Scholarships
Updated: October 1, 2024
There are various scholarship opportunities for students at UH Mᾱnoa and especially Shidler students. I chose to apply for four different scholarships offered within UH and received all of them, but anyone can apply for as many scholarships as they'd like. How many scholarships everyone applies to depends on different circumstances, so I recommend you to assess your financial situation as best as possible before applying. The scholarships I applied to are:
Shidler Travel Scholarship (Freeman Asia Scholarship)
Benjamin A. Gilman International Scholarship
STAR Global Opportunities Scholarship
*IMPORTANT TO NOTE*
I applied to multiple scholarships because although there was a possibility my financial aid from FAFSA could be decreased, I was not receiving enough aid to support my tuition expenses and fees anyway. This could also be because of yearly outside scholarships I receive as well. Regardless, I was not receiving enough from FAFSA to support myself, so applying for aid would have helped me more than if I did not. Somehow, my aid actually ended up increasing for this year, so it really did not hurt at all. However, one of my friends refrained from applying for multiple travel scholarships because it would have negatively impacted her aid from FAFSA which is one of her main sources of income. Please keep this in mind when applying. Everyone's situation is different.
Thank you!
To Freeman
I want to sincerely thank Freeman for providing me the funds necessary to optimize my experience abroad. This award gave me confidence and helped me embrace my travels in Korea without significant financial worries. This award was very generous and fueled my motivation to give back to my communities. When helping others understand what it means to study abroad and embark on a life-changing experience, Freeman inspires me to do my best in supporting my peers.
To Gilman
Thanks to Gilman's support and resources provided before I received the award, I was able to proudly accept this scholarship. I am incredibly grateful for Gilman's support. From reading tips and advice on the Gilman website to watching alumni live streams on Instagram, to joining zoom seminars, I could not be more thankful for this special opportunity. Being granted this kind of funding from the U.S. Department of State fills me with a sense of greater responsibility to give back to my communities and further immerse myself in Gilman's mission to spread the wealth of cultures through their students.
To STAR
I would like to sincerely thank UH Mᾱnoa and STAR for this award because of their never-ending generosity. The constant funding opportunities that STAR provides for all students at Mᾱnoa boosts my confidence in my financial security, resources and support. Receiving this award and being offered the opportunity to practice what I want to do in my professional career (social media) while being abroad is an honor and privilege I know I cannot come across anywhere. It allows me to hold myself accountable, share my story and give back to my communities all at the same time.
To ASUH
I would like to sincerely thank the Associated Students of UH because of their passion for financially supporting UH students. I have seen this passion first-hand, working in an on-campus organization that ASUH has reached out to because they wanted to spread awareness about the supportive resources they have to offer. This is also not the first time I have been awarded by ASUH, further exemplifying their dedication to their mission and promise of advocating for students' endeavors.
Freeman Travel Scholarship
This is a travel scholarship only offered to Shidler students. All students applying to this scholarship apply through one link, but will receive a different scholarship depending on the country you are traveling to. If you are traveling to a country in Asia, you will receive the Freeman Asia scholarship and if you are traveling to Europe, you would receive the Johnson Scholarship.
TIPS:
1) Apply through the link that Shidler gives you (through the Shidler website)
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I made the mistake of not reading the email properly and came close to submitting a scholarship application to the official Freeman Asia Scholarship website instead of doing it through Shidler
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I would not recommend this because I wasted time preparing unnecessary documents
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I also do not know the difference between receiving the scholarship through the official website vs. through Shidler
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2) There are required items you need to prepare and you only have about a month so get started as early as possible
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Since I was focusing on the different requirements that the official Freeman website was asking for, I had to do a lot of my application last minute which was stressful, so be prepared
3) Ask questions!
