Unsure of how to finance your study abroad program? ISA awards $60,000 in scholarships each year to students who are participating in ISA's programs as follows:

• 20 x $750 for Summer Study
• 10 x $1,000 for Fall Study
• 10 x $1,000 for Winter/Spring Study
• 2 x $2,500 for Academic Year Study

Born in Camargo, Mexico in 1896, Carlos E. Castañeda immigrated to the United States with his family when he was in the sixth grade. Through immersion he quickly gained fluency in English and excelled in school. Orphaned at the age of 14 Carlos became the head of the household. While caring for four sisters he continued to educate himself and eventually enrolled in the University of Texas at Austin in 1917 where he earned his B.A., M.A. and Ph.D. degrees.

In 1927 Dr. Castañeda returned to the University of Texas and took a position as the librarian of the Genaro García Collection. Over the next 31 years he worked to make this collection, now known as the Benson Latin American Collection, one of the world's most prestigious. An authority on early Mexican and Texan history Dr. Castañeda also became an associate professor of history.

As a testament to his early struggle and life long pursuit of academic excellence, ISA offers $40,000 annually in scholarships to be used towards ISA programs in memory of Dr. Castañeda. The Dr. Carlos E. Castañeda Memorial Scholarships are both merit and financial need-based scholarships that assist students from affiliated universities with the expenses of studying abroad. (View list of ISA-affiliated universities/colleges).

In pursuit of its goals of enhancing cultural awareness and providing students with the independence and language skills necessary for the workplace, The Dr. Carlos E. Castañeda Memorial Scholarships seek to help those who may not otherwise be able to study abroad. See below for the requirements for these scholarships and/or DOWNLOAD: Application Form (PDF).

• 5 x $1,000 for Fall Study
• 5 x $1,000 for Winter/Spring Study

These scholarships are dedicated to the memory of Michaela Farnum, a junior at Seattle University studying international business and Spanish, who was a participant in the ISA program in Chile. Michaela was a very involved student who worked with her youth organization, as a camp counselor, as a resident assistant (RA), and as a work-study student in the International Office.

Michaela's experience was cut short when she tragically lost her life in a hiking accident in the mountains of La Campana National Park in Chile. We hope that qualifying students will be helped by this scholarship, and will do so in memory of this student who only began to realize her dream of study abroad.

The awards from this scholarship began with the Winter/Spring 2008 semester and $10,000 is offered annually, to be used towards ISA programs. The Michaela Farnum Memorial Scholarships are both merit and financial need-based scholarships that assist students with the expenses of studying abroad. See below for the requirements for these scholarships and/or DOWNLOAD: Application Form (PDF).

In order to apply for these awards, students must meet the following criteria:

• Have at least a 3.25 cumulative GPA.
• Be enrolled in second or third year of undergraduate education at time of ISA program participation at a U.S. university/college.
• Have completed at least one year of college level foreign language or the equivalent. (Courses must appear on official transcript.)
• Be accepted to an ISA program. Please note that students participating in an ISA Customized Program are not eligible for this scholarship.
• Be on financial aid.
• Applicants for the Dr. Carlos E. Castañeda Memorial Scholarships must be from an ISA-affiliated university. View list of ISA-affiliated universities/colleges.

Any semester applicant who meets the requirements of the Dr. Carlos E. Castañeda Memorial Scholarship will also be considered for the Michaela Farnum Memorial Scholarship. Completing a separate application is not necessary.

Qualifying applicants may also apply for the ISA Diversity Scholarship, but must complete a separate application. Students will only be awarded a maximum of one ISA scholarship.

