Five Priority Scholarship Applications
Sponsored by the U.S. Department of State, Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs, this need-based international scholarship is open to U.S. citizens currently receiving a Federal Pell Grant. Students studying a “critical need language” may receive an award of up to $8,000. Students not studying a critical need language will receive up to $5,000 in assistance.
https://www.gilmanscholarship.org
- Potential award: Up to $5,000.
- Best fit: U.S. citizen undergraduate who is receiving, or will receive, a Federal Pell Grant while participating in a credit-bearing program abroad.
- 2027 timing: The next application opens in mid-August 2026 and is due October 1, 2026.
- Important: Gilman currently has no minimum program-length requirement, so both the short-term Italy or Prague programs can qualify. Eligible expenses include program costs, airfare, housing, books, local transportation, insurance, and passport or visa fees.
Potential award: $5,000.
- Best fit: Child or spousal dependent of active or activated U.S. military personnel who receives any type of Title IV federal financial aid.
- 2027 timing: The next application opens in mid-August 2026 and is due October 1, 2026.
- Important: A student who qualifies for both Gilman and Gilman-McCain can receive only one of the awards.
Potential award: Summer awards are generally prorated and have recently started around $1,250.
- Best fit: Student must be at least 18; be a U.S. citizen, permanent resident, or DACA recipient; demonstrate financial need; receive home-institution credit; study abroad for at least 14 days; and not have previously studied abroad after high school.
- 2027 timing: The Summer/Fall 2027 cycle has not been announced. Students should begin monitoring the official site in late 2026.
- Important: The Italy program's length satisfies FEA's current 14-day minimum.
Potential award: The 2027 amount and requirements should be confirmed with the CGCC Honors Office.
- Best fit: CGCC students who meet the requirements listed in the official Study Abroad Scholarship Application.
- 2027 timing: Request the current application during fall 2026 or early spring 2027.
- Important: Contact the CGCC Honors Office at 480-732-7252 for current details.
Potential award: Individual awards commonly range from $250 to $3,000.
- Best fit: Eligibility varies by donor. One application matches a student with hundreds of potential scholarships across the ten Maricopa colleges.
- 2027 timing: Complete both the fall 2026 and spring 2027 application cycles.
- Important: Students should confirm when an award will be disbursed and whether any remaining balance can be used toward study-abroad expenses.
Direct Study Abroad Scholarships
Potential award: Varies by corporate sponsor.
- Best fit: CGCC is a HACU-member institution. Students of any race or ethnicity may investigate HACU awards, although every scholarship has its own requirements.
- 2027 timing: Opportunities are added periodically; check throughout fall 2026 and spring 2027.
- Important: Review the requirements of each individual HACU scholarship before applying.
Potential award: $2,500-$12,000.
- Best fit: Active NIAF membership; U.S. citizenship or permanent residence; full-time enrollment in fall 2027; commitment to or interest in Italian culture; usually at least a 3.5 GPA.
- 2027 timing: Opens December 1, 2026; application and supporting documents are due March 1, 2027.
- Important: Some awards have additional heritage, major, residence, or financial-need requirements. Students graduating before fall 2027 may not qualify.
Potential award: $2,500-$5,000.
- Best fit: Student studying abroad in Italy and majoring in fine arts, liberal arts, language, or architecture; 3.5 GPA and demonstrated financial need. Boston University students are preferred but not exclusively eligible.
- 2027 timing: Included in the NIAF application due March 1, 2027.
- Important: Students should confirm that their major, fall 2027 enrollment, and CGCC Italy program satisfy the current award rules.
Potential award: Varies by award.
- Best fit: PTK members; individual awards consider academics, leadership, service, financial need, or progress toward a community-college credential.
- 2027 timing: Review both fall 2026 and spring 2027 PTK application cycles.
- Important: Not every PTK award can be used for travel. Students should verify permitted expenses and payment timing.
This scholarship awards two students $500 each to be used for the summer 2027 study abroad program in Prague. In addition to having a GPA of 3.0 or higher, students applying for this scholarship “must be willing to meet with Dr. Ruth Callahan and her husband John Weil, scholarship donors, for a cup of coffee upon return to tell them about your time in Prague!”
