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International Education

O'Dowd Hall, Room 328
586 Pioneer Drive
Rochester, MI 48309-4482
(location map)
(248) 370-2889
ie@oakland.edu

Office hours
Mon - Fri: 8 a.m. - 5 p.m.

Alex Zimmerman, Director
(248) 370-2843
azimmerman@oakland.edu

International Education

O'Dowd Hall, Room 328
586 Pioneer Drive
Rochester, MI 48309-4482
(location map)
(248) 370-2889
ie@oakland.edu

Office hours
Mon - Fri: 8 a.m. - 5 p.m.

Alex Zimmerman, Director
(248) 370-2843
azimmerman@oakland.edu

A person standing with a rolling luggage bag, watching a plane take off.

Paying for Your Experience

Global Engagement Office Scholarships

The Global Engagement Office offers scholarships to all students applying for any Oakland University approved study abroad program. Scholarships range from $500 - $1,500.

The scholarship application and deadlines for all Global Engagement Office Scholarships can be found on your study abroad application on Horizons once you choose a program.

The Scholarships awarded by the Global Engagement Office include the Alumni Association Study Abroad Scholarship; Hailey Brouillet Study Abroad Scholarship; James A. Sharp, Jr. and Tessie Baltrip Sharp Scholarship; and Oakland University Credit Union Study Abroad Scholarship.

OU Annual Scholarships

All students should also complete OU’s central application for annual scholarships. [link, https://oakland.scholarships.ngwebsolutions.com/Scholarships/Search] The application must be completed by March 1 for the upcoming academic year.

Other OU Scholarships

Various departments, schools, and colleges throughout the university also award study abroad scholarships.  For applications, directly contact the associated department.

Honors College - Donna and Walt Young Study Abroad Endowed Scholarship

Thanks to the generous support of Mr. Walt and Mrs. Donna Young, the Honors College offers study abroad scholarships to all Honors College students who will be in at least their second year in the program at the time of travel. The scholarships are offered three times a year (depending on time of travel) and applicants must satisfy requirements. Apply for the Donna and Walt Young Study Abroad Scholarship.

School of Business Administration

  • Catherine Tyler Memorial International Endowed Scholarship 
  • Patti Finnegan Sharf SBA Study Abroad Endowed Scholarship

If you’re an SBA student, contact: badgley@oakland.edu.

Partner Program Scholarships

Students studying abroad on programs through our program partners CIEE, USAC, GEO and JCMU are eligible for scholarships awarded by these organizations directly. The applications for these scholarships are found on your partner program application.

Financial Aid
  • If you want OU Financial Aid, complete your FAFSA [https://studentaid.gov/h/apply-for-aid/fafsa]. The FAFSA must be completed for each academic year you are a student at OU.
  • If you are studying abroad, your estimated cost of attendance will be increased to represent the full cost of your program. After you are accepted to your program, complete the Financial Aid Cost Worksheet. This is part of your study abroad application on Horizons.
  • Most of the basic Financial Aid packages you receive at OU can also be applied to your study abroad program. For details about how this will work in your case, contact the Financial Aid Office.
OU Scholarships

Apply for scholarships offered and awarded by the International Education Office for study abroad programs through the study abroad website as part of the study abroad application.

Search and apply for study abroad scholarships offered by other OU departments.

External Scholarships
Baden-Württemberg Stipendium

The Baden-Württemberg Stiftung supports the international exchange of students and young vocationally qualified people by awarding the Baden-Württemberg-STIPENDIUM. The program invites foreign scholarship holders to get to know Baden-Württemberg. The award is open to Oakland University students participating in the Hochschule Mannheim - University of Applied Sciences exchange program studying Mechanical Engineering.

Mannheim Exchange Program scholarship application

Benjamin A. Gilman International Scholarship

The Gilman Scholarship Program offers awards for undergraduate study abroad and was established by the International Academic Opportunity Act of 2000. This scholarship provides awards for U.S. undergraduate students who are receiving Federal Pell Grant funding at a two-year or four-year college or university to participate in study abroad programs worldwide.

Gilman Scholarship Website

Boren Awards for International Study

Boren Awards for summer, one-semester, or full academic year research or study abroad are available for students studying geographic areas, languages, and fields of study deemed critical to U.S. national security who are planning careers in government service. The Boren Awards are administered by the National Security Education Program, and award recipients must fulfill a service requirement of at least one year in a national security position within three years of graduation.

Boren Awards

CIEE Scholarship

Scholarships of $500 to $1500 are available through CIEE for OU students participating in numerous programs. 

CIEE Scholarships

Critical Language Scholarship Program

The Critical Language Scholarship Program encourages undergraduates, master's and doctoral-level students of all majors to apply for this seven-to-ten week program. The program provides foreign language instruction, and cultural experiences in thirteen critical need languages. This is a U.S. government effort to expand the number of Americans studying critical need foreign languages.

Critical Language Scholarship Program

Cultural Vistas Fellowship

The Cultural Vistas Fellowship affords underrepresented U.S. university students the unique opportunity to advance their career goals, develop global competencies and experience life in another culture.

