UCEAP Scholarship FAQs
Q: Does UCEAP offer Scholarships?
A: Yes, scholarships and aid for UCEAP are distributed each year at UC campuses and through the UCEAP Scholarship program. UCEAP offers many scholarships and will award a total of at least $500,000 in new scholarships annually for three years, beginning in 2012-2013. Check with your study abroad office to find out more about campus programs.
Q: Do I have to qualify for financial aid to be considered for a UCEAP Scholarship?
A: No. UCEAP scholarships are primarily based on merit, though financial need will be taken into account when applications are reviewed. The scholarship application will ask if you have financial need. You may answer yes if you are eligible for financial aid, which may include scholarships, grants, or loans from your campus or outside sources. We will not evaluate the level of funding you have received or planned to receive in determining our awards, but we reserve the right to confirm that you qualify for aid.
Q: How will a scholarship impact my financial aid package?
A: Notification of your scholarship will be sent to your home Financial Aid Office, and taken into account when packaging your financial aid, in the same way that all other scholarships are considered. For more information, please contact your UC Financial Aid Office.
Q: Who is eligible for a UCEAP Scholarship?
A: All UC students participating on a UCEAP program are eligible to apply for a scholarship.
In order to be awarded a scholarship, you must meet the following criteria:
1. Be currently enrolled at UC.
2. Be planning to attend a UCEAP study abroad program and ultimately be selected for it.
3. Meet the eligibility requirements for the program you are planning to attend.
4. Maintain good standing, which includes completing all pre-departure requirements and meeting all deadlines set by UCEAP and your campus EAP office.
5. If you receive a scholarship, you must be willing to submit a 2-page report, along with any appropriate photos and video, to the UCEAP Systemwide office within a month of the official end of the UCEAP program. This report should describe your experiences while abroad and how study abroad affected you. These materials may be used by UCEAP in publications.
The award selections will be primarily based on academic merit and integration of a selected UCEAP program into a student’s academic and career goals, as demonstrated in a personal statement. Students with financial need or who are traditionally under-represented in UCEAP programs should include the impact these elements have had on their decision to study abroad. Under-represented students include those who have transferred to UC from a California community college or state university, veterans, first-generation college students, and STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math) majors.
Q: How much money is available?
A: Scholarship amounts depend primarily on the length of time you will spend abroad. Scholarships for Summer programs will be $1,000. Scholarships for Fall and Spring departures (including quarter, semester, and year options) will be $2,000. Two awards of $2,500 are available in the Jasmine Jahanshahi Scholarship. Nominations for the Jasmine Jahanshahi Scholarship will come from applications to the UCEAP scholarship program.
If you plan to study abroad for a year, you are eligible for the the Duttenhaver and Dan Wise Scholarships. These are awards of $5,000, and you can receive a Duttenhaver or Dan Wise award in addition to a UCEAP scholarship of $2,000. You must apply through your campus for the Duttenhaver & Dan Wise awards. Please note that these scholarships have different deadlines and requirements than the UCEAP online scholarship application.
Q: What are my chances of receiving an award?
A: This depends on the number of scholarship applications received. During the application cycle for students studying abroad in the Summer, Fall, and Northern Hemisphere Academic Year of 2012-13, 16% of completed applications were awarded scholarships. The average award was $1,731. Awards are primarily merit-based, and your GPA, academic accomplishments, goals for study abroad will all be taken into account when your application is reviewed.
Q: When can I apply and what is the deadline for scholarship applications?
A: Applications for most UCEAP Scholarships will open in mid-February 2013 and are due by March 15, 2013 at 5 p.m. (Pacific Time) for Summer, Fall & Northern Hemisphere Year programs. The only exceptions are applications for Duttenhaver Scholarships, which must be submitted to your campus EAP office by March 4, 2013 for study abroad programs beginning in Fall 2013.
Q: Can I apply for multiple UCEAP scholarships?
