Frequently Asked Questions

ISA offers scholarships throughout the calendar year. It's always a good idea for students to get started on the application sooner, rather than later. Giving yourself at least 2-3 weeks before the scholarship deadline can help ensure you meet the deadline.

Deadlines for scholarships are as follows:

Summer Programs: February 28

Fall Programs: April 30

Winter/Spring Programs: October 30

This depends on the number of students applying. The majority of students who travel abroad do not apply for scholarships, which increases the chances of those who do apply! We always encourage students to take the time to apply!

Students accepted to an ISA program will have access to the scholarship application through the Student Portal. Once you have been accepted, review the eligibility requirements on the Scholarship Application for further information. When you're ready to apply, complete the application and supporting documents from the link in your student portal by the deadline. Scholarship applications that are incomplete or that are sent past the deadline will NOT be considered.

Applicants wait until the last minute and then may miss the deadline. Applications MUST be received by ISA by the deadline. Late submissions will NOT be considered. This can be especially challenging if the application deadline falls on a weekend or holiday as there will not be anyone available to ask last minute questions, so applicants should plan accordingly.

Applicants do not spend time preparing materials. They should write their essays well in advance of the deadline, ask someone to proof it for them, revise and then submit. 

ADDRESS THE PROMPT – Clearly respond to the essay prompt(s) with your thoughts and experiences.

ORGANIZATION & QUALITY OF WRITING – Organize your essay, being careful to avoid grammatical and spelling errors, so the reader can easily understand your response.

OVERALL EFFORT – Take time to develop your ideas, providing quality details and insight into your story.

REVIEW YOUR ESSAYS - Head to the writing center on your campus to ask for help or to request a final review. 

No. Only one scholarship application is required for scholarships, but there are separate essays depending on the scholarships you are applying for. Be sure to check-off all scholarships you are applying for on the application and double-check that you have included all necessary documents.

Students accepted to an Internship or Service-Learning program can apply for most ISA scholarships.

Additional notes about eligibility:

• Students must be accepted to a January or September-intake Internship program of 8 weeks or longer; OR a Spring or Fall Service-Learning program of 8 weeks or longer to apply for a corresponding ISA Fall or Spring award.
• Students must be accepted to a May or June-intake Internship program of 8 weeks or longer; OR a Summer Service-Learning program of 8 weeks or longer to apply for an ISA Summer award.

Rising/Graduating High School seniors who are accepted to an ISA program are eligible to apply for any scholarships for which you meet the eligibility requirements.

Yes, students participating in a J-Term program, Career Semester Summer Remote, WorldStrides Custom Programs or EuroScholars undergraduate research programs are not eligible to apply for these scholarships.

Students can apply for multiple scholarships; however, students are only eligible to be awarded one ISA scholarship. Where host university scholarships are offered, students may also be awarded one host university scholarship.

ISA sends all eligible applications to an outside committee comprised of university officials to review the applications according to established criteria.

All students who have submitted a scholarship application will be notified of the decision approximately SIX WEEKS after the scholarship deadline.

ISA scholarship recipients will have the award amount applied to the overall program balance. Should the student already be paid in full, a refund check will be sent to the student's permanent address on file with ISA.

If you require further assistance after reading this page, please contact ISA by email at higheredscholarships@worldstrides.org. Please keep in mind that particularly around the scholarship deadline, it may take some time to respond to your inquiry.