the complete guide to

funding
student
travel Table of Contents
WELCOME
How to Actually Pay for Traveling the World on a

Student Budget........................................................................................................3
TRAVEL SCHOLARSHIPS
Looking for Study Abroad Scholarships? The COMPLETE Guide...........6

Even MORE Travel Scholarships and Resources.........................................8

FUNDRAISING
How to Raise Money for a Trip Fast: 14 Killer Tips....................................10

10 Meaningful Travel Fundraising Ideas.......................................................12

USE LOANS
The 411 on Student Loans for Travel...............................................................14

Best Practices When Asking the Parentals for Money to Travel...........16

USE SAVINGS
How to Save for Meaningful Travel.................................................................18

GET INVOLVED
Our Contributors...................................................................................................20
An Initiative to Make Travel More Accessible
Questions & Comments.......................................................................................22
 1) Make a cost estimate of your travels
It is important to make a financial plan when
saving to travel the world. Before you even start
browsing programs abroad, know your budget
range and stick to it. Adventure tourism
programs have a wide range of costs and it is
possible to find cheap travel abroad programs.
Before blindly sending in your deposit, make sure
to consider all of the following expenses.
Extras. Let’s be real. Even if you are the
minimalist type who hates buying souvenirs,
you WILL buy Thai pants. Don’t deny it. Also,
keep into account the little details such as ATM
fees, exchange rates, and sim cards.
So now that you understand some basic expenses
you wonder, “How will I fund my trip abroad?”
Get out that travel fund jar and take some notes
on how to fund a trip abroad!

Flights! This will likely be the most expensive 2) Choose one (or two.. or all!) of the
part of your trip. If you are flexible on your following strategies to cover the cost of
arrival and departure dates, you could end up
your student travel.
saving a few hundred bucks. Try using websites
like Skyscanner or Scott’s Cheap Flights to check
• Travel scholarships
the cheapest days to fly and save some money for
• Fundraising
travel.
• Get loans
• Use your savings

how to actually pay for

Country type. Countries come in all different
• Get hit by a car and collect the insurance
shapes and prices and you need to know how to
(Juuuuust kidding please do not do that)
fund. A trip to Europe will likely be more
expensive than a trip to southeast Asia. Check
out the cost of living in the area that you are

traveling the world on heading to so that you can get an idea of what
day-to-day costs will look like.

Program type. What kind of adventure are you

a student budget planning? Finding cheap travel abroad programs

is simple if you stay open minded. Volunteering
or doing a homestay could also save you a bit of
money.

Program inclusions. Does your program include

H
“ ow the heck am I going to cover my costs for
travel?” is a thought that goes through you
wanderlusting mind as you plan to embark on
your overseas adventure. You are constantly
distracted by your checklist of what needs to get
done to go abroad and you inevitably can’t help
but stress about money for travel. As you narrow
down your to-dos by deciding a location,
obtaining a passport and a visa, booking your
flight, and updating your daily countdown, your
heart flutters as the time gets nearer. What will
you eat? What animals will you see? Will you
learn the language? Will you make new friends?!
Although getting caught up in all of the hype
of planning is making you seem like an
over-caffeinated puppy, there is one teeny tiny
detail that needs to be brought up when going
abroad that may make you cringe: mula, money,
dinero, dolla bills. So bust out that travel fund jar
and start saving for a trip of a lifetime!
GOABROAD.COM |3
meals, accommodation, transportation, visas, or
health insurance? Many do! So research,
research, RESEARCH! Otherwise you will need to
add those to your list of expenses as well.
Program length. When it comes to budget, you
will need to be practical about how long you are
going to be able to travel. Obviously, the longer
the trip, the more you will spend. Weigh the
importance of money vs. time.
GOABROAD.COM |4
 Looking for
Study Abroad
Scholarships?
The COMPLETE Guide
By Raquel Thoesen

travel Commonly cited barrier to study abroad: Cost.

Just a bit of careful planning and a little extra
effort invested into applying for the right study

scholarships
Solution: Study abroad funding.
BAM, problem solved. Now start applying and
confidently pursue your globetrotting, soul
searching dreams with full pockets.
Uncover the secrets of study abroad funding
stretching as far as the eye can see, over the
rainbow, and all the way over to your study
abroad destination. Even if you already have your
world adventure covered by personal funding
or other international scholarships, picking up
some additional study abroad scholarships here
and there will help alleviate airfare costs and
make up for a potentially pricier cost of living. A
disadvantageous currency exchange rate, hidden
study abroad program fees, and an inability to
work abroad hike up costs higher than what you
may budget back home.
abroad scholarships can make the difference
between pinching pesos and splurging on
spontaneous weekend explorations. With
mountains of specialized study abroad funding
sitting around, crying out for financially savvy
students to claim it, studying abroad has never
been easier.
In this guide on study abroad scholarships, you'll
find info on...
• Popular study abroad scholarships
• International scholarships
• Merit based study abroad scholarships
• Foreign exchange student scholarships
• Minority study abroad scholarships
• Summer study abroad scholarships
• As well as the 411 on study abroad
loans, study abroad grants, study abroad
fellowships, and study abroad fundraising
ideas.

Let's get started!

GOABROAD.COM |5 GOABROAD.COM |6
 Even MORE travel
About study abroad scholarships 1. Fund for Education Abroad

If you’re just starting your research journey, you’ll This spiffy scholarship is suited for most study
be surprised to find the sheer range in abroad participants of all backgrounds and

scholarships & resources

international scholarships available. There are majors, although the Fund for Education Abroad
awards amounts ranging from a few hundred especially vibes well with traditionally under-
dollars to full-rides covering everything from represented students in study abroad (this in-
airfare to a monthly stipend. With study abroad cludes first-gen college students and community
scholarships celebrating diversity abroad, college students). Apart from the posted award
merit, advocating underrepresented regions, and sums, grantees are automatically considered for
encouraging students of distinct majors (that’s additional add-on scholarships, so you can cash
scratching the surface), you’re guaranteed to find in even more depending on your personal traits, Need help applying for scholarships? Need intern abroad scholarships?
an award for which you qualify. study abroad destination, and home region.
• 7 Best Practices for Travel Scholarship Global Experiences Global Leardership
While the competition can be intimidating, • Degree Level: Undergraduate Applications Scholarship
especially for more generous international • Award: • [VIDEO] How to Use Travel Scholarships to • Who: 1st generation college student active
scholarships, planning ahead and putting your Up to $10,000 for academic year Make Your Adventures Come to Life in promoting women’s empowerment in the
best foot forward will make you as competitive $5,000 for semester • How to Get Scholarships to Study Abroad workplace
minimum of $1,250 for summer Without Wasting Your Time • What: Internship abroad
an applicant as anyone else. Deadlines can creep
• Deadline: January 10, 2018 • Amount: $2,500
up much sooner than you think, sometimes even
before you apply for a study abroad program, so • How to Apply Need volunteer abroad scholarships?
Robert Bosch Foundation Fellowship
we can’t emphasize enough how vital it is to do
2. Benjamin A. Gilman International • Who: Americans
your research early! Genuine, well-thought out GVI Trust Scholarship • What: Professional program in Germany
essays will make you shine as a unique person Scholarship
• Who: 18+ • Amount: Fully funded fellowship!
and highlight your personality and motivations • What: Volunteer abroad
for scholarship programs to study abroad. The U.S. Department of State’s Gilman Interna-
• Amount: $2,500
Judging committees can 100% tell when an tional Scholarship’s purpose is to dissolve the Looking for diversity scholarships?
application is carelessly slapped together. financial hurdle that many students face when
Volunteer Forever Travel Scholarship
considering study abroad. Thousands of students Gilman International Scholarship
• Who: YOU
receive the Gilman award every year, so there is • Who: Recipients of Federal Pell Grant
Funding study abroad plenty of intern and study abroad funding to go
• What: Volunteer abroad
• Amount: $500-$1,000 • What: Study abroad
around. • Amount: $5,000
Free money is a beautiful thing that most people
generally appreciate, so instead of limiting Omprakash Ethical Global Engagement
• Degree Level: Undergraduate
Grants Rainbow Scholarship
yourself to one or two applications, we’ll dish out • Award: $5,000 • Who: Student who identifies as LGBTIQ
all the big goods. Here are just a few popular • Who: Volunteers with Omprakash partners
• Deadline: • What: Study abroad
categories of scholarships for study abroad: • What: Volunteer abroad
(Spring) October 3, 2017 • Amount: Up to $10,000
• Amount: Up to $2,500
(Summer) March 6, 2018
Top 2 Popular Study Abroad Scholarships (Fall) TBA FEA Scholarships
• How to Apply Need gap year scholarships? • Who: U.S. citizens and permanent residents
The big names out there include a mix of • What: Study abroad
prestigious government awards boasting long KEEP READING FOR MORE STUDY Carpe Diem Education Scholarships • Amount: Up to $10,000
histories and well-known scholarship programs ABROAD SCHOLARSHIPS • Who: Carpe Diem participants
to study abroad funded by international • What: Gap year abroad HBCU Scholarships
education organizations. Apart from a plump • Amount: Up to $5,000 • Who: IES Abroad participants at HBCUs
monetary prize, you’ll also receive the fancy • What: Study abroad
recognition associated with these programs. Global Citizen Year Awards • Amount: $2,000
• Who: Global Citizen Year Fellows
• What: Gap year abroad
GOABROAD.COM |7 • Amount: Varies per scholarship GOABROAD.COM |8
 How to Raise
Money for
a Trip Fast:
14 Killer Tips
By Joe Santini