The deadline to apply is April 5, 2027. Learn more about the eligibility requirements by downloading the application.
Dr. Ruth Callahan Prague Scholarship Application
This scholarship covers all expenses to participate in a summer language and cultural immersion program open to American students. Funded by the U.S. Department of State, the Critical Language Scholarship Program actively seeks students from groups that are typically underrepresented in study abroad programs, whether ethnic or racial minorities, community college students, or students studying in STEM fields at their institution.
This scholarship provides up to $20,000 to U.S. undergraduate students to study language in areas of the world that are critical to U.S. interests and are underrepresented in study abroad programs. Boren Scholarship students travel to Africa, Asia, central and eastern Europe, Eurasia, Latin America, and the Middle East to study less commonly taught languages, including Arabic, Chinese, Korean, Portuguese, Russian, Swahili, and more.
Rotary is a global network of more than 1.2 million volunteers made up of professional people who provide humanitarian service, encourage high ethical standards, and help build goodwill, peace, and understanding in the world. Competitions administered by local clubs of Rotary International award scholarships for 3-month, 6-month, or multiple-year study abroad programs.
All students attending institutions that have membership in the Hispanic Association of Colleges and Universities (as CGCC does) are eligible for HACU scholarship opportunities regardless of race or ethnicity. These need-based scholarships are open to enrolled college students who have completed at least one semester of school by the time they apply. If you have questions, contact HACU at [email protected].
Maricopa Community Colleges was selected by the Institute of International Education (IIE) to receive an IIE American Passport Project Grant that will enable up to 5 eligible students from one of our 10 community colleges the funding and application assistance needed to receive a U.S. passport. Award recipients will be chosen by a competitive selection process.
- Deadline to Apply: November 22, 2024
- Award Amount: $165
- Will cover the costs of the application fee for a U.S. passport book ($130) and the execution/acceptance fee ($35)
https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSdO7fzLCo8m2QOPspmd5oQIvwKl4Vu…
Scholarships That Can Indirectly Help
The scholarships listed below are not exclusively designated for study abroad. They may cover tuition fees or other educational costs, enabling students to allocate more of their personal funds for their time abroad.
Potential award: Up to $500 per semester.
- Best fit: Continuing Honors students with at least 12 eligible MCCCD credits and a cumulative GPA of at least 3.25.
- 2027 timing: The CGCC page states that spring 2027 applications open September 15, 2026.
- Important: This is generally a tuition waiver or refund rather than a travel award.
Potential award: Tuition for up to 15 credit hours per semester, plus the registration fee under current rules.
- Best fit: Recent Maricopa County high-school graduate with at least a 3.25 unweighted GPA who meets the residency and enrollment requirements.
- 2027 timing: Check with the CGCC Honors Office for the 2027 application process.
- Important: This scholarship reduces tuition costs but is not a direct travel grant.
Potential award: Varies.
- Best fit: Current Maricopa students interested in Honors who cannot receive traditional Honors funding, including some DACA, ACE, or Hoop of Learning students.
- 2027 timing: Ask CGCC Honors about the 2026-27 application timeline.
- Important: Confirm how the award may be used.
Potential award: $600 per semester for four consecutive semesters under current rules.
- Best fit: New postsecondary student; in-state tuition eligibility; FAFSA and Pell eligibility; at least six credits; eligible declared program; satisfactory academic progress.
- 2027 timing: Funding is first-come, first-served; eligible new students should apply early.
- Important: This award supports tuition and attendance rather than specifically paying for study abroad.
Potential award: The 2026-27 award is $4,800.
- Best fit: LGBTQ+ students and allies enrolled in an associate or transfer program; minimum 2.5 GPA; at least half-time enrollment. Fully online degree programs are excluded.
- 2027 timing: The 2027-28 cycle has not yet been posted; monitor during fall 2026.
- Important: Confirm with Point and CGCC whether funds may offset eligible education costs connected to the program.
Potential award: Varies.
- Best fit: LGBTQ+ students and allies who are first-generation and/or from under-resourced households; at least half-time in a degree-seeking associate or other eligible program; minimum 2.0 GPA.
