Benjamin A. Gilman Scholarship

No, only students receiving a Federal Pell Grant at the time of application or at the time of the study abroad program are eligible for the Benjamin A. Gilman International Scholarship. Other forms of federal financial aid do not satisfy this eligibility requirement. If you are not sure if you receive a Federal Pell Grant, please contact Mercer’s Office of Fiancial Planning.

Any country or location (and area within a country or location) with an overall Travel Advisory Level 1 or 2, according to the U.S. Department of State’s Travel Advisory System is eligible. Gilman scholars are unable to participate in programs located in a country or location (or an area within a country or location) that is designated as either a Level 3 (“Reconsider travel to”) or Level 4 (“Do not travel to”). All eligible countries or locations will be available in the application.

No, only U.S. citizens or U.S. nationals are eligible to apply for a Gilman Scholarship. If you are in the process of applying for your citizenship, and you will be a United States citizen before your study abroad program begins, then you may apply for the Gilman Scholarship.  You will be prompted within the online application to enter your naturalization date.  Here you will enter the future date that you estimate to be naturalized.  However, please note that although your application will be reviewed, and in the event you are awarded, you will not be able to receive your Gilman Scholarship funds if you cannot provide proof that you are a United States citizen.  This proof must be either a copy of your naturalization certificate or a copy of your passport.

The Gilman Scholarship program does not have a minimum program length requirement, so short-term programs are eligible. However, the program must otherwise meet the eligibility requirements, including being credit-bearing.

A Gilman Scholarship recipient can only receive the Gilman Scholarship once. If you previously declined the Gilman Scholarship, you are welcome to re-apply for another application cycle, as long as you still meet all eligibility requirements. For other study abroad scholarship opportunities, visit the Other Scholarships page.

You can apply up to a year before your program begins. Please consult the Deadlines & Timeline page for more information on when to apply.

1. Make an appointment with the Office of Global Education to go over your application, find a program, and next steps. You will also get a Gilman essay writing packet at this meeting.
2. Have your essays reviewed by the Office of National Fellowships and Scholarships.
3. Once the application is open you will be able to apply through the Gilman Online Application System. The online application will be available approximately one-and-a-half to two months prior to the application deadline for each cycle. Please consult the Deadlines & Timeline page for more information.

The administrator is the institution or organization that is administering your study abroad program. The online application contains a drop-down list of the most common program administrators given by Gilman Scholarship applicants. If your program administrator is not listed, then you would select “other” and type the name into the provided field. This will most often be your home university, a different university in the U.S., or a study abroad consortium or other program provider. If you are unsure who the program sponsor is, please contact your university study abroad advisor.

Mercer on Mission and Faculty-Led programs are administered by Mercer University.

Estimated study abroad program costs include all program fees, tuition, room and board, airfare, books, local transportation, and insurance and disability related accommodation expenses. This excludes personal expenses such as entertainment, souvenirs, clothing and accessories, electronics, and travel independent of the study abroad requirements.

Yes, we recognize that many students will submit applications to specific study abroad programs and for the Gilman Scholarship Program simultaneously, with expected notification for each at a different date. Should you be awarded a Gilman Scholarship you would be required to provide proof of acceptance into the program listed in your application at that time.

Yes, both a financial aid advisor and study abroad advisor from Mercer University are necessary to complete your Gilman application. These two advisors will complete an online certification verifying specific information in your application.

• The study abroad advisor will need to certify your study abroad program information. Everyone will select Emily Dunn, the Assistant Director of Global Education.
• The financial aid advisor will certify your financial aid information. The options are Cynthia Smith and Emmilee Mitchell. You can choose either one, even if they are not your Mercer Financial Aid advisor.

If you have not completed a single term at your home institution at the time of your Gilman Scholarship application, then you will indicate your GPA as 0.00. Additionally, if this is your first academic term at your home institution you can upload an Official Enrollment Verification Letter, including your academic courses, issued from your registrar’s office in place of your home institution transcript. In addition, if you are a freshman, you are encouraged to include your high school transcript in your application. Please note that there is not a minimum GPA requirement to apply for the Gilman Scholarship and it will not affect your eligibility.

All applicants will be notified of their status via the primary email address given in their Gilman online account. Please consult the Deadlines & Timeline for more information regarding the timeline of award notifications.

If you are chosen to receive a Gilman Scholarship, you will need to do the following things to accept your award:

• Agree to the Gilman Scholarship’s Terms and Conditions Contract
• Provide proof of your U.S. Citizenship
• Provide an acceptance letter from your study abroad program or host institution in English. Please note that the Gilman Program will not accept nomination or conditional letters as proof of acceptance.
• Provide proof of international health insurance coverage
• Provide an official transcript from your home institution including your most recent term
• Provide proof of receiving a Pell Grant during the term of application or term of study abroad if your financial aid advisor did not already confirm your Pell Grant status (Official documentation from the Financial Aid Office, such as financial aid award letter or package, is acceptable and should include the institution name, student name, and date/term of Pell Grant)
• Provide proof of STEP (Smart Traveler Enrollment Program) enrollment 
• Complete a one-time registration with IIePay (Zelle) to ensure your bank account can receive your payment

You can check here for more information about recipient requirements.