fundraising
Every year, millions of people suffer from a
financially debilitating condition known as
wanderlust. Side effects include itchy feet,
impulsive #throwbackthursday posts, and an
interest in listicles. If you have been diagnosed,
know that you are not alone. Seriously though,
why is travel so dang expensive! How am I
supposed to know how to raise money for a trip
to Europe if I can barely afford a croissant?
Trip fundraising has the tendency to get
sidelined in our busy lives. So, I’ve compiled a
bunch of creative ways outside of your day job to
teach you how to raise money fast for a trip fast.
Please note that crowdfunding websites are not
recommended unless you’re volunteering abroad.
It’s kind of cringey to ask people to pay for you
to chill out and take photos of smoothie bowls.
Okay, let’s get started.
Here are a few ways to raise money
for a trip fast...
Like… Tokyo Drift fast.
1. Sell Your Sh*t
You’re probably sitting on a fat stack of cash
without even realizing it. Seriously, your
unwanted furniture, books, and clothes could
cover round trip flights to New Zealand if you do
it right! Selling online is a coastal breeze with
websites like eBay, Craigslist, and even Facebook.
Depending on the length of your trip, you could
sell some more valuable items like kitchen
appliances or your car for a guaranteed cushion
of cash. Besides, minimalism is pretty trendy
right now! Just don’t let your mom give away
your Disney VHS tapes. Those were probably
worth something, Karen!
2. Offer private lessons
Do you play an instrument? Maybe you’re a whizz
at second languages? Basically, if you’re
skillful in any interesting activity or discipline,
you should offer lessons to teach it. There’s no
shame in earning a profit when transferring
valuable skills and just because you’re not a
prodigy doesn’t make you unqualified.

