Think study abroad is too expensive? Dont worry, there are financial aid and scholarships available for study abroad! For financial aid, please contact GWC’s Financial Aid department, by e-mail at:
Email: finaid@gwc.cccd.edu
Phone: (714) 895-8394
Website /gwcfao/
Please be sure to indicate that you’re seeking information about financial aid in regard to a Study Abroad program.
In addition to regular financial aid, which you can use to go abroad, there are also many scholarships available.
There are several types of scholarships.
Scholarships from your home institution
There are scholarships from your home institution. That would be Golden West, or OCC if you are attending one of their programs. In addition to scholarships that are available to all GWC students, a scholarship has been developed specifically for study abroad students.
- Golden West College Scholarships ( /scholarships/)
- OCC has scholarships available for anyone participating on an OCC program, even if you are not enrolled at OCC.
- The Coast Community College District is a member of CCIE (California Colleges for International Education). Information about various scholarship opportunities may be found atCCIEs scholarships and grants page ( http://ccieworld.org/grants-scholarships/ccie-institutional-grant/).
Scholarships offered by study abroad providers, who lead programs
There are scholarships offered by study abroad providers, who lead programs. For example, GWC works with ACCENT on our London trip, and they offer a $2000 scholarship! They have information about it on the London trip brochure, and you can contact them for details. Other providers offer scholarships for their programs, such as CIEE, IES Abroad, USAC, and Arcadia. Talk to a study abroad advisor in our office to learn more about going on one of these programs.
Location-specific scholarships
There are many scholarships offered to study a particular language, or in a particular country. Try searching online for scholarships in your language or country. Non-western European locations are more likely to have scholarships available. We have many databases below where you can find some location-specific scholarships.
Federal Scholarships
Federal Scholarships. These are federal scholarship programs. Some come with specific programs, like the Critical Language Scholarship, while others are funding for a program you choose, like the Gilman scholarship.
- Gilman Scholarship (talk to an advisor at Global and Cultural Programs for information on how to apply).
- You can study a critical language that is useful for our domestic security using a Critical Language Scholarshipfrom the Department of State. This will pay your airfare and all your expenses to go abroad to intensively study a critical language. Read more online and come in to speak to an advisor!
- Fund for Education Abroad: this is a great program that particularly wants community college students with financial need.
Private scholarships
Private scholarships. These are offered by businesses or nonprofits for study abroad. They have various eligibility requirements and scholarship requirements.
GRIT Scholars
Go Overseas $500 study abroad scholarship
