The following are scholarships that the Office of Nationally Competitive Scholarships works most closely with. Appalachian has had successful student applicants to each of these awards and we have faculty and staff advisors who are familiar with these programs and application processes. Please schedule an appointment with our office to learn more or to discuss next steps in your application plan.
The Boren Scholarship funds study abroad by U.S. undergraduate students in world regions critical to U.S. interests. The majority of eligible students will apply for Boren Awards to fund overseas language study programs that they have identified themselves. The preferred duration of these awards is 25-52 weeks in length.
The Critical Language Scholarship (CLS) Program is an intensive overseas language and cultural immersion group-based program for American students enrolled at U.S. colleges and universities. Students spend eight to ten weeks abroad studying one of 14 critical languages. The program includes intensive language instruction and structured cultural enrichment experiences designed to promote rapid language gains.
The Congress-Bundestag Youth Exchange (CBYX) for Young Professionals is a fellowship funded by the German Bundestag and U.S. Department of State, that annually provides 75 American and 75 German young professionals, between the ages of 18½–24, the opportunity to spend one year in each other's countries, studying, interning, and living with hosts on a cultural immersion program.
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. Freeman-ASIA accepts applications from U.S. citizens or permanent residents studying at the undergraduate level at a two-year or four-year college or university who demonstrate financial need to study abroad in East or Southeast Asia.Interested students should apply to Freeman-ASIA in the academic term before their study abroad program begins. Applications must also be endorsed by both the study abroad adviser and the financial aid adviser by the specified deadline.
The campus deadline for the Fulbright Student Program will be in September 2025.
In partnership with more than 140 countries worldwide, the Fulbright U.S. Student Program offers unparalleled opportunities in all academic disciplines to passionate and accomplished graduating college seniors, graduate students, and young professionals from all backgrounds. Program participants pursue graduate study, conduct research, or teach English abroad. The Fulbright U.S. Student Program expands perspectives through academic and professional advancement and cross-cultural dialogue with the mission to create connections in a complex and changing world.
The Fulbright-MITACS Globalink is intended for US Students interested in coming to Canada to undertake advanced research projects for 10 to 12 weeks (between May and August) in their area of interest. Projects will be drawn from a broad cross-section of research topics covering all academic disciplines and students will be placed with a university research project and undertake research projects under the supervision of a professor. Students will be given the opportunity to take part in professional training and extensive opportunity for cultural, social, and recreational experiences.
The U.S. Department of State's Benjamin A. Gilman International Scholarship Program enables students of limited financial means to study or intern abroad, providing them with skills critical to our national security and economic prosperity. To be eligible for the Gilman Program, applicants must be receiving a Federal Pell Grant during the time of application or provide proof that they will be receiving a Pell Grant during the term of their study abroad program or internship. The Institute of International Education has administered the program since its inception in 2001.
The Hollings Scholarship Program provides successful undergraduate applicants with awards that include academic assistance (up to $9,500 per year) for two years of full-time study and a 10-week, full-time paid ($700/week) internship at a NOAA facility during the summer.
The Charles B. Rangel International Affairs Summer Enrichment Program is a six-week summer program designed to provide undergraduate students with a deeper appreciation of current issues and trends in international affairs, a greater understanding of career opportunities in international affairs, and the enhanced knowledge and skills to pursue such careers.
The Fulbright UK Summer Institutes are three to four week programmes for US undergraduate students, who have no or very little travel experience outside North America. Participants can explore the culture, heritage and history of the UK while experiencing higher education at a UK university.