Abroad Award
Term Length: Up to 1 year
Financial Need
US Citizenship Required
Minimum GPA: 2.8

1. Must be a U.S. citizen or permanent resident at the time of application.
2. Must currently receive need-based financial aid or demonstrate a verifiable need for financial assistance to participate in the proposed study abroad program. The applicant is required to submit the Estimated Family Contribution (EFC) figure, calculated through FAFSA, via the online Freeman-ASIA application.
3. Must be an undergraduate student with a minimum GPA of 2.8, pursuing his or her first bachelor’s degree (or associate’s degree), at a two-year or a four-year institution of higher education in the United States.
4. Must apply through the U.S. home campus and have at least one term of enrollment remaining at the home institution in the U.S. upon returning from studying abroad in Asia.
5. Must have applied or have been accepted to a study abroad based program in: Cambodia, China, Hong Kong, Indonesia, Japan, Korea, Laos, Macao, Malaysia, Mongolia, Philippines, Singapore, Taiwan, Thailand, Vietnam. A multi-country program is eligible only if the applicant will spend at least 8 weeks in one of the countries stated above and will have intensive language study during that period.
6. Must have applied to or have been accepted by a study abroad based program that awards academic credits through the home campus or other U.S. accredited college or university. The proposed length of study in the host country must be a minimum of 8 weeks for a summer term, 10 weeks for a quarter term, and 12 weeks for a semester term. Internship based programs are not eligible for award.
7. Must have little or no previous experience in the country in which he or she plans to study. A summer term applicant must not have spent more than 4 weeks in the proposed country of study within the last 5 years. A semester or an academic year term applicant must not have spent more than 6 weeks in the proposed country of study within the last 5 years.
8. Must submit the online Freeman-ASIA Student Impact Survey within one month of returning to the United States and must initiate his/her service project to promote study abroad opportunities in Asia on the college campus and/or in the local community.
9. Must submit the Freeman-ASIA Final Service Report on the implementation of his/her service project at the end of the term following his/her return to the United States.
10. Must not be a previous Freeman-ASIA award recipient.

A Freeman-ASIA Award provides need-based funding to assist the recipient with the cost of the study abroad program and related expenses, including airfare, basic living costs, local transportation, books, etc.

Freeman-ASIA Award funds may be adjusted should the recipient receive additional financial assistance not reported at the time of application.

Award payments are made payable to the recipient but are sent to the Study Abroad Adviser for distribution. Funds are released to the recipient in one lump sum for summer and semester awards and in two installments for academic year awards.

Students may apply for institutional/program-based Freeman Foundation grants and the Freeman-ASIA Awards at the same time, but may only accept one per proposed study abroad term should the student be awarded both.

Applicants are required to reach out to their Study Abroad Adviser to discuss their study abroad plans and confirm that their program meets the Freeman-ASIA eligibility requirements. It is important that students identify and communicate with the individual on campus best suited to certify their application. This person is typically a campus Study Abroad Adviser, or the individual who is most familiar with the study abroad program to which the student is applying. Other faculty or staff members who are not familiar with the study abroad program should not be asked to certify the application. While some institutions may have a designated person to certify this application, IIE does not maintain a list of designated advisers. Applicants should be aware of who the designated person is prior to submitting contact information in their application.

When students have completed (but not submitted) their application, they will be asked to register their Study Abroad Adviser using the “Register Study Abroad Adviser” section of the Embark application. The adviser will then receive an email with a link to the online certification form. The adviser will review the academic and programmatic information provided in the application, offering corrections or clarification to the student’s responses where necessary. The application will be considered certified when the adviser confirms in her/his response and/or corrections that the applicant and the program are eligible and that the program is approved by the home institution.

Financial Aid Advisers

Financial Aid Advisers are no longer required to certify applications. Students will need to upload the following documents to their application:

• Latest Student Aid Report
• Current academic year financial aid award letter
• Current academic year cost of attendance at the home institution

Students are instructed to contact their Financial Aid Adviser to review and understand their projected resources and financial aid that can be applied to their study abroad program. Students are also asked to provide the contact information for their Financial Aid Adviser in their application.