Undergraduate Study Abroad Scholarship

LRCCS Undergraduate Study Abroad Scholarship  provides a limited number of awards to support undergraduate students who will participate in China-related (China, Hong Kong, Macau, or Taiwan)  study abroad academic programs .

Eligibility

• Applicants must be currently enrolled undergraduate degree students at the University of Michigan.
• Applicants must remain an undergraduate degree student at the University of Michigan during the period of the Study Abroad Programs. Graduating seniors may not apply for a scholarship following graduation.
• Study abroad program must be located in China, Hong Kong, Macau, or Taiwan.
• Recipients must participate in an eligible program. The following three types of programs are eligible:
  • Traditional Study Abroad Program: A study abroad academic program that teaches a combination of language and/or Chinese studies that is sponsored by CGIS or another school or college of the University of Michigan and that results in academic credit.
  • GCC or GIEU course: Students who are enrolled in CGIS Global Course Connections (GCC) or Global Intercultural Experience for Undergraduates (GIEU) course are also eligible.  It is the responsibility of the student to find the appropriate program and to complete any application for participation in a timely manner.
  • Summer Intensive Chinese Language Program: Students who enroll in a summer intensive Chinese language program located in China are also eligible.  In order to qualify, a summer language program must meet the FLAS Fellowship summer program eligibility criteria.   The  eligibility criteria for the Summer Intensive Chinese Language Program are:
    • The program must teach the equivalent of one academic year of Chinese as taught at the University of Michigan
    • The recipient must enroll at the 2nd year level language or above
    • The minimum program length is 6 weeks
    • The program must have minimum classroom contact hours (language instruction in the classroom with an instructor, including lectures, sections, drill sessions, and tutorials but NOT cultural time, excursions, meals, office hours, and independent study) of 140 hours for 2nd year and 120 hours for 3rd year and above
• Independent research,  service learning projects, and volunteer activities are not eligible for this scholarship. For internships in China, see the Undergraduate Internship Scholarship.
• Students who are awarded the Undergraduate Academic Year Foreign Language and Area Studies (FLAS) Fellowship or Summer Foreign Language and Area Studies (FLAS) Fellowship may apply for this scholarship if the FLAS award does not cover the full cost of attendance for the study abroad program; however, they may be given lower priority.  FLAS Fellowship nominees/recipients must submit a separate application.

Scholarship Award

• Award amount limits vary depending on the program's length of stay. The maximum award amount is $5,000. Scholarship may only be used to cover expenses associated with the study abroad program participation, such as tuition, program fee, airfare, room, and board.
• Recipients will be selected on the basis of academic merit by the Lieberthal-Rogel Center for Chinese Studies Admissions and Fellowships Committee.
• Preference will be given to students whose study abroad program includes Chinese language and/or Chinese studies courses.
• If you receive a need-based financial aid package for the study abroad program, the acceptance of this scholarship may result in an adjustment of your need-based financial aid package.  Please consult the Office of Financial Aid if you have any questions.
• International students may be subject to income tax withholding on the scholarship amount.  Please consult the International Center if you have any questions.

Application Materials

Please submit the following items to the International Institute Fellowships & Grants online portal. Login to this Portal with your uniqname and Kerberos password.  In the list of awards, look for LRCCS UG Study Abroad Scholarship.

• Application form: Complete the online application form.
• Statement of purpose (limit 1,000 words): Please write a concise and coherent essay of no more than 1,000 words. Please explain why you want to participate in a study abroad program in China/Hong Kong/Taiwan and how this experience will contribute toward your overall academic and career goals. Please double-space and put your full name and UM ID at the beginning of the statement. Prepare the statement in a separate document and upload to the online application.
• Résumé: Please upload a current résumé. If you are not sure how to put a résumé together, please consult the UM Career Center for assistance.
• Two  academic letters of recommendation: Please ask people  who know you well and can speak to your academic interests and abilities. Letters from course instructors, GSIs and academic advisors are acceptable. Recommendation must be completed by someone affiliated with U-M. You will first need to register information about the two people completing the recommendations; then, you will complete a form that will send an automated email request to the recommenders.
• Current U-M  transcript: Please check the appropriate box on the Application Form to grant permission to LRCCS to access your academic record on Wolverine Access and follow the instructions on the online portal to upload your transcript. .

Application Deadline:

• October 15 for study abroad programs in the winter term of the same academic year.
• March 15 for study abroad programs in spring-summer of the same academic year, and fall term or full academic year programs in the next academic year.
• Late applications will not be accepted.
• Incomplete applications will not be considered.
• Awards will be announced in mid-November (for October deadline) and late April (for March deadline).

Submission

All application materials must be submitted on the International Institute Fellowships & Grants online portal using the LRCCS UG Study Abroad Scholarships application.