Funding Your Trip
ISL offers a range of fundraising ideas and scholarship opportunities to make it as easy as possible for you to learn and serve abroad. We suggest mixing and matching these methods to have the most success in fundraising.
1. MyISL Fundraising Page
Every volunteer has the ability to create and share a personal fundraising page on ISL’s internal crowdfunding platform once they’ve registered for a program. From your MyISL account, click on the fundraising tab, fill out your bio and fundraising goal, and share the link with your friends and family
100% of the proceeds you raise will go directly to your account balance, as soon as we receive payment in your name. Payments must be received 30 days before your departure date.
2. Group fundraising ideas:
There are way more methods to creatively fundraise for your program! Check out our alumni suggestions on other ways to raise funds for your upcoming trip.
3. ISL Foundation
For tax deductible donations, donors may send their donations with the student’s name clearly noted to:
International Service Learning Foundation (ISLF)
PO Box 60925 Corpus Christi, Texas 78466
6% of each check sent to ISLF will be retained for processing and fees ISL must pay.
ISL Scholarships
We want to remove as many barriers to global service-learning as possible, so have created a few financial awards! ISL offers scholarships to make it as easy as possible for you to learn and serve abroad! (Please note that scholarship funds are not available for all programs, and we are not able to award more than one per person.) Faculty-led programs in which participants submit program fees to their home institutions do not qualify. Contact info@islonline.org to see if your program qualifies.
Needs-Based Scholarship
For volunteers who need financial aid for their program.
Grant Amount: $100 – $500
Requirements:
- Applicant must be currently registered for a program with ISL.
- Applicant must complete the below application.
- Application must be submitted 60 days prior to the program start date. Need will be assessed and grants awarded approximately 50-60 days before departure.
- Award recipient will be notified via with award amount. Those who are not selected for an award will not be notified. Contact your Trip Coordinator with any questions.
- Award recipient must submit photos and reflections to ISL within two weeks of program’s conclusion.
Program Leader Scholarship – Custom Teams
For volunteers who plan to be group leader for a custom volunteer program. Only 1 leader per group. Not available for faculty-led programs.
Scholarship Amount:
Earn full program credit for every 12 volunteers
Requirements:
- Applicant must be currently registered for a program with ISL.
- Applicant must complete the following application.
- Application must be submitted 60 days prior to the program start date. Scholarships will be assessed and awarded 50 days before departure.
- Applicant will be contacted via email to confirm Program Leader Scholarship.
- Award recipient must submit photos and reflections to ISL within two weeks of program’s conclusion.
Media Scholarship
For volunteers who would like to contribute photos and videos or blog during their ISL program. Only 1 media scholarship per group.
Scholarship Amount: $250 – $500
Requirements:
- Applicant must be currently registered for an ISL program.
- Applicant must complete the below application.
- Application must be submitted 60 days prior to the program start date. Scholarships will be awarded approximately 50-60 days before departure.
- Award recipient will be notified with award amount. Those who are not selected for an award will not be notified. Contact your Trip Coordinator with any questions.
- Applicant must provide his/her own camera and equipment.
- Applicant will agree to do “Instagram Takeovers” daily.
- Award recipient must submit photos, video footage, and/or blog posts to ISL within two weeks of program’s conclusion.
Foundation Scholarship
Empowers ISL volunteers to serve globally. This competitive scholarship will be distributed as $500-$1000 grants and is open to all applicants. Scholarship is not open for application at this time as we have started a GoFundMe account to raise funding. To contribute to this scholarship please do so here: https://gofund.me/653f1627
Additional Scholarships
We know that many institutions have internal scholarships and encourage you to do some research to see what exists at your school. ISL has done some of it’s own research and have provided below a few scholarship opportunities which we encourage you to review and pursue.
Fund for Education Abroad (FEA)
FEA invests in deserving U.S. undergraduates who are least likely to study abroad. More than 100 volunteer reviewers read applications each cycle. In partnership with them, we consider financial need, demographic factors, and academic plan and preparedness to decide our scholarship recipients..
Considerations:
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- Financial Need is determined by the FEA Financial Aid Form we provide. We require applicants to have completed a FAFSA for the current academic year.
- Demographic Factors that are considered include first-generation college student status, racial identity, and community college experience.
- Academic Plan and Preparedness are determined by your essays and unofficial transcript.
Gilman Scholarship
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..
Gilman-McCain Scholarship
The John S. McCain International Scholarship for Military Families (Gilman-McCain Scholarship) provides awards of $5,000 for child and spousal dependents of active or activated United States military personnel during the time of application (including Air Force, Air Force Reserve, Air National Guard, Army, Army National Guard, Army Reserve, Coast Guard, Coast Guard Reserve, Marine Corps, Marine Corps Reserve, Navy, Navy Reserve, Space Force, NOAA Commissioned Corps, and USPHS Commissioned Corps) to study or intern abroad on credit-bearing programs. Applicants must be recipients of any type of Title IV federal financial aid during the time of application or provide proof that they will be receiving Title IV federal financial aid during their study abroad program or internship..
Diverse International Women of Color (DWIC) Scholarship
The Diverse International Women Of Color Study Abroad Scholarship is intended to assist women of color who are exceptional in their studies and in need of financial assistance to study abroad. DIWC will award $500 scholarships to women of color who have been accepted to an In-Person Study Abroad Program.
Golden Key Study Abroad Scholarship
This scholarship assists Golden Key Members who participate in a study abroad program.
Phi Kappa Phi Study Abroad Grants
Phi Kappa Phi Study Abroad Grants are designed to help support undergraduates as they seek knowledge and experience in their academic fields by studying abroad. One hundred twenty-five $1,000 grants are awarded each year.
AWHONN (Association of Women’s Health, Obstetric and Neonatal Nurses) Perinatal Education XChange (APEX) Program Scholarships
Thanks to the generous support of Every Woman, Every Baby, we’re able to offer two $1,000 scholarships to increase the accessibility of our trips to everyone. To be eligible, you must be an active member in good standing of AWHONN. The deadline to apply is June 11, 2024.