International Education

O'Dowd Hall, Room 328
586 Pioneer Drive
Rochester, MI 48309-4482
(location map)
(248) 370-2889
ie@oakland.edu

Office hours
Mon - Fri: 8 a.m. - 5 p.m.

Virtual advising hours
Mon - Fri: 9 a.m. - noon and 1 - 4 p.m.

Alex Zimmerman, Director
(248) 370-2843
azimmerman@oakland.edu

Paying for Your Experience

The International Education Office hopes that every student is able to participate in a life-changing experience abroad. The IE office offers scholarship opportunities to all students applying for any Oakland University approved study abroad program. Scholarships range from $500 - $1,000.

The Scholarships awarded by the International Education Office include the Alumni Association Study Abroad Scholarship; Hailey Brouillet Study Abroad Scholarship; James A. Sharp, Jr. and Tessie Baltrip Sharp Scholarship; and Oakland University Credit Union Study Abroad Scholarship.

Scholarship applications for the four scholarships be will automatically added to your OU online study abroad account once you choose a program. Deadlines for the four scholarships are April 1 for Summer and Fall study abroad programs and October 1 for Winter study abroad programs.

Various departments, schools, and colleges throughout the university also award study abroad scholarships.  For applications, directly contact the associated department.

Catherine Tyler Memorial International Endowed Scholarship. Undergraduate or graduate students in good standing with a declared major in one of the programs in the School of Business Administration. Amount varies. Awarded by the the School of Business administration, badgley@oakland.edu.

Donna and Walt Young Study Abroad Endowed Scholarship. Undergraduate students enrolled with the Honors College.  Preference given to students who exhibit leadership and involvement in the Honors College. Awarded by the Honors College, conn@oakland.edu.

Jack Moeller German Study and International Travel Endowed Scholarship. Undergraduate students studying German and majoring or minoring in German.  Study abroad in Germany for one or more semesters. Awarded by the College of Arts and Sciences, cas@oakland.edu.

Patti Finnegan Sharf CAS Study Abroad Endowed Scholarship. Undergraduate in the College of Arts and Sciences.  Preference to students who otherwise would not be able to participate in such a study abroad program due to financial need. Awarded by the International Studies Program, lbernardi@oakland.edu.

Patti Finnegan Sharf SBA Study Abroad Endowed Scholarship. Undergraduate in the School of Business Administration. Preference to students who otherwise would not be able to participate in such a study abroad program due to financial need. Awarded by the School of Business Administration, badgley@oakland.edu.

Gerald Pearsall Memorial Travel Award. Awards up to $250 to help cover overnight accommodations at Hostels International traveling. Awarded by the International Education Office, ie@oakland.edu.

Financial Aid
Students participating in a Study Abroad program through Oakland University may be eligible for financial assistance.  To ensure full consideration for financial aid eligibility, students should complete a   FAFSA  for the academic year in which the  Study Abroad  program takes place. All students returning from a Study Abroad program are responsible for ensuring their course work is graded no later than 60 days from the date the program ended.  Failure to show graded work on the Oakland University transcript may result in cancellation of financial assistance disbursed for the Study Abroad program or delay disbursement of financial assistance for the term(s) following the program.  Students should direct any questions about study abroad financial assistance directly to Student Financial Services. 

Fall and  Winter Semester  and Summer Study Abroad
 A   Financial Aid Study Abroad Acknowledgement and Cost Worksheet  completed by the Study Abroad Coordinator must be submitted to the Financial Aid Office.  Financial assistance may be processed for OU Study Abroad Programs only.  If the student is enrolled in a Study Abroad Program offered through another university/college, financial aid is not available through OU.  
OU Scholarships

Apply for scholarships offered and awarded by the International Education Office for study abroad programs through the study abroad website as part of the study abroad application. 

Search and apply for study abroad scholarships offered by other OU departments. 

 

External Scholarships
Baden-Württemberg Stipendium
The Baden-Württemberg Stiftung supports the international exchange of students and young vocationally qualified people by awarding the Baden-Württemberg-STIPENDIUM. The program invites foreign scholarship holders to get to know Baden-Württemberg. The award is open to Oakland University students participating in the Hochschule Mannheim - University of Applied Sciences exchange program studying Mechanical Engineering.