GOABROAD.COM |9 GOABROAD.COM |10

Find out how to raise money for a college trip by
spending a few free afternoons teaching lessons.
You can fill your wallet faster than an 8 year old
can learn piano! Just don’t tell his parents that.
Make a flyer, be upfront with your skill-level, then
post it on message boards online or around your
university. “A+” for effort.
3. Room for rent
If you’re a homeowner, congrats! That’s an
achievement in itself. Better yet, if you have a
spare room, you should rent it out. It’s the best
know-how to raise money fast for a trip and all
you have to do is share. If you’re an apartment
dweller with an extra bedroom, be sure to check
with your property manager first.
Sure, it’s a bit of a sacrifice for those who like
their remote EXACTLY where they left it, but
roomies can be a ton of fun. You can list a
property pretty quickly online and a subletter
is a great way to have incoming funds during
your time abroad. This means you can order
that second beer AND know your ficus is
being watered!
4. Done like a dinner
Fundraising ideas for trips should be fun and
unique. A creative way to raise money for a trip
fast is by hosting a dinner party with friends and
family. Attempt to cook traditional dishes from
your future host country(ies) as a way to pique
excitement and offer a taste of the trip to come.
Hungarian goulash? How bout some homemade
Pho? Who cares! People freakin’ love food and
your network will likely be happy to a good meal
for some financial backing is a fair trade. Choose
a reasonable yet lucrative admission price then
preheat that oven cause your bank account is
heating up!
5. A lil’ somethin’ something on
the side
Even with a full-time job, freelancing is an
excellent way to stretch those pockets. If you can
dedicate extra hours or the occasional weekend
to new brands or clients, then do it! There’s a
number of straight-forward websites that let you
list out your skills and showcase a portfolio for
freelance work. Hobbies like photography and meaningful travel
creative writing may just become your newest
money-making thingy.
fundraising ideas
6. Pitch the press
If your next adventure is a pre-planned cultural
extravaganza with enough thrills for an Indiana
Create a fundmytravel campaign
Jones reboot, why not pitch some of experiences
to your local media? Newspapers and stations
usually have a budgets for guest contributions
Send letters to family & friends
and the travel industry is evergreen.
By offering photos, videos, or written pieces of run for a cause (your trip)
your travels, you may just offset some costs
before, during, or after your trip. We live in a
world where content is king and just about every
blog, station, or publication is looking for some
Donate plasma!
quality stories.
7. Early Christmas host a can & bottle drive
The best way to raise money for a trip fast is to
expedite the holiday generosity of your loved sell your old books
ones. It’s not as sacrilegious as it sounds, so
hear me out. Rather than waiting until
November or December, try asking friends and
family for monetary contributions to your trip in
just have a garage sale
lieu of presents.
Trading in future gifts, even birthday presents,
sell your car
for some present-day paper benefits everybody.
It takes the guessing game out of gift giving, you
get money now, and they save money later. host a trivia night and sell tix
KEEP READING FOR MORE IDEAS
THAT PUT THE FUN BACK IN
steal the declaration of independence
FUNDRAISING
GOABROAD.COM |11
 The 411 on
Student Loans
for
Study Abroad
By Elizabeth Kotz

Get loans Can I get a student loan to study abroad?

The cost of college can really add up when you
attend a school within the United States, and
expenses can grow even more if you make the
choice to study abroad. But can you really put a
price on the wide-ranging benefits of
international education programs? For students
who study abroad, the opportunities to grow both
personally and professionally as an international
student are as invaluable as they are endless. So,
how can you balance your need for
affordability with your desire to take advantage
of all the world has to offer? Do study abroad
loans exist and how can I get one?
Thankfully, there are number of financial aid
options available for students who want to study
abroad at some point in their academic career,
including student loans for study abroad (yes,
there really is such a thing!). While the prospect
of taking out more student loans or expanding
your current financial aid options may seem
daunting at first, remember that the rewards of
study abroad are worth any extra time and effort.
GOABROAD.COM |13
How to Have Financial Success as a
Study Abroad Student
Always do your research early on to determine
the necessary steps you need to take to properly
finance your study abroad experience. Factor in
the money you’ve saved, the money you will need
for tuition, and the inevitable extra costs
associated with additional travel and personal
daily expenses. Living in another country
requires you to prepare for the unexpected, and
the unexpected can get expensive! Make sure you
gather your existing funds and know how much
you’ll need to spend on a daily basis before you
even consider study abroad loans.
After you’ve pooled your funds and looked at
your expected budget, there are plenty of student
loans for study abroad for you to explore,
provided you do your homework ahead of time
(there are application deadlines for student
loans!). Study abroad loans will help you put
some extra breathing room in your budget.
GOABROAD.COM |14

There are all sorts of student loans for study
abroad, and each one has its own payment plan,
interest rate, and financing options. For example,
federal financial aid, which many students use of
Seeking a loan from
They may also be used to pay for
education-related costs, such as dependent
care or necessary technology (i.e. a laptop).

the bank of mom & dad?

while attending university in their home country, Thousands of academic institutions across the
consist of loans, grants, scholarships, and United States offer students the opportunity to
work-study funding. participate in Federal Financial Aid programs.
And thousands of students are eligible to utilize

“Research each loan this funding to pay for education-related

expenses abroad. Here is an overview of the four
DON’T: Compare yourself to a sibling
option you come direct loans for study abroad offered by the
federal government through this program:
If you’re looking for ma & pa to chip in and
across to you to find make your travel dreams a reality, you’ll need
to make a compelling argument—and
Unless you can 100 percent guarantee that YOU
are the favorite child, this could too easily
the best study abroad
• Direct subsidized loans - for undergraduates
who have financial need
possibly a repayment plan—in order to backfire. Especially if your sibling is a: doctor,
convince them to help you out. Here are a lawyer, congressperson, big Hollywood producer,
loan for your financial • Direct unsubsidized loans - for graduates,
professionals, and undergraduates who don’t few do’s and don’ts for asking your parents to or any generally successful human person

and personal needs.” •

have financial need
Direct PLUS loans - for graduates,
help you out. completely financially independent of your
parents. Don’t push it, Chad.

If using student loans for study abroad scares the
crap out of you, keep in mind that it isn’t the only
way to take care of the sometimes high costs of
life as an international student. You can always
check out scholarships for study abroad to
get your feet wet in the pool of
funding options. Scholarships are an ideal option
for students with more wanderlust than spare
cash (or a good credit score). Think about this as
free money since you don’t have to pay it back. A
few well-written essays can go far!
Once you’ve determined which student loans are
best suited for your personal financial needs and
your specific study abroad program, it’s time to
get down to the business of applying.
professionals, and parents of dependent
undergraduates to help pay for expenses that
other financial aid doesn’t cover
• Direct consolidation loans - for those who
qualify for multiple federal student loans.
Additionally, state and local government
agencies, universities and colleges, private
companies, and nonprofit organizations can all
help students fund study abroad through student
loans. Private student loans are available
whether you study abroad for part or all of your
degree. You may apply for a private student loan
through a bank, credit union, your school or a
state agency.
It’s VERY important to remember that you’ll be
DO: Dress to impress
If you were asking the bank for a loan, you
wouldn’t rock socks + sandals at that meeting,
would you? Probs not.
Show your parents some ding-dang respect, tuck
in your shirt, and comb your hair. They raised you
better and they know it—so show it.
DON’T: Mooooney pleeeeeease
Mona Lisa is the wooooooorst. Do not take this
page from her book. It will not work. It is
annoying, unflattering, and just generally pretty
uncool. If you’re asking your parents for financial
help you should take it—and them—seriously.
DO: Show them pictures of your
study abroad city
You: Look Ma, I’m going back to the homeland!
Her: Oh sweetie, that’s so nice! Here’s $4,000.
DON’T: Show them pictures of people
partying in your study abroad city
They’ve seen “Taken” too many times and if you
show them photos of drunk people they’re just
going to talk about “Taken” or that last “Dateline”
special or So-and-So’s niece who was mugged
last year in Barcelona so you’ll never be allowed
to leave home, eat your peas.

