FAQ

Am I eligible for an FEA scholarship? Can exceptions be made for the eligibility requirements? 

Please check our eligibility page. If you do not fit these qualifications, you are not eligible for an FEA scholarship. To ensure our process remains fair, we do not make any exceptions to these requirements. 

I missed the deadline. Can I still submit my application? 

No. We are unable to grant any individual extensions, no matter the reason. If a technical glitch occurs that affects all applicants, we will consider extending the deadline for a short period of time. If so, we will notify all applicants via the email they provided on their application. 

Do I need to receive a Pell Grant or other financial aid to apply for an FEA scholarship? 

No. While financial need is an important component of our application, we do not require applicants to receive financial aid to apply. 

Can I submit my university’s financial aid form or my FAFSA Student Aid Report instead of FEA’s financial aid form? What if my financial aid package for my study abroad term has not been finalized?

No. We will only consider applicants that have submitted FEA’s financial aid form. If you have exceptional circumstances and are unable to submit FEA’s form, please email FEA

Our Financial Aid form indicates that your financial aid office can provide your aid package information for the most recent academic year. For example, if you are applying for a scholarship to study abroad in Summer, Fall, or for the Academic Year, our application is due in January; we are aware that financial aid award packages for those terms are not typically determined until later in the Spring semester. Therefore, your financial aid office would provide your award information for the current academic year.

Who should I ask to write my recommendation? What should my recommendation letter tell you about me?

We strongly suggest you ask a professor or direct supervisor, but we also accept letters of recommendation from advisors, coaches, commanding officers, and high school teachers. No letters of recommendation by family members, friends or peers will be accepted.

Your letter of recommendation writer can address why you are deserving of a scholarship; why you are a good candidate for study abroad; your ability to meet the blogging requirements of FEA Scholarship awards; and any other things your recommender would like for us to know about you as we consider you for a scholarship award.

My recommender didn’t receive an email from Kaleidoscope/can’t login to upload their letter. What should they do? 

Please direct your recommender to email FEA

My recommender didn’t submit their letter in time. Can I still submit my application? 

No. Unfortunately, we are unable to accept incomplete applications, and all materials must be submitted before the deadline for your application to be considered.

What are the application essay questions?

Essay 1: Please describe your intended study abroad program. Why have you chosen this program and how do you anticipate that it will build on your previous experience and support your future goals? Please be specific

Essay 2: Studying abroad is often challenging, requiring participants to be open-minded and persevere in sometimes isolating circumstances. Please describe a personal experience in which you were similarly challenged to demonstrate these qualities.

I submitted my application. When will I hear back about a decision?

Our review process takes approximately 8 to 9 weeks once the application has closed. If you submitted a fall, summer, or academic year application, you can expect to hear back in March. If you submitted a spring application, you can expect to hear back in November.

When do future applications open? 

  • Spring 2023: CLOSED
  • Summer/Fall 2023 & Academic Year 2023-2024: CLOSED
  • Spring 2024: July 3, 2023 – September 20, 2023