If you receive Financial Aid you may use it towards your SBCC Study Abroad program. To find out if you are eligible for Financial Aid and to apply visit the  Financial Aid page or meet with your financial aid advisor. The Financial Aid Office is located in the Student Services Building, Room # SS-210. They can also advise you on grants and loans. 

SBCC offers a number of scholarships for qualified study abroad program participants. To access the scholarship application, please visit the SBCC Scholarships website and complete the online application. Most of these study abroad scholarships are need-based, although some merit-based scholarships are also available. The study abroad scholarship awards usually vary from $500 to $2,500. Complete the General Application to be considered for SBCC scholarships such as departmental scholarships which can be used during the program. Study Abroad scholarship applications are only for Study Abroad programs and do not require the General Scholarship Application.

Please note: All the scholarships require participation in the program, not merely acceptance to a given program. If the programs are cancelled before students are actually in country, none of the scholarships will be awarded. Each scholarship has specific requirements that must apply and those are not subject to waiver in the event of cancellation. Please check with the financial aid office for any clarification or questions.

The U.S. Department of State’s Benjamin A. Gilman International Scholarship is a grant program that enables students of limited financial means to study or intern abroad, thereby gaining skills critical to our national security and economic competitiveness.

The Gilman Scholarship Program is open to U.S. citizen undergraduate students who are receiving Federal Pell Grant funding at a two-year or four-year college or university to participate in study and intern abroad programs worldwide and awards up to $5,000 per recipient. You may find more information on the Gilman Scholarship website. In addition, you can find great video resources right HERE.

In addition, children dependents of active duty military members can apply for the Gilman-McCain Scholarship,  a congressionally funded initiative of the Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs at the U.S. Department of State and named after the late senator John S. McCain from Arizona.  Find the information and application for the scholarship HERE.

Planning to participate in a program to Germany? The Gilman-DAAD Germany Scholarship will provide 40 additional scholarships per year for the next three years for exceptional U.S. undergraduate students to study and/or intern for academic credit in Germany through the Gilman Program. Just follow the Gilman link to apply.

Please utilize the SBCC Writing Center or the EOPS Office to fine-tune your Gilman essay! You can also reach out to Dr. Menendez at menendez@sbcc.edu to get additional help with your essay. Refer to this guideline to WRITE A WINNING SCHOLARSHIP ESSAY.

SBCC Study Abroad also offers a workshop in the Fall and Spring semester prior to the application deadline. Please check our events page for details on the workshop.

Check out the below video from Bali student Destiny Acevedo to see how Study Abroad changed her live and how Gilman made it all possible. This is also a great example of a follow-up project!

The Fund for Education Abroad (FEA) was established in 2010 and intends to broaden access to study abroad for underrepresented groups of students. For eligibility criteria and instructions how to apply, please visit the Fund for Education Abroad website.

One of the scholarships through FEA is the Rainbow Scholarship. This scholarship will be awarded to a deserving LGBTQI student who aims to participate in a high-quality, rigorous education abroad program. This scholarship is made possible by the generous support of a group of international education professionals who are committed to advocating on behalf of LGBTQI students. These professionals counsel international and study abroad LGBTQI students, support their LGBTQI colleagues in the field, and collaborate through groups created with the support of NAFSA and the Forum for Education Abroad.

"I went to a college with kids who were in a completely different socioeconomic grou and were primarily white. No one else seemed to notice the cultural, economic and social barriers affecting my experiences. I felt like FEA saw me and recognized the boost I needed. My study abroad trip helped me see the world in a new way. I studied sustainable development whichchanged how I live my life but also how I view solutions to community proglems. I learned unexpected things like grassroots organizing and bottom up solutions. I might not always be directly employing these things but they shape the choices I make in my every day life, hwo and what I believe in and trust and my thoughts for my future Career."

"Personally, before abroad, I only cared about my problems and what I see here in the United States. It never occured to me that the world also has issues of its own and that people try to voice their concerns and I did not hear them. Now I look at what is going on in other countries and talk to my friends to get their input and we discuss the topic and hand."

If you believe you qualify for the California College Promise, you must apply for it before registering for Study Abroad courses. Contact the SBCC Admissions office or go directly to California College Promise for more information. 

Through a combination of financial support, academic guidance, cultural immersion, professional development, and community engagement, the program equips students for transfer readiness, and community leadership, and fosters both personal, professional, and academic growth. The primary goal of the Umoja International Student Fellowship Program is to enhance students' knowledge, skills, and global perspective while decreasing the time to degree completion and increasing graduation, retention, and transfer rates.
For spring 2025 programs: Application Period: August 1 - October 1, at 11:59 pm Pacific Time 
For summer 2025 programs: Application Period: December 1 - February 1, at 11:59 pm Pacific Time 
Learn more and apply HERE.