Mannheim Exchange Program scholarship application

Benjamin A. Gilman International Scholarship
The Gilman Scholarship Program offers awards for undergraduate study abroad and was established by the International Academic Opportunity Act of 2000. This scholarship provides awards for U.S. undergraduate students who are receiving Federal Pell Grant funding at a two-year or four-year college or university to participate in study abroad programs worldwide.

For more information about the Gilman scholarship program, please click on the link below.

Gilman Scholarship Website

Boren Awards for International Study
Boren Awards for summer, one-semester, or full academic year research or study abroad are available for students studying geographic areas, languages, and fields of study deemed critical to U.S. national security who are planning careers in government service. The Boren Awards are administered by the National Security Education Program, and award recipients must fulfill a service requirement of at least one year in a national security position within three years of graduation.

For more information about the Boren Awards, please click on the link below.

Boren Awards

CIEE Scholarship
Scholarships of $500 to $1500 are available through CIEE for OU students participating in numerous programs. For more information about CIEE programs, please click the link below.

CIEE Scholarships

Critical Language Scholarship Program
The Critical Language Scholarship Program encourages undergraduates, master's and doctoral-level students of all majors to apply for this seven-to-ten week program. The program provides foreign language instruction, and cultural experiences in thirteen critical need languages. This is a U.S. government effort to expand the number of Americans studying critical need foreign languages.

For more information about the Critical Language Scholarship Program, please click on the link below.

Critical Language Scholarship Program

Cultural Vistas Fellowship
The Cultural Vistas Fellowship affords underrepresented U.S. university students the unique opportunity to advance their career goals, develop global competencies and experience life in another culture.

Cultural Vistas Fellowship

Freeman-Asia Scholarship
The Freeman-Asia Scholarship accepts applicants from U.S. citizens, or permanent residents who are studying at
a two- or four- year college or university and who demonstrate the need of financial assistance to study abroad in East or Southeast Asia. This scholarship provides need-base funding to assist with the cost of the study abroad
program and related materials, such as airfare, books, living cost, etc.

For more information about the Freeman-Asia Scholarship, please click on the link below.

Freeman-Asia Scholarship

Fulbright Scholarship - For Graduate Study Abroad
Fulbright Scholarship

Fulbright UK Summer Institute Scholarship for U.S. Undergraduates
The US-UK Fulbright Commission offers students a fantastic opportunity to be immersed in the study of British academia and culture via the Fulbright UK Summer Institutes programme. Enhance your leadership skills, develop knowledge and understanding of new subjects, and become an ambassador for the United Kingdom and the United States.

Fulbright UK Summer Institute Scholarship for Undergraduates

Fund for Education Abroad
The Fund for Education Abroad particularly encourages applications for students in language-immersion and/or service-learning programs, students pursuing study in non-traditional destinations, students with demonstrable financial need, and students who represent a group traditionally under-represented in education abroad.

For more information about the Fund for Education Abroad, click on the link below.

Fund for Education Abroad

GEO Institutional Scholarships
Scholarships of $500 to $1500 are available through GEO for OU students participating numerous programs:

GEO Scholarships

Go Global Scholarship
BRIC Language Systems is committed to supporting language learning and education. As part of our passionate commitment to learning, we have created the BRIC Go Global Scholarship. This scholarship is awarded to the student who has the best understanding of the importance of language learning and its place in society. The winner will receive a $1,000 scholarship that will be awarded directly to the student and can be used for tuition, books, language classes, etc.

Go Global Scholarship

IIE Generation Study Abroad Travel Grants
IIE Generation Study Abroad Travel Grants will be made available for U.S. students from a broad range of backgrounds to make it possible for them to participate in academic, internship or service-learning experiences abroad. The scholarship program is intended to diversify study abroad and to encourage students to go abroad who would otherwise not participate in an international experience as part of their college education, especially in support of high-achieving, low-income students. The Travel Grants can be for travel to and from the country of study, and also within the region, enabling students to make the most of their international experience. IIE will offer 100 grants of $2,000 per student the first year. The program will provide a resource for Generation Study Abroad Commitment Partners from U.S. colleges and universities who complete their annual progress report as an opportunity to encourage supplementary funds to their students. 

