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Nominate a Student

Why Faculty?

BYU faculty are key to the Global Opportunity Scholarship process. You are program gatekeepers and the ones who can best identify students with financial need that are best qualified to participate in your program.

Ensure Student Eligibility

Before you nominate a student, be sure this is their first academic experience abroad. Funding is only available for approved BYU International Study Programs. Also, students should do everything they can to secure funding first, including contacting family and friends, creating a financial plan/budget, and completing their (FAFSA) Federal Financial Aid Score. All of this information will be reviewed with them in a personal interview to ensure financial eligibility.

FAQs

What is the purpose of this scholarship?

The purpose of the scholarship is to provide just enough funding assistance and an opportunity for students who, after doing all they can do for themselves, need a little more help to have an educational experience abroad. We call it the “scholarship of last resort.”

How many students have received this new award?

Since 2015, there have been 295 recipients.

Can I nominate more than one student?

Generally, we only consider one student per program during each semester or term.

How many awards do you give out each semester?

All scholarship funding is currently dependent upon fund-raising efforts. The number of scholarships awarded will vary each semester depending on how much money is raised. Check the deadlines below to be sure your nomination is considered for the correct semester.

What does the ideal student look like?

Someone who you, the professor deems qualified, but who never thought they could participate in the program because of financial restraints. Please be sure to have an open and frank conversation with the student about their financial situation prior to nominating them.

What if the student doesn’t need to receive the full $5,000?

We adjust each scholarship based on the varying cost per study abroad, internship, field school, or direct enrollment program and their unique situation. By being prudent and strategic with our limited resources—while expecting students to secure as much funding as they can for themselves—we will assist more students from across campus.

Deadlines

Winter 2024

Monday, 7 August—Nominations open to faculty program directors
Friday, 13 October—Last day for faculty program directors to nominate a student
Friday, 27 October—Final decision and announcements to students and faculty
Thursday, 2 November—Mandatory scholarship orientation meeting
Monday, 27 November—Scholarship deposited into student account (once survey completed)

Spring 2024

Monday, 4 December—Nominations open to faculty program directors
Friday, 19 January—Last day for faculty program directors to nominate a student
Friday, 16 February—Final decision and announcements to students and faculty
Thursday, 29 February—Mandatory scholarship orientation meeting
Friday, 22 March—Scholarship deposited into student account (once survey completed)

Summer 2024

Monday, 4 December—Nominations open to faculty program directors
Friday, 1 March—Last day for faculty program directors to nominate a student
Friday, 5 April—Final decision and announcements to students and faculty
Thursday, 18 April—Mandatory scholarship orientation meeting
Friday, 26 April—Scholarship deposited into student account (once survey completed)

Fall 2024

Monday, 17 June—Nominations open to faculty program directors
Friday, 5 July—Last day for faculty program directors to nominate a student
Friday, 19 July—Final decision and announcements to students and faculty
Friday, 2 August—Mandatory scholarship orientation meeting
Friday, 9 August—Scholarship deposited into student account (once survey completed)

How to Nominate a Student

STEP ONE: Students will fill out the form for interested students.

STEP TWO: Students will meet with you to discuss their personal and financial situations.

STEP THREE: Before the due date, you should look over all the forms you have collected and the interviews you have conducted, then decide which ONE student you would like to nominate and fill out the nomination form (link below). Make sure to review the student portion of the form as you make your final decision. After filling out the online nomination, please dispose of the student forms properly, as they contain sensitive information.

The Kennedy Center will then send a scholarship application to your nominee and inform you (and the nominee) of the results after all nominees have been interviewed and final decisions have been made.

Questions you might want to ask interested students:

• What do you hope to gain from participating in this program?
• How do you see this experience adding to your future career/personal goals?
• What difficulties have you overcome getting to this point to participate in an international study program?
• How have you budgeted and prepared to pay for this program?
• What other scholarships and funding sources have you applied for or reached out to?
• What do you plan on doing between now and when the program starts to continue to try and pay for the program? OR is there anything else you can do to secure additional funding?
• Have you completed your FAFSA application? (Students must have a current FAFSA application on file with the university.)

Complete this form to nominate the student you have selected.