The students are among more than 2,500 across the U.S. awarded scholarships for international study experiences and will be able to use the funds until Dec. 31, 2021.
Texas Tech University and the Office of International Affairs are pleased to announce that 10 Red Raiders have been awarded nearly $40,000 in scholarships from the prestigious Benjamin A. Gilman International Scholarship Program. Of the more than 7,000 students who applied from across the United States, more than 2,500 outstanding students were offered awards.
The congressionally funded Gilman Program provides scholarships of up to $5,000 to outstanding undergraduate Pell Grant recipients who, due to financial constraints, might not otherwise study abroad. The Gilman Program is sponsored by the U.S. Department of State's Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs and is supported in its implementation by the Institute of International Education.
Since the program's establishment in 2001, more than 1,300 U.S. institutions have sent more than 31,000 Gilman scholars, representing the rich diversity of the U.S., to 151 countries around the world. Texas Tech has a long history with the program and was recognized as a Gilman Top Producing Institution in 2019 for the greatest growth in science, technology, engineering and mathematics recipients. Overall, more than 90 Red Raiders have received a scholarship from the program since 2013.
Typically, students apply for scholarships for the semester in which they plan to study or intern abroad. This year, the ongoing coronavirus pandemic has resulted in the cancellation of most global travel, including all fall 2020 Texas Tech study abroad as announced on July 9 by Sukant Misra, vice provost for international affairs. Because of this, the time frame during which students may use their funds has been adjusted.
"Because COVID-19 has halted international travel for the time being, Gilman Scholarship recipients can use the funding through Dec. 31, 2021," says Whitney Longnecker, Texas Tech Study Abroad director. "We look forward to assisting students when it is safe to travel again."
The following students have been awarded a 2020 Gilman Scholarship:
- $3,000 scholarship: Auriauna Compton, creative media industries; Hannah King, mechanical engineering; Laura Ogletree, foundational engineering; Ogheneakporhobor (Joel) Palmer, nutritional sciences; Sarah Tapia, anthropology; and Stacy Gifford, geosciences.
- $4,000 scholarship: Michael Kerolos, foundational engineering.
- $5,000 scholarship: Bryan Vasquez, general studies; Cynthia Okeke, human sciences; and Grace Matson, multidisciplinary studies.
About the Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs
The Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs' (ECA) mission is to build relations between the people of the U.S. and other countries through academic, cultural, sports, professional and private exchanges as well as public-private partnerships and mentoring programs. These exchange programs improve foreign relations and strengthen the national security of the U.S. ECA programs, funding and other activities encourage the involvement of American and international participants from traditionally underrepresented groups, including women, racial and ethnic minorities, and people with disabilities. Artists, educators, athletes, students, youth and rising leaders in the U.S. and more than 160 countries around the globe participate in these exchanges.
About the Institute of International Education
The Institute of International Education (IIE) works with policymakers, educators and employers across the globe to prepare students and professionals for the global workforce and equip them to solve the increasingly complex challenges facing our interconnected world. An independent, not-for-profit organization founded in 1919, IIE has a network of 18 offices and affiliates worldwide and more than 1,300 member institutions
