Gilman-McCain Scholarship 2026 in USA

Overview

The Gilman-McCain Scholarship is a congressionally funded initiative sponsored by the Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs at the U.S. Department of State, implemented with support from the Institute of International Education. It supports undergraduate child and spousal dependents of active or activated U.S. military personnel with awards to help cover the costs of credit-bearing study abroad or international internship programs.

Benefits

• Provides awards of $5,000 to be applied toward study abroad or international internship expenses.
• Offers approximately 100 awards of $5,000 each for the current academic year.
• Free application process with no submission fee.
• Eligible scholars may also qualify for the Critical Need Language Award.

Eligibility

• Must be a citizen or national of the United States.
• Must be an undergraduate student in good standing at an accredited U.S. institution, including two-year and four-year colleges.
• Must be the child or spouse dependent of active or activated United States military personnel during the application period.
• Must be a recipient of any type of Title IV federal financial aid during the application period or provide verification of receiving such aid during the program.
• Must be applying to or accepted into a credit-bearing study abroad or internship program located in a country with a Travel Advisory Level 1 or 2.

How to Apply

Eligible candidates can submit their materials through the Gilman online application system. Study abroad advisor certification and financial aid advisor certification are required.

Deadline

The application deadline for the Fall 2026 cycle is October 1, 2026, at 11:59 PM Pacific Time, with an advisor certification deadline of October 8, 2026. The subsequent Winter application deadline is January 7, 2027.