The Hispanic Association of Colleges and Universities and Southwest Airlines® have opened applications for the 20th Annual ¡Lánzate!/Take Off! Higher Education Travel Award Program. Through this national initiative, HACU and Southwest Airlines will award roundtrip flights to undergraduate and graduate students across the country. Eligibility requirements include being enrolled at a college/university located at least 200 miles from a student’s home and the submission of required essays. Selected students receive tickets for use to travel between home and college or university. Apply HERE.

Spring 2023 Rome program participants Harrison Love was one of only 2 students selected for this scholarship. Watch his winning submission and then head to the scholarship page for next years scholarship here: https://lewerglobal.com/scholarship/

EOPS partnered with the SBCC Foundation to offer Study Abroad Awards for semester-length and summer programs. EOPS is excited to support your journey, offer financial assistance and guidance as you embark on this transformative international experience. Awards range from $1,000 - $3,000 per student for short and semester length program. Visit the EOPS Study Abroad Award page to learn about requirements, application timelines and more. 

Recipients receive $2,000 to help finance their international trip that includes an educational or service component. Scholarships to would-be travelers around the country, aged 18-30, who need a little extra help along the way.  Requires a minimum 2-night stay in a hostel outside of SBCC program required excursion and travel.  This can be either a weekend getaway during a longer program, or an extension for shorter programs. October 25 deadline applies to travel starting after March 8, 2025 up to August 15, 2026. Get details HERE.

The Freeman -ASIA program is designed to support U.S.-based undergraduates with demonstrated financial need who are planning to study abroad in East or Southeast Asia. The program’s goal is to increase the number of U.S. citizens and permanent residents with first-hand exposure to and understanding of Asia and its peoples and cultures. Find details on the scholarship HERE.

The SBCC Promise will provide any local student who completes their secondary education within the Santa Barbara Community College District with the opportunity to attend SBCC full-time for two years free of charge. The SBCC Promise, a project of the SBCC Foundation, will use privately raised funds to cover all enrollment and required fees, required books, and required supplies in an effort to remove economic barriers, making our community’s college fully accessible to all local students. SBCC Promise can be used on our Study Abroad programs.

If you are ready and excited to start planning your trip, but discouraged by a financial roadblock, SBCC Study Abroad has another solution for you. We have teamed up with FundMyTravel, an online platform where you can fundraise for your upcoming travels with us. Create your own unique campaign page, complete a brief profile to build trust, and get sharing to watch the dollars come flying in!

FundMyTravel has a team of dedicated staff who want to help SBCC Study Abroad participants reach their fundraising goals. They can provide tips and insights on the best ways to spread the word and offer sharing tools to get your campaign greater exposure through social media and email. Scroll down to click the button to learn more and get started or use this link:  Fund My Travel

There are a few scholarships who seek to support students identifying as LGBTQ+. They may not be study abroad scholarships specifically, but rather general scholarships aiming to support students of the LGBTQ+ community and funds can be used on a study abroad program. Be sure to read through the eligibility requirements. SBCC is not associated with the scholarships and can not provide additional details. Be sure to reach out to the organizations offering the scholarships directly. 
Stonewall Community Foundation Scholarships 
Gamma Mu Foundation Scholarship
Human Rights Campaign Scholarship Database
Campus Pride Scholarship Database

The Diverse International Women Of Color Study Abroad Scholarship is intended to assist women of color who are exceptional in their studies and in need of financial assistance to study abroad.

DIWC will award $500 scholarships to women of color who have been accepted to a In-Person Study Abroad Program. For details and deadlines, click on the link to visit the website:  https://diwcfund.org/diwc-scholarship/

Dr. Donald R. Culton was the first-full-time administrator for international education at a California community college and helped to lay the groundwork for community college study abroad. Awards are up to $ 500. Find scholarship application information HERE.

The Boren Awards fund the intensive study of language and culture abroad by U.S. undergraduate or graduate students. All eligible applicants have the option to either apply for a Regional Flagship Language Initiative or select/design their own study program. The Boren Awards give preference to applicants who will be matriculated in degree programs (i.e. majoring or double-majoring) in the these fields of study. Visit their site to learn more about eligibility and apply.

In 2024, the Community College League of California will give 10 California Community College students $1,000 scholarships in an inaugural distribution of awards. The scholarships are funded by the proceeds of the book "College for all Californians: A History of the California Community Colleges." Visit the Application page HERE.