A: Yes. You can apply for the UCEAP Scholarship in addition to a Duttenhaver or Dan Wise scholarship if you are studying abroad for a full year.
You can also apply for a UCEAP scholarship for more than one term. If you are going abroad in the summer and fall or year, you will have to make two separate accounts within the scholarship application software. Be sure to use different e-mail addresses. Complete two separate applications, one for each program. Your applications will be reviewed separately by teams of reviewers, so be sure to write personal statements tailored to each program.
If you are going abroad in the fall and spring, you can re-apply for a spring award when that application is open (during the summer prior to your program).
Check with other scholarship programs in case they have restrictions on you accepting their scholarship if you receive other awards. Advise your Financial Aid office of all scholarships you receive.
Q: How do I apply for a UCEAP Scholarship?
A: UCEAP has a streamlined online application system for most of our scholarships, which will be available from mid-February 2013. You must upload a statement of purpose and a transcript in order for you to be considered for an award. Paper documents sent by mail will not be considered. Online applications are required for all our scholarships except the Duttenhaver and Dan Wise Scholarships—for more information on those awards, click here.
Q: What should I include in my Statement of Purpose?
A:You must describe how the country and language (if applicable) and specific program you selected will help you achieve your academic and career goals. Include specific opportunities, courses, projects, or goals you plan to pursue while abroad, and explain why studying abroad is the best way to accomplish them.
Your statement of purpose should be a clear, concise statement, with a maximum of two pages (either single or double-spaced). Please include your name, UC campus, country, and program information at the top of each page. It must be uploaded as a PDF document.
Q: How do I include a transcript? Does the transcript have to be official?
A: You must include a PDF version of a transcript. The transcript can be official or unofficial.
If you get a printed transcript from your registrar, please scan it and upload it as a PDF. If you can download an unofficial transcript or degree progress report from your university records system, please save it as a PDF and then upload it. We cannot accept a document that has been copied from a list of courses taken and then pasted into a Word or text document. The transcript must show all courses taken at your UC campus, with your grades and your cumulative GPA.
Q: I am a transfer student. Do I need to include a transcript from my previous institution?
A: Yes, you must upload a transcript from your previous institution in order to be considered for a scholarship. Please include your UC transcript and the transcript from your previous institution in one PDF file. If you cannot include both transcripts in one file, upload your UC transcript through the application system and e-mail your transfer transcript to scholarships@eap.ucop.edu. Please follow the transcript instructions above for uploading a PDF of your transcript from your previous institution.
Q: Is a letter of recommendation required? Who should write the letter of recommendation? What should the letter include?
A: A letter of recommendation is not required for UCEAP scholarships. A letter of recommendation is required for the Duttenhaver & Dan Wise scholarships.
For Duttenhaver & Dan Wise scholarships, seek to provide a strong letter of recommendation, such as one from a TA or faculty member, an employer, or the head of a nonprofit where you have volunteered. The letter should come from someone who knows you and is familiar with your academic work. You may use a letter that has been solicited for your general EAP application. The letter should be on letterhead, with contact information for the recommender. The letter should speak to your academic achievements, interests, and goals for studying abroad. An academic letter will help your application more than a letter from a work supervisor, unless the work done is academic in nature.
Personal references are not acceptable for this application.
Q: What is Good Standing?
A: You must complete all pre-departure requirements and meet all deadlines set by UCEAP and your campus EAP office in order to remain eligible for a scholarship. At the time of scholarship selection, we will confirm with UCEAP and campus staff that you are up to date on all required documents. As long as you do not miss a deadline before departure, you will retain your scholarship offer.
Q: How will I be informed if I am awarded a UCEAP scholarship?
A: UCEAP will send you an email by the end of April 2013 at the email you provided in your application to inform you of the status of your application. If you have been selected for a scholarship, you will need to fill out an acceptance form.
Q: How will I receive the scholarship monies/award?
A: The award will be applied to your MyEAP student account once you are accepted to the program, prior to the program start date.
Q: I have questions about UCEAP Scholarships. Who can I contact?