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KU Study Abroad Merit and Financial Need Scholarship (Scholarship Program) Featured: Print  Save  Share
  • Program Terms: Academic Year, Fall, Spring, Spring Break, Summer, Winter Break
  • Restrictions: KU applicants only
Dates / Deadlines:
Dates / Deadlines:
Term Year App Deadline Decision Date Start Date End Date
Spring 2026 10/01/2025 10/15/2025 TBA TBA
Winter Break 2026 10/01/2025 10/15/2025 TBA TBA
Spring Break 2026 10/01/2025 10/15/2025 TBA TBA
Fact Sheet:
Fact Sheet:
Open to Non-KU students: No Open to graduate students: Yes
Program Description:

KU SAGE Merit and Financial Need Scholarship

KU Study Abroad & Global Engagement (SAGE) Merit and Financial Need Scholarships are open to degree-seeking undergraduate or graduate students at the University of Kansas. While there is no GPA requirement for these scholarships, students must meet the GPA requirements for the study abroad program they have applied to in order to be eligible for these scholarships.  

NOTE: For semester- and year-long study abroad program applicants, SAGE has both academic merit and financial need Scholarships. For winter break, spring break, and summer study abroad program applications, SAGE only has scholarships available to students with demonstrated financial need.

  • Academic merit scholarships are very competitive and are awarded on the basis of academic merit as determined by KU GPA and a scholarship personal statement essay.  
  • Financial need scholarships are very competitive and are awarded based on financial need as determined by the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) as well as a financial need statement and a scholarship personal statement essay. Students are required to have completed a FAFSA for the current academic year in order to apply for a financial need scholarship.

Applications will be evaluated based on:
 
  1. The thoroughness of the applicant in addressing the specific essay prompts outlined within the application.
  2. The organization and written quality of the essay.


Successful applicants will have essays that:

  1. Clearly speak to why they chose their specific study abroad program and address study abroad program features and the motivations for choosing the study abroad program. 
  2. Thoroughly articulate the student's academic, career, and personal goals for study abroad and discuss examples of how the program will aid in fulfillment of these goals, as well as how the program will enhance the student's intellectual learning.
  3. Are logical, well organized, and free of spelling errors.
 

Term of Study

Scholarship amounts

Deadline

Notification

Summer (Only open to students with financial need)

$500-$1,500

March 1

late March

Academic Year

$2,000-$5,000

March 15

early April

Fall Semester

 $2,000-$5,000

March 15

early April

Spring Semester

 $2,000-$5,000

October 1

late October

Winter Break or Spring Break (Only open to students with financial need)

 $500-$1,500

October 1

late October
 


Late applications will not be considered.  Be sure to start your application early and complete it by the stated deadlines. Click on the "Apply Now" button on this page to apply online.

Application Procedures

Applicants who have not begun an online SAGE application for a study abroad program will not be eligible for the scholarship.  Applicants will be required to submit the following documents online after they click the "Apply Now" button:

  • Scholarship essay addressing why the student chose to study abroad and what motivated the student to choose their particular study abroad program. Students should discuss how this program will help them fulfill their academic, career, and personal goals and enhance their intellectual learning.
  • Unofficial transcript or advising report
  • Financial need scholarship essay:
    • If applying for a financial need scholarship, applicants must have completed a FAFSA for the current academic year. They must also complete the financial need scholarship essay and answer the following prompts:
      • What is your current financial circumstance? 
      • Why do you have financial need?
      • Are there any special circumstances regarding you and/or your family's ability to help pay for study abroad---i.e., financial hardships, whether you work while in school, etc.?

Follow-Up Requirements

Scholarship award recipients will be required to complete a study abroad outreach service requirement.  The requirement can be completed abroad or upon return from the study abroad program and will include assisting SAGE with outreach and promotions.  Service examples include: submitting a minimum of 30 high-quality photos focusing on the study abroad location's campus, classrooms, housing, or region; submitting a high-quality video that explores some aspect of study abroad experiences; submitting an article and photos for Jayhawks Abroad and Jayhawk Planet publications; or writing at least four blog posts for the Jayhawks Abroad blog.

Depending on the source of the funding for a student's scholarship, the student might also be required to write a thank you letter to their donor.