External Scholarships

Flagship scholars also qualify for a large variety of non-Flagship and non-URI scholarships, and, in many circumstances, may receive higher amounts of funding than the average applicant because Mandarin Chinese is considered a “critical language” that is uncommonly studied within the United States. 

As these scholarships are extremely competitive and their applications require a great deal of time and effort, students are strongly encouraged to attend information sessions and to work with staff from the beginning to the end of the application process.  

Available External Scholarships

Scholarship	Scholarship Description	Maximum Award Amount	Who Can Apply?
Benjamin A. Gilman International Scholarship	Provides funding that allows students of limited financial means to study or intern abroad	Up to $8,000 for academic year and summer study	U.S. citizens and permanent residents who are Pell Grant recipients
Beatrice S. Demers Foreign Language Fellows Program	Provides funding for students who both demonstrate dedication and passion for foreign language learning and will attend a program to improve their language	$20,000 for an academic year; summer awards start around $1,000	Rhode Island residents and/or URI students
NSEP Boren Awards for International Study	Provides funding for students to study less commonly taught languages in world regions critical to U.S. interests	Up to $25,000 for academic year; up to $8,000 for summer study	U.S. citizens willing to commit to a year of federal service
Freeman-ASIA	Provides funding for students with demonstrated financial need who are planning to study abroad in East or Southeast Asia.	Up to $7,000 for academic year; up to $3,000 for summer study	U.S. citizens and permanent residents who have spent less than 4 weeks in host country in the last five years
Fund for Education Abroad	Provides funding for students who are underrepresented among the US study abroad population, such as, community college, and first-generation college, and minority students.	Up to $10,000 for academic year; summer awards start around $1,200	U.S. citizens and permanent residents attending a program at least 28 days in length

 

URI Scholarships

At the moment, the University of Rhode Island offers one scholarship to students who are interested in studying abroad: 

• The Flynn International Study Abroad Scholarship. This scholarship awards between $500 and $2,000 to students who will be studying abroad in programs that last at least one month long. 

We also recommend that students: 

• Fill out the FAFSA upon application to URI. This will qualify students to receive a financial aid packet featuring a combination of grants, scholarships, and loans. (Please visit the URI Financial Aid site, the URI Scholarship & Fellowship page, or contact us for more information.)
• Contact individual department heads and ask whether funding is available for overseas or domestic study of Chinese. Many programs, such as the International Engineering Program (IEP) and the International Business Program (IBP), have scholarships specifically for students planning on international study. 
• Visit Kathleen Maher, Assistant Director of the Office of National Fellowships for more information on scholarships and help with your application.

 

Chinese Studies Scholarships