Along with the scholarship application the following items are required to be considered for an award:

• COLLEGE TRANSCRIPT(S) - One official copy from each college/university attended. The transcript submitted with the ISA program application will suffice only if it is an official transcript.
• ESSAY - Please keep under 400 words. Essay must answer the following:
  • What are your goals for your study abroad experience (academic, personal and/or professional)?
  • What or who motivated you to study abroad?
  • Describe how you anticipate dealing with and adjusting to unfamiliar surroundings, cultural differences, and separation from family and friends?
• RESUME - The last section(s) of your resume must describe your extracurricular activities and/or work experience.
• LETTER OF RECOMMENDATION - Must be written by an academic reference (professor, advisor, etc.) on the ISA letter of recommendation form.DOWNLOAD: Letter of Recommendation (PDF).
• SUPPORTING FINANCIAL AID DOCUMENTS - You must include Student Aid Report (SAR) & award letter/form. View and print your SAR.

• 2 x $1,000 for Summer Study
• 2 x $2,000 for Fall Study
• 2 x $2,000 for Winter/Spring Study

ISA began offering this scholarship in the fall of 2008, with $10,000 in awards annually to be used towards ISA programs. The ISA Diversity Scholarships aim to encourage students of a broader cultural make-up to participate in ISA programs by offering funds to assist with the expenses of studying abroad. See below for the requirements for these scholarships and/or DOWNLOAD: Application Form (PDF).

In order to apply for these awards, students must meet the following criteria:

• Have at least a 2.75 cumulative GPA.
• Be enrolled in second or third year of undergraduate education at time of ISA program participation at a U.S. university/college.
• Be accepted to an ISA program. Please note that students participating in an ISA Customized Program are not eligible for this scholarship.

You must submit a separate application for the Diversity Scholarship. Qualifying applicants may also apply for the ISA Memorial Scholarship, but students will only be awarded a maximum of one ISA scholarship.

Along with the scholarship application the following items are required to be considered for an award:

• COLLEGE TRANSCRIPT(S) - One official copy from each college/university attended. The transcript submitted with the ISA program application will suffice only if it is an official transcript.
• ESSAY - Please keep under 400 words. Essay must answer the following:
  • How do you see yourself contributing to the cultural diversity of your study abroad group overseas, and how do you plan to contribute to efforts on your campus to increase the participation of diverse students in study abroad programs?
• RESUME - The last section(s) of your resume must describe your extracurricular activities and/or work experience, and any work with study abroad programs or multicultural student organizations on campus.
• LETTER OF RECOMMENDATION - Must be written by an academic reference (professor, advisor, etc.) on the ISA letter of recommendation form.DOWNLOAD: Letter of Recommendation (PDF).
• SUPPORTING FINANCIAL AID DOCUMENTS - If you receive financial aid, you must include your Student Aid Report (SAR) & award letter/form. View and print your SAR.

Scholarship application documents and completed program applications and materials must be postmarked by these dates. Scholarship application deadlines are evaluated independently of program application deadlines and will not be extended even if the program application deadline is extended. Incomplete and/or ineligible applications will not be considered.

Complete applications must be postmarked by:

• Summer: February 28th
• Fall/Year: April 30th
• Winter/Spring: October 30th

Students selected for awards will be notified of their status approximately six weeks after the application deadline, and a list of awardees will be posted on the ISA website. ISA will inform the home university of the scholarship award, and the amount will be credited to the ISA student account at the time of the award. It is the student's responsibility to discuss the ISA scholarship with his/her home university and determine whether the financial aid award will be affected if the student is awarded a scholarship by ISA.

ISA offers grants to students who have previously participated in an ISA program, regardless of the length of time (if any) that passes between the two programs. Please note that students participating in an ISA Customized Program are not eligible for this scholarship.

• $100 ISA SUMMER PROGRAM GRANT - Students who enroll in an ISA SUMMER program after having participated previously in an ISA program of any length (not including intensive month programs) will receive a $100 grant towards the latter program.
• $350 ISA SEMESTER/TRIMESTER/YEAR PROGRAM GRANT - Students who participate in an ISA TRIMESTER, SEMESTER or ACADEMIC YEAR program after having participated previously in an ISA program of any length (not including intensive month programs) get a $350 grant towards the latter program.

Click here to view additional funding resources