IIE Generation Study Abroad Travel Grants

GEO Scholarships

Japan-USA Bridging Scholarship
The Bridging Project offers scholarships to American undergraduate students participating in study-abroad programs in Japan. Funding from private foundations and major U.S. corporations, through donations to the nonprofit  US-Japan Bridging Foundation, makes it possible to award about 100 scholarships each year to assist students with travel and living expenses they will incur while studying abroad in Japan for a semester or academic year. Applications are accepted twice a year for Bridging Scholarships.

Japan-USA Bridging Scholarship

Japan Business Society of Detroit Foundation Scholarship
JCMU offers the annual competition for Japan Business Society of Detroit Scholarships. The awards include academic year: two scholarships of $3,000 each year; Fall Semester: two scholarships of $1,500 each year; Spring Semester: two scholarships of $1,500 each year.

Applicants must be a degree-seeking undergraduate enrolled in good standing at a JCMU Consortium University (one of the 15 public universities in Michigan), and must demonstrate academic excellence by sustaining a minimum cumulative GPA of 3.0.

Japan Business Society of Detroit Foundation Scholarship

Killam Fellowship - For Graduate Study Abroad
Killam Scholarship

Morgan Stanley Scholarship for Study in Japan
Underscoring its long-term commitment to education and fostering U.S.-Japan relations, Morgan Stanley, which has had a presence in Japan for more than 40 years, is proud to support the US-Japan Bridging Foundation’s Bridging Project for Study Abroad in Japan. Eligible students include students at U.S. universities who have an interest in economics and international finance and who have been accepted for study in Japan for the academic year. Winners of the Morgan Stanley Japan Scholarships are awarded scholarships of $7,500 to help finance their studies.

Morgan Stanley Scholarship

New Zealand Scholarship
Apply to win a FULL $15,000 Scholarship to Study Abroad in New Zealand. Scholarship includes: $15,000 towards semester tuition and accommodation stipend. Round trip flight sponsored by STA Travel.

New Zealand Scholarship

USAC Scholarship
Scholarships of $500 to $1,000 are available through USAC for OU students participating in numerous programs. For more information about USAC programs, please click the link below.

USAC Scholarships
Billing

Billing for CIEE, GEO, USAC, and JCMU programs

Your OU bill while studying on a CIEE, GEO, USAC or JCMU program will look different from your standard mySAIL eBill for on-campus courses.

On your study abroad eBill, all lines labeled CIEE, GEO, USAC or JCMU are part of the program fee. Descriptions may include deposit, housing charges, program tuition and other program charges. The last line of your eBill will include your normal rate of OU Tuition. This amount is deducted from the program fees appearing above it, so that the sum total of your charges is equal to the total cost of your program billed by CIEE, GEO, USAC or JCMU. Although the word "tuition" appears in two different line items on your bill, you are not being double-billed. Tuition appears twice only for accounting purposes.

Sample bills:

The eBill also itemizes any financial aid you receive, including loans, grants and scholarships. When you study abroad, your financial aid will be released on or around the first day of your study abroad program, not at the beginning of the corresponding OU term. Please do not be alarmed if you don't see your expected financial aid on your eBill before you leave, as it will be released only when your program starts.

Paying for CIEE, GEO, USAC and JCMU programs

CIEE, GEO, USAC and JCMU invoice Oakland University for your program fees. They will not accept payment from you directly; you must pay your OU bill as you would for a semester on-campus. If you receive financial aid, please ensure that you have activated the direct deposit option on mySAIL and that it is connected to your correct bank account. When your financial aid is released, it will be applied towards the tuition portion of your bill, and any funds remaining will be transferred to your bank account. It may take 5-7 business days for the deposit to show up in your account. Once you receive the funds, you must log in to mySAIL and pay the remainder of your bill.

Please note that any remaining debts to CIEE, GEO, USAC or JCMU after the completion of your program will be treated as debts to Oakland University. Failure to pay may result in holds on your account, which will prevent you from registering for classes or receiving a transcript.

Billing for Exchange programs

A bill will be generated as soon as the student is registered in the study abroad placeholder course and will follow with normal payment deadlines. Financial aid will pay out the day the program begins. 

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