Dean's Fund for International Engagement

Exchange: Students attend classes at a partner university overseas; living and learning is with host university students. Students pay OSU tuition plus overseas living/travel expenses. 
Length: 4-6 months (1-2 terms)
Range: $500-$3000

Study Abroad Program/Intensive Language Program: Students are part of a stand-alone learning group of US students in a specific location; they may or may not have classes with local university students.
Length: 2-3 months (1 term)
Range: $500-$1200

International Internships: Students participate in a professional work experience coordinated through the College of Forestry Internship or IE3 Global Internship programs.  Satisfies required work experience in COF degrees.
Length: 2-6 months
Range: $300-$2000

Short-term Faculty-Led Programs: Students are part of a cohort-based group led by COF or other OSU faculty members to a single or multiple locations.
Length: Less than one term
Range: $300-$1000

Undergraduate/Graduate - Independent learning experience: Students are involved in research or other international activities not listed above; you must discuss this option with the Director of International Programs to ensure it is eligible for funding support. Can include conference attendance, if student is presenting/participating in poster session.
Length: Varies
Range: Varies; up to $2500

Don't see your experience included here? Please be in touch with Rabeb Zghal (rabeb.zghal@oregonstate.edu) to discuss your international plans.

Please note that the award ranges listed are estimates only, and actual awards depend on student achievement, financial profile, cost of program and availability of funds.

The events of 2020 have taught us that we are deeply interconnected with people and ecosystems around the globe. Even when we cannot travel, it does not mean that global connections and experiences are not unavailable or unimportant! In this spirit, the Dean's Fund for International Engagement committee will continue accepting applications for virtual experiences of an international nature. These could be online conferences, internships, or study programs. In your narrative section, please be sure to specifically address how this experience will still connect you with international peers and mentors. 

These are the steps to submitting an application for COF awards:

• You will need to complete the COF Dean’s Investment Fund Award Application Form by the deadline indicated below.
• Submit an unofficial transcript.
• A letter of reference from an OSU faculty member must be submitted on your behalf. You can upload the letter to your application, or your reference can email it to rachael.fahrenbach@oregonstate.edu.
• Submit a copy of your most recent financial aid award letter. If you do not apply for/receive aid, please be sure to explain the rationale for this in your financial statement on the application.
• If you have received one, please include a copy of your acceptance letter to the international program you have chosen; OR a letter of invitation from the organization/individual with which/whom you will be working. These documents will be required before any funds are released to you.

Applications MUST be completed by these deadlines to be considered for funding. Plan ahead!

Please note that it is not necessary to have been accepted into a program before you apply.

• January 10 for international experiences beginning in Spring Break or Spring term (late March - early June)
• April 1  for international experiences beginning in Summer term (late June - August)
• June 1 for international experiences beginning in Fall term (Sept - Dec)
• November 1 for international experiences beginning in Winter term (Jan - early March)

Students MAY submit an application for an earlier deadline if their international plans are set, and they would like to be considered for an earlier award decision.

Applicants will be notified of awards within six weeks of the application deadline.

Once students have submitted applications, a committee from the college convenes to review all applications and award funding. Not all award amounts will be the same. The following criteria are taken into consideration. 

Student Factors:

• GPA (all scholarships require a MINIMUM of a 2.5 GPA for eligibility)
• Transcripts and academic courses taken
• Financial need (information is requested from the OSU Financial Aid Office, and considered along with students’ own need statements)
• Essay/justification
• