Study Abroad / Term, Year, and Summer Study

CIE, the Center for International Experience, offers a wide variety of resources for students seeking an international experience. They provide information, advice, and guidance to potential travelers, as well as contact information for returned students.  Please visit their website at:

http://www.yale.edu/yalecollege/international/

FUNDING FOR INTERNATIONAL EXPERIENCE

 GENERAL INFORMATION

  1. Yale has excellent resources for funding good projects abroad, although students should understand that these resources have limits, and not all initiatives will find funding.  Students should be aware that funding is rarely available for:
  2. Spring break travel, whether for individual or group activities
  3. Winter break travel
  4. Travel for activities of less than one month
  5. Travel to attend meetings and conferences

The Center for International Experience (CIE) has no funding for short term (less than one month) individual or student-led group activities.

  1. Students planning for experience abroad should consider carefully what resources they can find outside Yale, and build their planning and money-management skills by preparing a careful and realistic budget. Yale funds cannot pay for all experiences, and students should also plan ahead for other sources of funds:
  2. Employment on campus or at home to supplement any grants received
  3. Loans, which are available for students who are US citizens and permanent residents through Student Financial Services whether or not they receive financial aid
  4. Fundraising activities
  5. Parental assistance, perhaps in loan form
  6. Organizations outside Yale with special interests: internet research is essential for this
  1. There is both need-based and competitive (merit) funding for substantial and well-planned individual activities abroad, for which the minimum duration ranges from 4 weeks to eight weeks, whether for independent initiatives or for participation in programs. Advice on all funding all such activities is offered by the Office of Fellowship Programs,  part of the Center for International Experience (CIE) at 55 Whitney Avenue. Application for these awards is made through the essential tool, thesearchable Student Grants Database.  Detailed information, deadlines, links, advice on proposal preparation, and student reports are all to be found on the CIE website (easily found: Google “CIE” on the Yale website and it is the first hit)http://www.yale.edu/yalecollege/international/funding/index.html

      Funding sources include:

  • the need-based one-time International Summer Award (ISA) for students on financial aid for
    • study on Yale Summer Session or Yale-approved programs; such study must receive credit towards the Yale degree to be ISA-eligible
    • internships sponsored or managed by Yale (there is a list of designated internships)
    • as a supplement to a competitive fellowship, in the form of the summer income contribution, prorated depending on the length of the time spent abroad
    • a wide range of Yale merit fellowships for individual student activities, including
      • research (at least 4 weeks),
      • study on some programs offered or approved by Yale
      • service and volunteer projects (ordinarily at least 8 weeks),
      • and internships (at least 8 weeks) or study (on a designated Yale sponsored or approved program). 

 OTHER SOURCES OF FUNDING

  1. Some academic departments have funding specifically designated for undergraduate research or study abroad, and students should consult the DUS and department websites as well as the Student Grants Database.
  2.  Some Area Studies Councils (in the MacMillan Center) have funding for undergraduate activities abroad. It is wise to determine whether this may be a possibility before developing substantial proposals.
  3. Yale Year or Term Abroad (Junior and second semester Sophomore terms): Funding for study abroad for credit towards the Yale degree during the academic year.  Yale charges no fees, and students pay their program directly and continue to receive financial aid, making this an excellent option for students with limited resources. Contact Study Abroad advisers in the CIE at 55 Whitney Avenue. 
  4. The Yale College Dean’s Office no longer has funding for short-term student-organized group or individual activities abroad. All YCDO funding for activities abroad is administered through the Student Grants Database.

RESIDENTIAL COLLEGES

Funding for summer and short-term experiences abroad is no longer widely available through the offices of the Heads of College.