This is a fantastic scholarship opportunity for students, and I encourage you to check out the website.
Students must have been awarded the Federal Pell grant to be eligible and be enrolled in a two or four year university. Veteran, minority, disabled, and STEM students are encouraged to apply, as well as those with financial limitations to support underrepresented groups.
The scholarship also focuses on supporting students seeking to join a program that studies languages, especially critical need languages.
Students could be awarded up to $5000 towards their trip.
Application process
In my experience, applying to scholarships can be a discouraging process. Some applications are extremely lengthy and require several letters of recommendations which can be difficult to obtain for a variety of reasons. Thankfully, the Gilman application process is less intimidating for students.
The Gilman site gives students clear instructions on answering the essay prompts as well as essay writing tips (linked above). The statement of purpose essay asks students how a study abroad trip will benefit the student's academic and/or professional goals, why they chose their study country, what aspects of the program they expect to challenge them, and what skills and experiences the student has to meet those challenges.
The community impact essay asks students how they will bridge their home and host communities. It also asks students to propose a follow-on service project designed to further the benefits of the study abroad experience to other community members.
Gilman has plenty of resources for students on ideas for service projects, departments that students can collaborate with, and how to edit their essays which make the process much easier.
In addition to the two essays, students are asked to upload unofficial or official transcripts and contact information on their study abroad and financial aid advisers, both of which need to certify your program and financial need. After that, you're all done.
There are two application cycles for scholarships towards a fall or winter trip. Details on deadlines for applications and the quarters/semesters they apply to can be found here.
Award and in-country requirements
If you are awarded the scholarship, there is a checklist of steps to complete before you leave, one of which is to register with International SOS.
This is a traveler's security system where you enter the dates and locations of your travel plans and are sent notifications of any travel advisories of those locations. My trip began right as COVID-19 broke out in China. Throughout the trip I received notifications of where the virus spreading and what travel restrictions were being enforced which allowed me to stay on top of my travel plans. It's a layer of security for students, and ended up helping me remain updated on important travel information throughout the trip.
This website is my follow-on project. I wanted to combine my experiences studying abroad with my experiences finding financial support for my trip in the hopes that it might be helpful for other students. The Gilman scholarship was one of the biggest supports that I found, and I hope this increases student' s awareness of this resource. Checkout their site, as well as the tips for financing study abroad page for other scholarships/ tips that might help you.