Boren Scholarship awards are designed to pay for the majority of expenses that a typical undergraduate student will have while studying abroad. Award amounts are based on the amount needed as stated on the budget up to the maximum award amount for each term. 

View the Boren Scholarship Budget Guidelines

Boren Fellowships provide up to $24,000 for overseas study. In addition, Boren Fellowships can provide limited funding for domestic language study that will supplement the overseas component. The maximum award for a combined overseas and domestic program is $30,000. Actual support levels will be determined by each individual project budget and the length of the project.

View the Boren Fellowship Budget Guidelines

As a Boren Scholarship applicant, you are required to submit two letters of reference, and you may submit a third.

It is best if two of the letters are from academic sources. When considering who to ask, you should look at more than just who gave you good grades.  The best references are written by people who can comment 1) on your academic, linguistic, and personal preparation for the study abroad program, especially as they relate to the Boren Scholarship objectives and 2) your understanding of the relationship between your program and U.S. national security, broadly defined, as well as your career interests.  

View more information on letters of reference

As a Boren Fellowship applicant, you are required to have three letters of reference submitted using the online application system.     

When considering who to ask, keep in mind that the best references are written by people who can comment on  1) your academic, linguistic, and personal preparation for your plan, 2) the feasibility of your plan, and 3) your understanding of the relationship between your plan and U.S. national security, broadly defined, as well as your career interests.

View more information about letters of reference

Kicking-off International Education Week, the Open Doors Report on International Educational Exchange, released on November 14, 2011, reports an increase in U.S. students studying abroad; 270,604 U.S. students studied abroad for credit during the academic year 2009/10, compared to 260,327 the previous year. The Open Doors report, released today in Washington, D.C. by Assistant Secretary Ann Stock (R) and IIE President and CEO Allan Goodman, is published annually by the Institute of International Education in partnership with the U.S. Department of State's Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs.

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William Schreiber
2010 Boren Scholar
Polish, Poland
George Washington University
International Relations     

Poland is in many ways, both geographical and political, at the very crux of European policy toward its Eastern European neighbors.  Living and studying in Warsaw as a 2010 Boren Scholar gave me a vantage point on the discussions happening there.

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Valerie Oliphant
2011 Boren Fellow
African Languages Initiative
Yoruba, Nigeria
Georgetown University
Conflict Resolution, MA 

When I started looking into the Boren Awards, I knew I wanted to choose a program in West Africa.  I studied abroad in Ghana in 2007 and found the country really fascinating. While I had enjoyed my time there, I wanted to experience another culture.  I ultimately decided to study in Nigeria for several reasons. I have been focusing my graduate studies on women’s involvement in peace processes and nonviolence movements, and Nigeria provides an interesting case study.

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