Cultural Vistas Fellowship

Freeman-Asia Scholarship

The Freeman-Asia Scholarship accepts applicants from U.S. citizens, or permanent residents who are studying at a two- or four- year college or university and who demonstrate the need of financial assistance to study abroad in East or Southeast Asia. This scholarship provides need-base funding to assist with the cost of the study abroad program and related materials, such as airfare, books, living cost, etc.

Freeman-Asia Scholarship

Fulbright Scholarship - For Graduate Study Abroad

Fulbright Scholarship

Fulbright UK Summer Institute Scholarship for U.S. Undergraduates

The US-UK Fulbright Commission offers students a fantastic opportunity to be immersed in the study of British academia and culture via the Fulbright UK Summer Institutes programme. Enhance your leadership skills, develop knowledge and understanding of new subjects, and become an ambassador for the United Kingdom and the United States.

Fulbright UK Summer Institute Scholarship for Undergraduates

Fund for Education Abroad

The Fund for Education Abroad particularly encourages applications for students in language-immersion and/or service-learning programs, students pursuing study in non-traditional destinations, students with demonstrable financial need, and students who represent a group traditionally under-represented in education abroad.

Fund for Education Abroad

GEO Institutional Scholarships

Scholarships of $500 to $1500 are available through GEO for OU students participating numerous programs:

GEO Scholarships

Go Global Scholarship

BRIC Language Systems is committed to supporting language learning and education. As part of our passionate commitment to learning, we have created the BRIC Go Global Scholarship. This scholarship is awarded to the student who has the best understanding of the importance of language learning and its place in society. The winner will receive a $1,000 scholarship that will be awarded directly to the student and can be used for tuition, books, language classes, etc.

Go Global Scholarship

IIE Generation Study Abroad Travel Grants

IIE Generation Study Abroad Travel Grants will be made available for U.S. students from a broad range of backgrounds to make it possible for them to participate in academic, internship or service-learning experiences abroad. The scholarship program is intended to diversify study abroad and to encourage students to go abroad who would otherwise not participate in an international experience as part of their college education, especially in support of high-achieving, low-income students. The Travel Grants can be for travel to and from the country of study, and also within the region, enabling students to make the most of their international experience. IIE will offer 100 grants of $2,000 per student the first year. The program will provide a resource for Generation Study Abroad Commitment Partners from U.S. colleges and universities who complete their annual progress report as an opportunity to encourage supplementary funds to their students. 

IIE 

Japan-USA Bridging Scholarship

The Bridging Project offers scholarships to American undergraduate students participating in study-abroad programs in Japan. Funding from private foundations and major U.S. corporations, through donations to the nonprofit US-Japan Bridging Foundation, makes it possible to award about 100 scholarships each year to assist students with travel and living expenses they will incur while studying abroad in Japan for a semester or academic year. Applications are accepted twice a year for Bridging Scholarships.

Japan-USA Bridging Scholarship

JCMU Scholarship

Scholarships of $500 to $2500 per semester are available through JCMU for OU students participating in JCMU Programs.

JCMU Scholarship

Killam Fellowship Canada - Undergraduate Exchange

The Killam Fellowships Program provides an opportunity for exceptional undergraduate students from universities in Canada and the United States to spend either one semester or a full academic year as an exchange student in the other country. Students may participate in the program either as a direct exchange student (registering at their home university, paying their home fees, and attending the host university as an exchange visitor) or as a self-placed visiting student (applying for and registering at the host university, and paying host tuition fees).

The Killam Fellowships Program offers a cash award of $6,000 US for a one semester exchange ($12,000 US for the academic year), along with a health benefit plan.

Killam Fellowships

Toshizo Watanabe Study Abroad Scholarship Program

The Toshizo Watanabe Endowed Scholarship Fund provides financial assistance to Japanese and American undergraduate and graduate students pursuing study abroad program or international study in either the United States or Japan. A generous endowment gift of $10 million from Mr. Toshizo Watanabe to the U.S.-Japan Council makes it possible to award scholarships to students for whom international study would not be possible without financial support.

Toshizo Watanabe Study Abroad Scholarship Program

USAC Scholarship

Scholarships of $500 to $1,000 are available through USAC for OU students participating in numerous programs.

USAC Scholarships

Western Union Global Scholars Award

The Western Union Global Scholars Program provides awards of up to $10,000 to international students in the final or penultimate year of their bachelor’s degree program experiencing financial hardship that may prevent the completion of their studies.

Western Union Global Scholars Program

Billing

Billing for Faculty-Led Programs

You will be charged for tuition for the credits you are taking on your eBill at your normal rate of tuition.

The Program Fee for your program will be paid to OU on our MarketPlace payment system.

Billing for Exchange Programs

You will be charged for tuition for the credits you are taking on your eBill at your normal rate of tuition.

You will pay for your housing and additional costs on site.

Billing for CIEE, GEO, USAC, and JCMU programs

You will pay the Program Fee through your OU eBill. The total amount you pay will be the full cost of your program, including tuition. Please note that although “Tuition” and other expenses may be itemized twice on your eBill, you are not being double charged. Reference the total amount due on your eBill and compare it to the cost of your program.