EA Scholarships

UNC Charlotte Education Abroad (EA) awards $50,000-$75,000 from endowed and other scholarships annually. Although there are numerous other funding opportunities, the scholarships detailed on this page are facilitated by EA.

ELIGIBILITY FOR EA SCHOLARShIPS

Scholarships managed by UNC Charlotte Education Abroad may only be applied to programs which award academic credit. Students may apply for multiple EA scholarships, but they can only accept one to apply to their study abroad program. EA scholarships cannot be applied towards Faculty-Led Fall Break or Spring Break programs.

Student Eligibility

Students must meet the following requirements at time of application:

  • Undergraduate or Graduate (depending on EA Scholarship)
  • Full-time student at UNC Charlotte
  • 3.0 GPA minimum cumulative UNC Charlotte GPA (Exception: The Odyssean scholarship requires a 3.25)
  • In good disciplinary standing
  • Completion of Study Abroad 101

Recipients must meet the following requirements prior to departure and while abroad:

  • Remain in good disciplinary standing
  • Maintain the equivalent of full-time status at UNC Charlotte while abroad

There may be additional requirements that will vary per EA Scholarship in addition to the general requirements. Students who are eligible for more than one EA scholarship are able to apply for more than one, but can only receive one award.

List of EA Scholarships
Scholarship NameAmountDescription
Dale F. Halton International Study Scholarship$1,000.00​This merit-based scholarship is intended to encourage UNC Charlotte’s best undergraduate students to have an academic experience abroad. This scholarship offers financial assistance to UNC Charlotte students in hopes of strengthening our mission to internationalize the student body.
Charles E. Zeigler Sr. International Study Scholarship$1,000.00​This merit-based scholarship is designed to assist non-traditional undergraduate students with demonstrated financial need in funding a study abroad experience.
Harold Josephson Scholarship for International Study$1,000.00This merit-based scholarship, established in honor of former Associate Vice-Chancellor for International Programs Harold Josephson, is awarded to an outstanding undergraduate from any UNC Charlotte college.
Mary and Tom Martz Scholarship$1,000.00-$1,400.00​This merit-based scholarship is designed to promote understanding of humanity via art and immersion in another culture. Applicants must be studying art in France (with a preference to students studying in Paris) in order to be considered.
Neil and Fred Figge Scholarship for International Study$1,000.00​This merit-based scholarship is designed to assist undergraduate students with a demonstrated financial need to fund an education abroad program. Applicants must provide documentation of demonstrated financial need.
William Wilson Brown Jr. Latin American Studies Scholarship$1,000.00This merit-based scholarship is designed to encourage undergraduate or graduate study in Latin America or Spain. Students in any major or minor will be considered for this award.
Odyssean Scholarship$12,500.00This scholarship is for students who have a demonstrably high financial need as determined by the Office of Financial Aid and who could not otherwise study abroad without the support offered by the scholarship.

Eligibility Requirements (differ from others listed on this page):

– Open to all majors
– Restricted to undergraduates only at the sophomore, junior, or senior level.
– Students must be full-time at the time of application and while abroad.
– The minimum GPA requirement is 3.25.
– This scholarship is only applicable to students participating in a semester-long fall or spring study abroad program for academic credit
Eduard Markosyan Endeavor Scholarship$2,000.00This need-based scholarship was created to honor lifelong educator and artist, Eduard Markosyan. Eligible majors include College of Humanities & Earth and Social Sciences majors. Applicants must provide documentation of demonstrated financial need, typically a FAFSA form.

EA SCHOLARSHIP APPLICATION CYCLES

EA Scholarships have one deadline per year, February 15th. Scholarship awards can then only be utilized in the Summer, Fall, or Spring semester following the deadline.

Students planning to study abroad Summer 2025, Fall 2025, Spring 2026 or Academic Year 2025-26:

  • Deadline: February 15, 2025
    • Exception: The Odyssean Scholarship deadline is March 15, 2025

HOW TO APPLY FOR EA SCHOLARSHIPS

To search for and apply for EA Scholarships, students will need to log into NinerScholar Portal and create a scholarship profile. NinerScholars will automatically match you to the scholarships you are eligible to apply for (based on your student information [e.g. GPA, major, etc.]).

Note:

  • EA scholarships may have additional requirements that the NinerScholars system does not use to verify eligibility, so it is important to read the criteria for each individual scholarship carefully before applying.
  • NinerScholars Portal is a university-wide scholarship database, and does not only list study abroad/EA scholarships.
  • If you do not meet the GPA or other eligibility requirements, the EA scholarships will not appear in NinerScholars Portal, and you will be unable to apply for that scholarship.
  • If you are a transfer student starting at UNC Charlotte in the fall semester, the EA scholarships will only appear once you have established a 3.0 or higher GPA at the end of the Fall semester.
  • Remember: Students may apply for multiple EA scholarships, but they can only accept one to apply to their study abroad program.

Application requirements:

  • Resume
  • Two academic references
  • Most up-to-date UNC Charlotte transcript (official or unofficial)
  • Statement of purpose
  • Advocacy plan
  • Completion of the Study Abroad 101
  • Odyssean Scholarship only: candidate meeting

More instructions regarding the aforementioned requirements will be listed in NinerScholars Portal.

RECIPIENTS Requirements

Recipients of an EA Scholarship will complete the following requirements:

Prior to Departure:

  • ‘Thank You’ letter addressed to the donor of the scholarship you were awarded, uploaded into the NinerScholars Portal.

Upon Return to UNC Charlotte:

Upon acceptance of a scholarship award, recipients will receive detailed instructions from EA on how to complete the following requirements:

  • Submit two photos taken while abroad
  • Submit one reflection essay
  • Complete volunteer hours with UNC Charlotte Education Abroad

Grade Processing

Students awarded an EA Scholarship will not have their study abroad grades processed until the aforementioned requirements are complete. Volunteer hours can only be completed during the fall or spring semester, so grade processing may be delayed for students. Exceptions may be made for students who are graduating in a summer term.

DISBURSAL OF EA SCHOLARSHIP

The EA scholarship will be disbursed in accordance to Financial Aid policies and timelines at UNC Charlotte. This means that the scholarship will disburse at the beginning of the semester the student will be abroad, according to UNC Charlotte’s Academic Calendar – not when the student’s classes start at their host university abroad. The EA scholarship will first be applied to any balance on the recipient’s UNC Charlotte Student Account. If there is no balance on the recipient’s student account, it will then be disbursed to the student directly through direct deposit or in the form of a refund check.