Plan your 2026 semester or summer abroad!

 

 Apply Now - October 1 Due Date

The Honors College wants to see you study abroad this year and next! For Spring 2026, Summer 2026 and Fall 2026 we are providing up to $70,000 in scholarships for students who want to attend programs to study, intern, or do community projects around the world.

This scholarship program is specifically designed with mentorship in mind. We will help you:

  • pick a study abroad program based on your interests.
  • approach the study abroad process and think about how you will grow from it.
  • write your scholarship application.
  • apply early, so that you can meet all due dates and maximize potential scholarship opportunities.

The Honors Study Abroad Scholarship will provide students with:

  • up to $1000 scholarship for 1- to 3-week program.
  • up to $1500 scholarship for 3-week or longer programs
  • up to $2000 scholarship for programs that have students do independent research or an internship for academic credit
*Honors College scholarship funds will be processed in the semester of travel. Scholarships cannot be awarded beyond a student’s cost of attendance, which includes program fees, tuition, airfare, and living expenses.

Requirements: 

1) Workshop attendance: Student must participate in our mentorship program, which starts before your application is submitted. Before applying, students must attend:
  • Picking a study abroad program and essay writing workshop (3 sessions offered each fall).
  • After being selected, students must participate in an intercultural Competency assessment quiz workshop before they travel. This test will help you prepare to travel abroad and assess how you've grown following your program.

2) Submit scholarship application to Honors College via Scholarship Hub (see section below).

3) Apply to UT San Antonio IEF: In order to receive Honors College funding, students must also apply to the UT San Antonio Study Abroad Office International Education Fund, which also provides additional funding. This application is very similar to our Honors award and applying to both will not require too much additional time.

4) Students must present at the Experiential Learning Fair within one year of your program. 

Further Incentives

Students who also apply for one of the opportunities below will also receive additional funding from the Honors College. Students must coordinate scholarship submission and receive advising and essay review before submission through The UT San Antonio  Office of Nationally Competitive Awards. Students must apply to one of the following:

You don’t need to win one of these awards to receive extra scholarship funds from the Honors College. Simply apply.  We have designed the Honors scholarship essay questions to be very similar to these other awards. We highly encourage students to apply to the Gilman Scholarship. Students can apply to Gilman up to one year in advance of their program and can apply up to two times to the award if they submit early (Apply in October for Spring, Summer, and Fall programs; Apply in March for Summer, Fall and Spring programs of the following year).

Additional Eligibility

  • Students must be a member in the Honors College.
  • Final scholarship amounts cannot exceed the overall cost of attendance + travel.
  • Students must be in an academic study abroad, internship, service learning, or research program. Program must be credit bearing, either by transfer or course offered by UT San Antonio.* Independent travel outside of a structured program that is not for academic credit is not eligible.
  • Scholarship awardees must comply with all requirements, regulations, and policies established by UT San Antonio Education Abroad.
  • Students can be in any year, from their first year to the year they graduate. Students cannot accept the award to travel after graduation. 
  • Must have 2.5 GPA, as required by UT San Antonio Education Abroad, or higher, depending on program.
  • Students must apply to the UT San Antonio International Education Fund ( https://global.utsa.edu/education-abroad/student-directory/Study-Abroad-Funding/Study-Abroad-Funding.html), which provides additional funding. 
  • Upon acceptance to the study abroad program, students must submit all required paperwork to the Study Abroad Office, including the Study Abroad Financial Aid Request form.
  • Student must attend the program to have the scholarship disburse or attend similar program in the case of cancellation.
  • This award cannot be applied to students from the Top Scholar Program, which already provides study abroad enrichment funding. Students in the Terry Scholar Program and Texas Leadership Scholars are eligible to apply, but must work with Honors College Special Programs to disclose any awards received.

*Course Credit: Students who need to earn university credit for Internship, Service Learning, or other programs that do not issue credit may discuss with their Academic Advisor if their major will allow for internships to count for academic credit. 

Picking a Program

In order to apply for the scholarship and further incentives, you need to have picked a program. It's ok if you are applying to the study abroad itself program later. Students are encouraged to use this opportunity to diversify their course of study beyond your major. You are not required to study abroad in the field of your major. Study abroad would be a fantastic opportunity to add a minor in languages or explore new fields in humanities and social sciences to complement science and business degrees. In your application, you will be writing about your program choice and how it will help you grow.

Listed below are some programs across disciplines that we think will be super impactful to build your resume, however, if you want to pick your own program, you are still be eligible to apply. Featured programs include research, internship, and service opportunities:

Short-term Programs

  • Honors College Costa Rica Program already has discounted program fee, reducing the program fee to $500. Students attending the CR Honors Program cannot apply to the planning award. Students are encouraged to apply to International Education Fund and Gilman Scholarship, which can pay for tuition, remaining program fee, and other travel expenses

Semester Programs

Summer Programs

Application Process

In order to apply for the Honors College Study Abroad Scholarship, students must have picked a study abroad program. The student does not need to have applied yet to the program.

Students must submit:

  • Scholarship Hub application
  • A statement of purpose (1-2 pages). In your essay, be specific in describing your reasons for studying abroad as it pertains to your specific study abroad program. Our application question is directly taken from the Gilman Scholarship for study abroad. Further advice on writing your essay can be found here:
  • Budget information about your program.

Please address the questions below in essay form, in no particular order:

  • Describe your program: what will you be doing on the program? What classes will you take? What activities will you do? How is the country you are traveling to related to your program topic?
  • How will studying or interning abroad help you achieve your future academic or professional goals?
  • Why did you select your specific program and host country? What is it about the host country that makes it the right place to travel to? Does the host country relate to your future academic or professional goals? 
  • How are you academically or professionally prepared to be a successful scholar abroad? What examples of knowledge, skills, and experiences will you draw on to meet the challenges of going abroad?

The Honors Study Abroad Scholarship Application has two cycles of selection. 

  • In the fall it opens in mid-August and has a September 30 deadline. This cycle is for programs running in Spring, Summer and Fall of the following year.
  • In the spring it opens in mid-December and closes on February 15. This cycle is for programs running in Summer, Fall and Spring of the following year. 
  • Note that further incentive programs may have different deadlines.

For questions, please visit the Experiential Learning Lab or contact and academic counselor. For assistance with external scholarship applications (Ex. Gilman Scholarship), please contact Andrew.Chapman2@utsa.edu.

UTSA Honors College graphic

Opportunities within the Honors College

The Honors College offers students the opportunity to participate in a number of different programs to further expand knowledge, especially in the realms of professional development, leadership development, and public service. Special programs are fully integrated into the Honors College curriculum, making credit transfer simple and ensuring that students are working toward Honors requirements.