What types of study abroad loans

are available?
The federal government offers several financial
aid programs through the U.S. Department of
Education, which provides more than 15
million students with about $150 billion per year
in low-interest student loans, grants, and
work-study funds. These funds cover educational
expenses such as books and supplies, room and
board, fees and tuition, and even transportation.
responsible for paying back not only the amount
you borrowed, but also an additional interest rate
(your cost of borrowing). You will need to plan
ahead so that you get the best student loan rate.
KEEP READING FOR EVERYTHING
YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT LOANS
FOR STUDY ABROAD
GOABROAD.COM |15
DO: Have goals for your travels
And no, partying in Europe does not count. How
are you going to show that your study abroad
experience is a good investment for your
parents? What goals will you accomplish? What
is their ROI? Will it help you in your career? How?
Take the time to really think through why you’re
doing this. It will be good practice for scholarship
and fellowship applications.
DO: Thank them for giving you life
Because you’ve probably been a real pain-in-the-
you-know-what for a few years here and there,
and most parents do the best they can and
deserve a million thanks.
GOABROAD.COM |16
 THe Down-low
on saving for
international
travel
By Megan Lee

use your Time to dust off the old travel fund jar and make
Get even more in-depth advice in these articles,

savings
catered towards different styles of student
some deposits. Although donations are travel:
wonderful, it is ultimately up to you to save up for
your adventure to travel the world. Open a • Paying for Internships Abroad: Your New
savings account that is separate from any How-To Guide
other current accounts that you have. Set a dollar • Paying for Your Degree Abroad: Student
amount for how much you will save each day, Loans, Savings, & More
week, or month. This is your travel fund, not your • How to Cover Your Gap Year Cost
“I need new shoes though” fund. Start saving and • Save Now for Your Study Abroad
make it happen! If you don’t have much Adventure Later
disposable income at the moment, try to get a
part time job, second part time job, or even a third
part time job. Every little bit of cash adds up and
soon your travel funding will be exploding with
mula.

Goals, goals, goals. Do you really need to eat out

five times a week? Do you even use that gym
membership? It’s a bit excessive to have Hulu,
Amazon Prime, and Netflix. Get rid of things in
life that you don’t need and try to live a more
minimalist lifestyle so that you can save to travel.
If it’s really your goal to get abroad, it is crucial to
start saving to travel the world.

GOABROAD.COM |17 GOABROAD.COM |18

 Our Contributors
Raised in a multicultural family in the colorful Chicago suburbs,

If all else fails?

Raquel Thoesen’s greatest joy is gallivanting around the world, and learning
about its endless cultures, languages, and foodie treasures. With a degree from
Arizona State University in hand, Raquel taught English abroad in Germany
through the Fulbright program. Now she’s back home in the desert working at
a local peanut butter company, picking up eccentric hobbies in her spare time.

Get hit by a car and

collect insurance $$$. Joe Santini emits a distinct enthusiasm that echoes across borders. Having
recently graduated from Colorado State University with a bachelor’s in business
marketing, Joe spent much of his undergraduate career pursuing a worldly
perspective, whether that was studying abroad in Prague, mentoring exchange
students, or co-founding CSU’s first international business organization. Joe
aspires to learn how to surf, fight crime, and find the world’s best milkshake.

Just kidding. Please do not do that.

Elizabeth Kotz’s feet were itchy from day one. In fact, as a baby, she once nearly
rolled off the changing table in an early attempt to hit the ground running. She
has lived as a student in Germany and Poland, and also worked in South Korea
teaching English. While saving her pennies for a trip to Croatia via the
Trans-Siberian Railway, Beth satisfies her cravings for international adventure
via spy novels and foreign documentaries with pretentious subtitles.

Megan Lee is an international educator, traveler, and writer. After leading study
abroad programs in Asia, the South Pacific, and East Africa, she now is the
Director of GoAbroad.com.

GOABROAD.COM |19 GOABROAD.COM |24

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