17, 2018-19,  2020-21, 2021-22, for the first 20 years and the first 25 years of the program.

Campus procedure

Candidates apply directly to the Gilman Scholarship through their website. Applicants can email their full availability and CV/resume to the prestigious scholarships team to schedule advising, discuss the program and application, or for essay review.

Prestigious scholarships events