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American Councils has established a fund to support students with demonstrated financial need with pre-program expenses associated with study abroad, including, but not limited to applying for a passport, travel to/from the airport, and the cost of medical check-ups, supplies, vaccines, or testing.

Eligibility Requirements:
  • U.S. Citizen or Permanent Resident.
  • Accepted to a program administered by American Councils.
  • Free and Reduced Meal (FARM) program or Pell Grant eligible or TRiO Program participant. (If you are not currently enrolled in an academic degree-seeking program, please contact us at codei@americancouncils.org)
  • Graduate students may verify their eligibility in one of two ways:
    • Proof of eligibility or enrollment in work study program or other verification of financial need from their university, such as need-based award specific to their university or graduate program.
    • Proof of having taken out a loan (in their name) for graduate or PhD studies, or a copy of SAR (student aid report that shows they have applied for FAFSA)
  • Agree to provide testimonial (narrative and photo/video) about your program experience (it will not be disclosed that participants are the recipients of an Assistance Fund grant without their express permission).

General Guidelines:
Applications to this round of the Assistance Fund are open to students admitted to Fall and Academic Year programs in 2024 and must be submitted for consideration by September 4, 2024.

Award decisions will be sent approximately two weeks after the above deadline. Notifications will be sent from the email address codei@americancouncils.org

The American Councils Committee on Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion will work with the staff who implement your program to coordinate awards. Because our funds are limited and our goal is to support as many eligible students as possible, awards will be capped at $300 for overseas programming per participant. Please note that we expect there to be far more applications for assistance than awards available. A successful application will respond to the prompts below in a complete and compelling manner and make a case for why these funds are necessary for full participation. Please note that evaluators who review applications for this award will also be aware of the stipend amounts participants receive for their respective programs.

If you are awarded with funds, you are expected to participate in and complete the program for which you are applying. If you do not participate in or complete the program, we will ask that funds be returned to American Councils so that we may support another student.

Assistance Fund awards will be distributed by ACH direct deposit in the awardee's name and delivered to recipients within two weeks of receiving required forms from the awardee. Awardees may need to coordinate with a family member or other trusted individual to help deposit award funds on their behalf.

Please email us with any questions at codei@americancouncils.org

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* 1. Email address

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* 2. First and Last Name

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* 3. Mailing Address in the US (including street address, city, state, and zip code):

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* 4. Phone Number

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* 5. American Councils program you will be participating in:

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* 6. In which country is your program host institution based?

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* 7. Please provide the projected start date for your program (MM/DD/YY), and its expected duration.

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* 8. If your program offers a stipend for use on or before program participation, please review what costs the stipend is intended to cover and what costs the program/scholarship covers. Assistance funds will not be awarded for these expenses.

Please indicate what you are applying to use these funds for (you may select more than one).

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* 9. In 200 words or fewer, please provide a detailed breakdown of the specific expenses you hope to cover with the assistance funds requested above and their corresponding dollar amounts.

EX: "passport book application fee $130, execution fee $35, cost of vaccination required for travel $70"
*if you are requesting assistance funds for an expense a program stipend is intended to cover, please provide a compelling description of why the stipend is insufficient.

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* 10. What is the total amount of financial support you are applying to receive (up to $300 for overseas programs)?

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* 11. In 200 words or fewer, please describe your motivation and goals for participating in a study abroad program.

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* 12. In 200 words or fewer, please describe how these funds will specifically help you accomplish the above goals.

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* 13. Do you agree to return any assistance funds you receive if you are not able to participate in or complete the program you are applying to attend?

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* 14. Do you agree to submit a testimonial about your program experience including a narrative and a photo or video?

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* 15. I understand the eligibility requirements of the U.S. Study Abroad Assistance Fund.

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* 16. In what level of education are you currently enrolled?

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* 17. Are you a Pell Grant recipient, Pell Grant eligible, Free and Reduced Meal eligible, or a TRiO Program participant? Please note if you are awarded assistance funds, we will require a signature from your institution of record, or other documentation, to confirm this information by the deadline noted in the award letter (approximately 2 weeks after notification).

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* 18. I understand that the U.S. Study Abroad Assistance Fund is limited and that submitting this application is not a guarantee of support. I understand that funding decisions are final.

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