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This goes for all scholarship apps and apps in general
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The reason I found out I was doing the wrong application was because I asked my friends about it but I did not ask until later
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Reach out to your professors as well even if you just need an extra opinion on your essays
4) There will more responsibilities and tasks (i.e contract submission, expense sheet, blog) you need to complete after receiving the award, so make sure to thoroughly read over all the documents and messages that are sent to you by your advisors
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Keep track of deadlines
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Missing a deadline could result in the delay or revocation of your award
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5) My friends and I received our scholarship deposits at different times, so please keep in mind that you may not all receive it at the same time
March 1, 2024
Application Opens
Required Documents
1) Scholarship Application Form
2) Preliminary Travel Expenses Sheet
3) Preliminary Courses Form
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Make sure to speak with your advisor about this form and in general about what courses you should/are planning to take while abroad
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Depending on your major(s), your plans could look different from others or what you think they should be
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4) Resume
5) Academic Plan
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This is similar to the preliminary courses form but more intricate and detailed
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You are also required to make this on your own (no form provided to fill out)
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I basically just put my entire academic plan from the STAR website onto a spreadsheet
March 31, 2024
Application Submitted
April 1, 2024
Priority Deadline
June 4, 2024
Received Award
August 5, 2024
Received Freeman Processing Documents
August 19, 2024
Deadline to Submit Freeman Processing Documents
October 1, 2024
Received Freeman
Deposit
Benjamin A. Gilman
International Scholarship
This is a travel scholarship offered to any and all students interning or studying abroad from the United States with the exception a few cases. Please check your eligibility for the scholarship before applying. This scholarship can be done through the portal you create on the Gilman website.
TIPS:
1) The Gilman application's dates and times go by Pacific Standard Time (PST)
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Take note of this when keeping track of deadlines
2) Follow the Gilman Scholarship Instagram
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I found this to be helpful because they occassionally have previous scholars hop on the account through lives, stories, etc., to share their experiences with the application process and give advice on essay writing
3) Similarly to Freeman, there will more responsibilities and tasks (i.e Gilman scholarship recipient requirements) you need to complete after receiving the award, so make sure to thoroughly read over all the documents and messages that are sent to you through your portal
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Keep track of deadlines
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Missing a deadline could result in the delay or revocation of your award
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In addition, there will be tasks to complete once you arrive in the country you are traveling to
4) Regarding deadlines, the Gilman portal will provide you with a few once you receive the award, however my insurance letter (one of the required documents after receiving the award) was taking longer than expected to submit
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I emailed my designated Gilman advisor and was given an extension
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They're lenient and offered to give me a longer extension if need be
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All I needed to do was inform them
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January 18, 2024
Application Opens
1) Statement of Purpose and Community Impact Essays
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This is where I recommend taking a look at or giving a listen to past recipients have done on Instagram
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I joined a live where a previous recipient talked about formatting one of their community impact essays as a letter to a friend
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I did the same thing and it allowed me to think more creatively and clearly express my thoughts
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2) Transcripts
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Both official and unofficial transcripts are accepted
3) Program Details
4) Certifying Advisors
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Your designated study abroad and financial aid advisors must certify your application by the deadline
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There is no exception for this so make sure to communicate with your advisors and let them know right away so they are prepared
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March 7, 2024
Application Submitted
March 7, 2024
Submission Deadline
March 14, 2024
Advisor Certification Deadline
September 12, 2024
Received Award Deposit
May 2, 2024
Received Award
STAR Global Opportunities
This is one of the scholarships offered by STAR. STAR offers multiple scholarships other than this one but I decided to apply to this one specifically because it fit my situation and I felt like I could respond to the prompt well.
TIPS:
1) I did not know the amount I was going to receive until I reached out and asked AFTER submitting my application
2) I can't say it better myself, so click here to view the criteria and eligibility requirements
3) I was offered the role of a MIX social media ambassador through this scholarship (unpaid)
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I was planning on documenting my experience abroad experience through social media in addition to this blog even without the offer, but I decided to do it to hold myself accountable
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I am required to make at least 1-2 engaging posts per week on Instagram as well as 1 captivating video about a unique experience I have abroad
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4) The deadline for this scholarship was April 1, 2024
5) I received the notification that I was awarded the scholarship on May 14, 2024
6) I received the deposit directly into my UH account for the Fall 2024 semester on August 23, 2024
ASUH Study Abroad Award
This is one of the multiple scholarships offered by ASUH. ASUH offers multiple scholarships other than this one but I decided to apply to this one specifically because similarly to the STAR scholarship, it fit my situation and I felt like I could respond to the prompt well.
TIPS:
1) I did not know the amount I was going to receive until I received my award notification, but I assumed it was going to be around $1,000 because that's what the website says and I have applied to another ASUH scholarship in the past and received that amount
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I have friends who did the same and were awarded the same amount
2) Click here to view the criteria and eligibility requirements
3) ASUH is a great organization and is always trying to provide opportunities to students at UH so I HIGHLY reccommend that you take advantage of this
3) The deadline for this scholarship was February 15, 2024
5) I received the notification that I was awarded the scholarship on April 27, 2024
6) I received the deposit directly into my UH account for the Spring 2024 semester on June 26, 2024