Scholarship, Study Abroad, and Graduate Opportunities in Asia

The Asian Studies Program is pleased to offer a scholarship ($1,000) to help offset the costs associated with studying abroad in East Asia. This scholarship for 2025-26 should be applied for in tandem with other similar opportunities, including the CAHSS Dean’s Education Abroad Scholarship.

Asian Studies majors or minors are eligible and encouraged to apply by completing the Google Form application.

The deadline to apply is Nov. 1 for spring programs and Feb. 10 for summer/fall programs.
For more information, contact Prof. Constantine Vaporis, Interim Director, Asian Studies
program.

1. Critical Language Scholarship
The Critical Language Scholarship (CLS) Program is an intensive overseas language and cultural immersion program for American students enrolled at U.S. colleges and universities. The program includes intensive language instruction and structured cultural enrichment experiences designed to promote rapid language gains.

The Critical Language Scholarship Program is sponsored by the U.S. Department of State with funding provided by the U.S. Government. It is supported in its implementation by American Councils for International Education.

2. Boren Scholarships
Boren Scholarships, an initiative of the National Security Education Program, provide unique funding opportunities for U.S. undergraduate students to study less commonly-taught languages in world regions critical to U.S. interests, and underrepresented in study abroad, including Africa, Asia, Central and Eastern Europe, Eurasia, Latin America, and the Middle East.

Boren Scholars represent a vital pool of highly motivated individuals who wish to work in the federal national security arena. In exchange for funding, Boren Scholars commit to working in the federal government for at least one year after graduation.

A Freeman-ASIA Award provides need-based funding to assist the recipient with the cost of the study abroad program and related expenses, including airfare, basic living costs, local transportation, books, etc. The Freeman-ASIA Award is sponsored by IIE.

4. Benjamin A. Gilman International Scholarship Program
The Gilman Scholarship Program is open to U.S. citizen undergraduate students who are receiving Federal Pell Grant funding at a two-year or four-year college or university to participate in study and intern abroad programs worldwide.

5. Blakemore Freeman Fellowships
Blakemore Freeman Fellowships are awarded for one academic year of advanced level (at least three years) of language study in East or Southeast Asia. Eligible languages are Chinese, Japanese, Korean, Burmese, Indonesian, Khmer, Thai, and Vietnamese. Students must also have, at minimum, a bachelor’s degree.

The Blakemore Foundation makes grants for study only at specific language programs. Please refer to the current list of approved programs.

6. Global Studies Grant for Student Travel and Study Abroad
The Foundation for Global Scholars, a 501(c)3 nonprofit organization, inspires and equips young adults to tackle global challenges through international experience, leadership skills and cultural competence. The organization has awarded over $2 million in financial assistance and supported over 2000 outstanding students from more than 300 colleges and universities. Their site includes a directory of global study-abroad opportunities.

7. Go Overseas Scholarship 
Go Overseas scholarships are available to students currently enrolled in, or in the process of applying to, any study abroad program. The scholarships are awarded based on the creativity and analytical thinking displayed through writing samples and/or video submissions. Awards up to $1,000. Visit their site to view their directory of global opportunities.

8. Hashi.org
Each year, hashi.org awards three $1,000 scholarships – one to a Japanese student, one to a Korean student, and one to an American student.

Travel scholarships are offered on a competitive basis. They are awarded on the bases of need and overall intent for usage as expressed in the application essay. The scholarships could be used for a variety of overseas programs, including but not limited to home stays, student exchange, volunteering, work, etc.

9. Phi Kappa Phi Scholarship
The Honor Society of Phi Kappa Phi offers more than one hundred $1,000 grants each year for study abroad to undergraduates enrolled at schools which have an active PKP chapter. You do not need to be initiated to your school’s chapter to apply for one of these grants.

10. Princeton in Asia Fellowships and Internships
Princeton in Asia offers a variety of competitive opportunities across Asia for students who have completed their bachelor’s degree.

11. U.S. Fulbright Student Program
This prestigious and highly competitive opportunity from the U.S. State Department allows students who have completed at least a bachelor’s degree an opportunity to teach English or pursue additional formal study abroad at the graduate level. The competition opens annually in mid-April and applications are then due in mid-October. Successful applicants are notified in early Spring. Programs are available worldwide, including in China, India, Japan, Korea, Malaysia, Vietnam, Indonesia, and Thailand. Interested students can also visit UMBC’s Fulbright page or email Dr. Brian Souders, UMBC’s Fulbright Program Advisor, for more information.

1. Johns Hopkins Nanjing Center
The Johns Hopkins Nanjing Center offers an opportunity for immersive, formal advanced study in international relations at the graduate level. For more than 30 years, the Hopkins-Nanjing Center has upheld the highest academic standards in the pursuit of educating future leaders. Students live and study together in a state-of-the-art facility dedicated to free and open academic exploration and intellectual dialogue. International students take most of their courses in Chinese taught by Chinese faculty, while Chinese students are taught by international faculty with courses primarily in English. The Center is a campus of the Johns Hopkins School for Advanced International Studies.

Additional opportunities in China are available in the multi-country listings above.

1. American Association of Teachers of Japanese
Applications are open for Bridging Scholarships from students who will study abroad in Japan in Spring 2020.  The deadline for applying is October 10, 2019.

2. Japan Exchange and Teaching (JET) Program USA
Founded in 1987, JET has sent more than 70,000 participants from around the globe (including more than 35,800 Americans) to work in schools, boards of education, and government offices throughout Japan. Applicants must be US citizens by the time they finish their bachelor’s degree, and must have completed a bachelor’s degree. This is a prestigious and highly competitive opportunity.

3. Japanese Government (MEXT) Scholarship Program for U.S. Citizens
Since 1954, the Government of Japan’s Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology (MEXT or Monbukagakusho) has provided scholarships each year to assist students interested in studying at Japanese universities through the Japanese Government (MEXT) Scholarship Program.

4. J.F. Obirin University Study Abroad/Exchange Program
The J.F. Obirin University in Machida, just outside Tokyo, has a direct connection with UMBC including exchange and study abroad opportunities, and is a great option for students with at least a year of formal Japanese study experience. For more information, visit their website.

Additional opportunities in Japan are available in the multi-country listings above, or you can visit the Education Abroad Office’s website for their always-changing list of opportunities. 

1. English Program in Korea (EPIK!) Service-Learning
EPIK was established in 1995 and is affiliated with the Korean Ministry of Education. Since its inception, EPIK has had the goals of improving the English-speaking abilities of Korean students and teachers, developing cultural exchange between Korea and abroad, and of introducing new teaching methods into the Korean education system. Successful applicants will teach English in Korean schools, and must have completed a bachelor’s degree.

2. Korean American Scholarship Foundation (KASF) scholarship
KASF scholarships (which range from $500 to $5,000) are offered to the qualified Korean American students (including foreign students from Korea). All applicants must be enrolled in a full time program in the U.S during the scholarship application year. If extra funds are available, other students (non-Koreans) may qualify for scholarships. Specifically, descendants of American veterans served during the Korean War may qualify for scholarships (applicable to selective regions). Visit the website for specific eligibility requirements.

Additional opportunities in Korea are available in the multi-country listings above.

1. Ministry of Education Opportunities and Huayu Enrichment Scholarship
Taiwan’s Ministry of Education offers a variety of scholarship and study abroad opportunities for interested students. Recommendations for the Huayu Enrichment Scholarship are made through internal competition at UMBC; 3-month and 9-month scholarships available. Contact Dr. Vaporis for more details.

Additional opportunities in Taiwan are available in the multi-country listings above.