International Education Fee (IEF) Study Abroad Scholarship Program

The Georgia State University International Education Fee (IEF) Study Abroad Scholarship Program, initiated in 2004, is funded by the mandatory international education student fee. Students who apply for the IEF Scholarship are also automatically considered for the Georgia State University Foundation Study Abroad Scholarship.

The IEF Scholarship is available to Georgia State University Students enrolled in degree or certificate programs who will be earning academic credit for an experience abroad. Minimum GPA is 2.8 for undergraduates, and 3.2 for graduates. For law students, the minimum score is 73. Post-baccalaureate students not enrolled in a degree or certificate program are not eligible for the IEF Scholarship.

Students studying abroad for an academic year are eligible to apply for both the Fall and Spring scholarship competitions.

Click here for instructions and an application for the IEF Scholarship.

More information about the IEF Scholarship: (links will drop the page down to that section)

Eligibility
Criteria
Competitions
Awards
Service Requirement
Application Rules
Disbursement of funds

Eligibility

-Applicants must be enrolled in and working toward completion of an undergraduate or graduate degree or certificate at Georgia State University.
-A minimum institutional GPA of 2.8 is required for undergraduate students.
-A minimum institutional GPA of 3.2 is required for graduate students.
-A minimum institutional GPA of 73 is required for law students.
- Freshmen and Transfer students: If this is your first semester at Georgia State University, in lieu of a GPA eligibility requirement, verification of your projected grades must be sent to Daniel Jansen at djansen@gsu.edu by your current professors. These must be received no later than the application deadline.

***Please be aware that meeting eligibility requirements and submitting an application does not guarantee an award***

At the time of scholarship application, applicants must be in the process of enrolling in a study abroad program for which they will be receiving academic credit at Georgia State University for the term for which they are applying for the scholarship. Recipients must agree to complete a minimum of five hours of service in support of international education upon their return to Georgia State University. Service will be approved and coordinated by the Office of International Affairs, Study Abroad Programs. IEF funds may not be used towards study in countries that are currently under a U.S. Department of State Travel Warning. Click here for a list of those countries.

Criteria

Preference is given for the following: academic merit, longer programs, financial need, strong essays, under-represented countries, students participating on Georgia State University sponsored programs, and students with little or no international experience. Students who apply for the IEF Scholarship are also automatically considered for the Georgia State University Foundation Study Abroad Scholarship.
The following will be taken into consideration when determining ranking for the award:
-Institutional GPA
-Demonstrated financial need
-Program sponsor (GSU or other)
-Program location (traditional or non-traditional)
-Previous international experience
-Number of credits being earned (only applicable to Maymester and Summer programs)
-Student essay

The essay, in which the student describes why he or she would like to study abroad, will be reviewed by a campus-wide committee. Committee ratings of this essay will figure heavily in student ranking. Students are encouraged to have their essays reviewed by the GSU writing center and peers before submitting.

Competitions

There will be two scholarship competitions per year.
Students wishing to study abroad during the Spring semester must submit their applications by the October deadline prior to their Spring term abroad.
Students wishing to study abroad during Maymester/Summer/Fall must submit their applications by the March deadline prior to their term abroad.
For students studying abroad for an academic year, separate applications must be submitted for Fall and Spring competitions.

Awards

If awarded the IEF Scholarship, students may receive the following amounts. *Please be aware that there are no minimum amounts on possible Georgia State University Foundation awards.

Maymester and Summer Programs (according to the GSU calendar):
- Less than 4 weeks in duration: between $250 and $1000
- 4 weeks or more in duration: between $500 and $1500
Average IEF award for Maymester/Summer 2009 was $600

Semester Programs (according to the GSU calendar):
- Less than 8 weeks in duration: between $500 and $1000
- 8 weeks or more in duration: between $1000 and $2000
Average IEF award for Fall Semester 2009 (8 weeks or more) was $1000

*Please be aware that applying for the IEF Scholarship does not guarantee an award.

Service Requirement

All scholarship recipients, whether they receive IEF or GSUF funding, are required to offer five hours of assistance to the Study Abroad Programs Office for each term that they are awarded a scholarship. This requirement can be fulfilled in many ways, such as writing essays, volunteering to assist with the Study Abroad Fair in the fall, or speaking to students about your overseas experience. Service Requirement is coordinated through the Study Abroad Programs Office, and must be completed within two terms of returning from abroad. If a student is unable to perform this requirement, repayment of the scholarship can be arranged.

Application Rules

• Incomplete applications will not be eligible for review. This application requires an online application as well as a set of material documents that must be sent to our office. Please hand in all essay materials at one time. Students are responsible for ensuring that all materials reach our office. We will not follow up on incomplete applications or applications delivered from other offices on campus or by mail.

• Cover letters, letters of recommendation, resumes, references, etc. are not required for this scholarship. Do not submit any of these with your application, as they will not be considered.

• Within one week of the competition deadline, students will receive a confirmation of receipt via GSU e-mail – for complete applications only. Therefore, it is to your advantage to submit your application as early as possible to ensure sufficient time for you to resolve any problems with your application, prior to the application deadline.

• Late applications will not be accepted. In order to ensure fairness and process awards in a timely manner, there will be no exceptions to this rule.

• Students participating in non-GSU programs must complete Study Abroad Student Data Sheets/Credit Approval Forms before awards can be disbursed.

• Students must complete necessary paperwork with the Office of Student Financial Aid before awards can be disbursed. Forms are required by this office even for students who are not currently receiving other forms of financial aid. Check with our office for info on which forms are required.

• In the event that a student must cancel their participation in a program for any reason, the student is required to notify Study Abroad Programs Office immediately. Charges for awards that are disbursed prior to cancellations will be assessed against the student’s student account with a hold placed on registration and graduation until the funds are recovered.

• Questions about the IEF Scholarship or application process should be directed to Daniel Jansen, djansen@gsu.edu, 404-413-2529.

Disbursement of funds

• Please Note: In most cases scholarship funds will not be released before students must pay program tuition and fees and in some cases not before students depart for their programs. Students are responsible for covering all such expenses directly and the scholarship will serve as a reimbursement.

• Upon notification of recipients regarding their awards (via GSU student e-mail), we will issue a form that must be completed and returned to the Study Abroad Programs office. A section of this form requires verification of student’s program participation from a representative of their program. Students will be given two weeks from the date of notification to return this completed form in order to redeem their scholarship funds. Failure to return this completed form by the deadline given will result in loss of the scholarship (no exceptions).

• After the deadline, a list of recipients will be forwarded to the Office of Student Financial Aid, where the awards will be processed. Once the awards are processed (usually 2-3 business weeks), funds will be deposited directly into the recipients’ student account. Should there be an outstanding debt owed to the university, this amount will be deducted from the award, and the remaining balance disbursed directly to the student either by direct deposit or by check. Under no circumstance will the funds be disbursed directly to a student’s program.

• Please check with our office if funds are not received within the timeline described above. Any problems relating to non-receipt of funds must be resolved within two semesters of student’s program abroad. After this time, any funds not received by the student will be unrecoverable.