EA Scholarships
UNC Charlotte Education Abroad (EA) awards $50,000-$75,000 from endowed and other scholarships annually. Although there are numerous other funding opportunities, the scholarships detailed on this page are facilitated by EA.
ELIGIBILITY FOR EA SCHOLARShIPS
Scholarships managed by UNC Charlotte Education Abroad may only be applied to programs which award academic credit. Students may apply for multiple EA scholarships, but they can only accept one to apply to their study abroad program. EA scholarships cannot be applied towards Faculty-Led Fall Break or Spring Break programs.
Student Eligibility
Students must meet the following requirements at time of application:
- Undergraduate or Graduate (depending on EA Scholarship)
- Full-time student at UNC Charlotte
- 3.0 GPA minimum cumulative UNC Charlotte GPA (Exception: The Odyssean scholarship requires a 3.25)
- In good disciplinary standing
- Completion of Study Abroad 101
Recipients must meet the following requirements prior to departure and while abroad:
- Remain in good disciplinary standing
- Maintain the equivalent of full-time status at UNC Charlotte while abroad
There may be additional requirements that will vary per EA Scholarship in addition to the general requirements. Students who are eligible for more than one EA scholarship are able to apply for more than one, but can only receive one award.
EA SCHOLARSHIP APPLICATION CYCLES
EA Scholarships have one deadline per year, February 15th. Scholarship awards can then only be utilized in the Summer, Fall, or Spring semester following the deadline.
Students planning to study abroad Summer 2024, Fall 2024, Spring 2025 or Academic Year 2024-25:
- Deadline: February 15, 2024
- Exception: The Odyssean Scholarship deadline is March 15, 2024
HOW TO APPLY FOR EA SCHOLARSHIPS
To search for and apply for EA Scholarships, students will need to log into NinerScholar Portal and create a scholarship profile. NinerScholars will automatically match you to the scholarships you are eligible to apply for (based on your student information [e.g. GPA, major, etc.]).
Note:
- EA scholarships may have additional requirements that the NinerScholars system does not use to verify eligibility, so it is important to read the criteria for each individual scholarship carefully before applying.
- NinerScholars Portal is a university-wide scholarship database, and does not only list study abroad/EA scholarships.
- If you do not meet the GPA or other eligibility requirements, the EA scholarships will not appear in NinerScholars Portal, and you will be unable to apply for that scholarship.
- If you are a transfer student starting at UNC Charlotte in the fall semester, the EA scholarships will only appear once you have established a 3.0 or higher GPA at the end of the Fall semester.
- Remember: Students may apply for multiple EA scholarships, but they can only accept one to apply to their study abroad program.
Application requirements:
- Resume
- Two academic references
- Most up-to-date UNC Charlotte transcript (official or unofficial)
- Statement of purpose
- Advocacy plan
- Completion of the Study Abroad 101
- Odyssean Scholarship only: candidate meeting
More instructions regarding the aforemetioned requirements will be listed in NinerScholars Portal.
RECIPIENTS Requirements
Recipients of an EA Scholarship will complete the following requirements:
Prior to Departure:
- ‘Thank You’ letter addressed to the donor of the scholarship you were awarded, uploaded into the NinerScholars Portal.
Upon Return to UNC Charlotte:
Upon acceptance of a scholarship award, recipients will receive detailed instructions from EA on how to complete the following requirements:
- Submit two photos taken while abroad
- Submit one reflection essay
- Complete volunteer hours with UNC Charlotte Education Abroad
Grade Processing
Students awarded an EA Scholarship will not have their study abroad grades processed until the aforementioned requirements are complete. Volunteer hours can only be completed during the fall or spring semester, so grade processing may be delayed for students. Exceptions may be made for students who are graduating in a summer term.
DISBURSAL OF EA SCHOLARSHIP
The EA scholarship will be disbursed in accordance to Financial Aid policies and timelines at UNC Charlotte. This means that the scholarship will disburse at the beginning of the semester the student will be abroad, according to UNC Charlotte’s Academic Calendar – not when the student’s classes start at their host university abroad. The EA scholarship will first be applied to any balance on the recipient’s UNC Charlotte Student Account. If there is no balance on the recipient’s student account, it will then be disbursed to the student directly through direct deposit or in the form of a refund check.
Please note that payments due to EA are not listed on a student’s account, and can only be paid through the student’s EA application. Please review the financial aid page of our website for additional details on how you will receive and can use scholarship funds towards study abroad expenses.