- 2027 timing: The 2027 cycle has not yet been announced.
- Important: Confirm permitted expenses and award timing.
Potential award: Amount varies; the grant is unrestricted non-tuition support.
- Best fit: Women, nonbinary, or Two-Spirit students age 35 or older who demonstrate financial need and are pursuing their first associate or bachelor's degree at an accredited U.S. institution.
- 2027 timing: The foundation states that applications open in November 2026.
- Important: Because this is non-tuition support, it may be especially useful for living or travel-related costs, subject to the foundation's current rules.
Potential award: Up to $5,000 under the 2026 program.
- Best fit: Low-income woman age 17 or older who is the mother of minor children and is pursuing an eligible degree or training program at a nonprofit U.S. institution.
- 2027 timing: The 2027 application has not yet been announced; monitor the official site in spring 2027.
- Important: Income limits and the number of awards can change annually.
Potential award: Varies by donor fund.
- Best fit: Arizona students; one general application may match an applicant with multiple awards based on residence, school, field of study, background, or financial need.
- 2027 timing: Check for the 2027 cycle beginning in late 2026.
- Important: Students must review each matched scholarship's rules and confirm that CGCC attendance is eligible.
Additional Safe Scholarship-Search Resources
Search the organization's current programs and filter for awards that permit community or technical college attendance.
A free search tool that can match scholarships by college level, major, background, residence, and other qualifications.
Federal guidance on finding scholarships and avoiding scholarship scams.
The college's official starting point for CGCC, Honors, Foundation, and study-abroad funding.
Legitimate Opportunities That Do Not Fit the Perugia, Italy SA Program
- Dr. Ruth Callahan Prague Study Abroad Scholarship: Restricted to CGCC's Prague program.
- Tortuga Study Abroad Scholarship: Currently requires attendance at a four-year institution and explicitly excludes summer programs.
- Critical Language Scholarship: Funds participation in its own intensive language programs; it does not fund the CGCC Italy program, and Italian is not currently an eligible CLS language.
- Boren Scholarship: Italy and Italian ordinarily do not fit Boren's priority-country and priority-language structure, and Boren programs are substantially longer.
- Arizona Rotary study-abroad funding: CGCC reports that these competitions support programs of three months or longer.
- Hispanic Scholarship Fund: Current college-student rules generally require planned full-time enrollment at a four-year institution. A CGCC student transferring in fall 2027 may investigate it, but it is not a general CGCC summer-program scholarship.
- Passport to Success Grant: The CGCC page still displays a 2024 deadline. Do not advertise it unless Maricopa announces a new 2027 cycle.
Recommended Application Calendar
- Apply for Gilman or Gilman-McCain by October 1.
- Complete the fall Maricopa Foundation application.
- Review PTK opportunities.
- Prepare a reusable essay, transcript, resume, FAFSA information, and recommendation request.
- Monitor the Fund for Education Abroad's Summer/Fall 2027 application.
- Apply for the Jeannette Rankin Grant if eligible.
- Begin the NIAF application on or after December 1.
- Request the current CGCC Honors Study Abroad Scholarship application.
- Submit NIAF by March 1.
- Complete the spring Maricopa Foundation application.
- Apply for eligible CGCC Honors, HACU, Point Foundation, Patsy Mink, and Arizona Community Foundation opportunities.
- If unsuccessful in October, consider the next Gilman cycle if the travel dates remain eligible.
Scholarship Safety Checklist
- Apply only through the scholarship provider's official website.
- Never pay a fee to apply for or receive a scholarship.
- Do not provide a bank password, credit-card number, or gift-card payment.
- Be cautious of guaranteed-award claims or unexpected messages announcing that you won.
- Verify the sponsor's address, contact information, eligibility rules, and past recipients.
- Ask CGCC Financial Aid how the award will affect the student's aid package and when funds will be released.
- Keep copies of the application, essays, confirmation email, and award conditions.
Final reminder: Scholarship criteria, amounts, and deadlines can change. Students should verify every opportunity on the linked official website and with CGCC Financial Aid before relying on an award to meet a program payment deadline.