International Learning Funding Opportunities

Students who are participating in a Western-sanctioned international learning experience are encouraged to apply for awards for which they are eligible. The list below is not exhaustive, and we encourage students to review the awards below as well as complete their own search of additional funding sources.

More information about the awards listed below, and others, please visit the Office of the Registrar – Scholarships & Awards website or the awards database.

Global Opportunities Awards

Deadline to Apply

Round 1: November 15
Round 2: February 15

Awarded to full-time undergraduate, and graduate students participating in a Western sanctioned international learning experience.  Learn more.

Amount: $1,000 or $2,000

International Learning Awards

Deadline to Apply

Round 1: November 15
Round 2: February 15

Available to full-time undergraduate students planning an international learning experience in the summer immediately following their first year of studies up until the end of April in their fourth year of studies.

If you have a cumulative average of at least 70% with a full-time course load at the end of the most recently completed term, you will be eligible for a $1000 award to help finance an international learning experience. First year students will be awarded the funds after Winter term grades are recorded.   Learn more.

Amount: $1,000

Western's Admission Scholarship - Optional Study Abroad Funding

Deadline to Apply

Round 1: November 15
Round 2: February 15

Available to recipients of these Western Admissions Scholarships:

  • Western Scholarship of Excellence
  • Western Scholarship of Distinction
  • Western Admission Scholarship
  • Carmeta Thelma Hodges Western Continuing Admission Scholarship of Excellence for Black Students
  • Western Continuing Admission Scholarship of Excellence for Black Students
  • Lieutenant Colonel Kenneth Jacobs Western Continuing Admission Scholarship of Distinction for Black Students
  • Western Continuing Admission Scholarship of Excellence for Indigenous Students

To be eligible to receive this funding the student must participate in an international experience that is approved by Western International, complete their experience prior to the end of their fourth year of studies, and be registered at Western in the academic year the funding is requested.

Students must submit an International Experience Awards Application to notify Student Financial Services of their travel plans. Students can only receive this funding one time during their undergraduate career at Western.  Eligibility criteria

Amount:

  • $1000 for recipients of a Western Scholarship of Distinction or Western Admission Scholarship.
  • $2000 for recipients of a Western Scholarship of Excellence, Carmeta Thelma Hodges Western Continuing Admission Scholarship of Excellence for Black Students, Western Continuing Admission Scholarship of Excellence for Black Students, Lieutenant Colonel Kenneth Jacobs Western Continuing Admission Scholarship of Distinction for Black Students, Western Continuing Admission Scholarship of Excellence for Indigenous Students. 

Sun Light Foundation International Exchange Award

Deadline to Apply: November 15

Awarded annually to students registered at Western who are participating in an approved exchange program at a partner university. Students that receive any other exchange scholarship or fellowship are not eligible.

Amount: $2,200

German Exchange Travelling Fellowship

Deadline to Apply: November 15

Awarded to full-time Western students selected to participate in a Western sanctioned exchange program in Germany.

Amount: Varies annually

Ivey Foundation Awards for International Exchange Program

Awarded annually to upper-year, full-time undergraduate students who have applied for the fall and/or winter term and have been accepted to participate in any International Exchange Program. Students must have an 80% minimum average and will be evaluated on their overall academic record, participation in extra-curricular activities, and financial need. These awards are offered through the Ontario Student Opportunity Trust Fund (OSOTF) program, and recipients must meet Ontario residency requirements.

In addition, students must submit an online Financial Assistance application to be assessed for financial need. The application is available through the Student Center.

Application Deadline: September 30

Amount: $5,000

To apply to these awards, students must complete the International Experience Awards Application.

  • There are two application deadlines annually for Global Opportunities Awards, International Learning Awards, and Admission Scholarships - Optional Study Abroad Funding:
    • November 15, with decisions being released late January
    • February 15, with decisions being released in early April
  • Sun Light Foundation International Exchange Award: November 15
  • Ivey Foundation Awards for International Exchange Program: September 30
  • German Exchange Travel Fellowship: November 15
  • Due to the volume of applications only successful applicants will be notified. Successful applicants will be notified via their Western email address.

Complete the International Experience Awards Application

 


Special Scholarship Exchange Programs

There are a number of special scholarship programs available to Western students that provide funding to participate in an exchange program. 

Robert T. Jones Jr. Foundation Scholarships (St. Andrews University, Scotland) - $7,000

Each year up to four Western undergraduate students are selected for this exchange to St. Andrews University, Scotland, and are awarded a $7,000 scholarship from the Canadian Robert T. Jones Jr. Foundation. The Jones Scholarships are designed to reward all-around excellence in students and are awarded on the basis of outstanding academic performance to candidates who demonstrate a passion for the pursuit of learning and a commitment to the ongoing life of their university and/or wider community. More information

Cowin Scholarships (Bond University, Australia) - $7,500

Each year up to five Western undergraduate students are selected for an exchange to Bond University in Australia, and are awarded a Cowin Scholarship valued at $7,500. The Cowin Scholarship Program is possible thanks to the generous donation Western alumnus and Australian business leader, Jack Cowin. The Cowin Scholarships are designed to reward all-around excellence in students.  More information

Ontario Universities International Programs (Germany/France) - $2,500-$3,500

Ontario-Rhone-Alpes (ORA) Exchange Program

The  France/Ontario Rhone-Alpes Program (ORA) is an Ontario-wide program that provides exchange opportunities at ten universities in the Rhone-Alpes Region of France and Ontario. ORA offers funding as follows:

  • One-semester exchange: $2,500
  • Full-year exchange: $3,500 

More information

Ontario-Baden-Wurttemberg Exchange Program

The  Ontario/Baden-Wurttemberg Exchange Program (OBW) is an Ontario-wide program that provides exchange opportunities at nine universities in the region of Baden-Wurttemberg in Germany. OBW offers funding as follows:

  • One-semester exchange: $2,500
  • Full-year exchange: $3,500

More information


Additional Western Awards

For more information about the awards listed below, including how to apply, please visit the awards database.

  • A. Dorothy Turvill Undergraduate Language Travelling Fellowship
  • Archaeological Dig Travel Award
  • Canadian Friends of the Hebrew University of Jerusalem Awards
  • Catherine Mary Bowie Travelling Award
  • Diana Beattie Exchange Scholarship
  • Eve Harp & Judith Wiley Classical Studies Travel Award
  • Faculty of Health Sciences Clinical Education Placement Travel Subsidy
  • Geophysics Travel Scholarships
  • Igor Lukac Engineering Award
  • Jacob Family International Study Award
  • John D. Schussler Travelling Award
  • Killam Fellowship (Exchange program with the Killam Mobility Program)
  • National Scholarship Study Abroad Awards
  • SASAH Travel Award
  • Sir Charles Edward Saunders - Mary Eileen Anderson Awards
  • The Third Year in Nice Study Abroad Award
  • Virginia Harris Exchange Scholarship
  • Western Study Abroad Bursaries
  • Wilfred and Zeta O'Donnell Travelling Fellowship 
  • William C. Heine International Study Fellowship

External Awards

This is a short list of some awards students may wish to explore. However, we encourage students to complete their own search of awards available outside of Western.