The Boren Scholarship provides undergraduate study abroad scholarships up to $25,000 for a full academic year or up to $12,500 for a semester. All scholarships may be used for U.S. citizens to study in Asia, Africa, Central & Eastern Europe, Latin America, or the Middle East in a language-intensive study abroad program. (Western Europe, Canada, Australia, and New Zealand are excluded.) These are merit-based scholarships, and approximately 1 in 5 eligible applicants receive awards.
Science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) students also have the option of applying for summer-only programs of eight weeks or more.
In order to receive the scholarship, award winners must agree that they attempt to work in a paid position for the federal government in an area related to national security—generally the Departments of State, Defense, Homeland Security, or the Intelligence Community within three years of graduation (deferrals possible/encouraged for graduate study). Working for USAID or tenure in the Peace Corps counts in the service requirement. Winners also receive priority-hiring status.
The campus application deadline is January 2023 for any semester or year of study between June 2023 and March 2024.
If you are interested in applying, please join us for one of our information sessions (either in person or online) and for our application writing workshop.
Boren (Undergraduate) Information Session (in person)
Date: Oct 20, 2022 3:30 - 4:30 pm
Location: 514 Illini Union Bookstore Building
Boren (Undergraduate) Information Session (online)
Date: Oct 21, 2022 9:00 - 10:00 am
Zoom Registration Link: https://illinois.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZAud-6trT0iG9DsvOXdYoABsc_LNoOmU0J8
Boren (Undergraduate) Workshop
This workshop is intended to help you get started on your application for the Boren Scholarship.
Date: Oct 21, 2022 3:00 - 4:00 pm
Location: 514 Illini Union Bookstore Building
For more information, undergraduate students should contact the National and International Scholarships Program at topscholars@illinois.edu or visit our website. Graduate students interested in the Boren Fellowship can contact Dana Johnson, Assistant Director of External Fellowships, for more information at dnj@illinois.edu.