Explore Financial Aid

Financial aid is available to eligible students. To qualify for financial aid, you must:

• Be enrolled in at least six credits during the summer semester
• Take courses that count toward your degree or certificate

All students interested in studying abroad are strongly encouraged to meet with Aims’ Study Abroad Financial Aid Coordinator. Regardless of your current financial aid status, Lorna can help you explore available funding options and better understand the individual costs and financial supports related to your study abroad program.

Note: In order to best serve you, all students are encouraged to complete the FAFSA. This will help Lorna more accurately determine possible funding opportunities. 

Lorna Finlay, Study Abroad Financial Aid Coordinator 

lorna.finlay@aims.edu
 

Aims and the Aims Foundation have partnered to provide an automatic scholarship for students who meet the following eligibility criteria:

• You must be a continuing Aims student (i.e., you must have completed courses at Aims prior to the semester you will be participating in the study abroad program).
• You must be enrolled in 6 or more credits.
• Your study abroad courses must count toward your degree or certificate program.
• You must be meeting Financial Aid Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP) standards.

No application is required—the scholarship will be automatically awarded to eligible students.

The Aims study abroad programs meet the program requirements for the following scholarships. Students should review each scholarship’s eligibility requirements to determine whether they qualify.

Please note that this is not a comprehensive list. We welcome information about additional scholarship opportunities to share with students. Scholarship information can be sent to studyabroad@aims.edu. 

Aims Foundation Scholarship

The Aims Foundation Scholarships program offers access to more than 100 scholarships through a single application. Most scholarships require at least a 2.0 GPA, and the awards support students from a wide range of backgrounds by helping cover educational expenses for the following academic year, including study abroad program participation.

• Timeline: Opens November, Due March

Fund for Education Abroad

The Fund for Education Abroad offers study abroad scholarships and ongoing support for U.S. undergraduate students with financial need, especially those from groups traditionally underrepresented in international education, such as first-generation and community college students. 

• Timeline: Opens July, Due February

Benjamin A. Gilman International Scholarship

• Spring timeline: Opens January, Due March
• Fall timeline: Opens August; Due October

Gilman-McCain Scholarship

The Gilman-McCain Scholarship provides $5,000 to undergraduate students who are dependents (children or spouses) of active or activated U.S. military personnel to support credit-bearing study abroad programs. Applicants must be U.S. citizens receiving Title IV federal financial aid.

• Spring timeline: Opens January, Due March
• Fall timeline: Opens August Due October 

World At Hand

Aims students are eligible to apply for $500 study abroad scholarships that can be used toward airfare, tuition or other travel expenses, with priority given to Pell Grant recipients and students from underrepresented backgrounds. Note: The World At Hand website states that only Denver metro area students are eligible; however, students who list Aims Community College as their academic institution will receive an eligibility waiver. 

• Spring timeline: Opens February; Due April  
• Summer timeline: Opens May, Due July 
• Fall timeline: Opens September, Due November

Community College Access Scholarship

The Community College Access Scholarship (CCAS), offered through the The Forum on Education Abroad, provides $2,000–$5,000 to U.S. community college students with financial need to support study abroad programs. Eligible students must be enrolled at least half-time in a degree program and funds can be used for program fees, travel, passports, visas and other study abroad expenses.

• Spring timeline: Opens May, Due June 
• Fall timeline: Opens September, Due October
• Winter timeline: Opens December, Due February

Aims offers a number of resources to assist you in writing competitive scholarship applications and strongly encourage you to access the following resources when applying for scholarships.

• Visit the Writing Center for help reviewing your essays for clarity and proper writing techniques. 
• Check the Writers Community list of workshops. There are often workshops specifically related to scholarships and other academic writing. 
• Attend a Scholarship Power Hour. The Aims Foundation and Financial Aid teams host drop-in scholarship application support sessions throughout late January and early February to assist you in applying for scholarships. 

Stay in touch!

Sign up for the study abroad mailing list to stay up-to-date on any new financial aid opportunities.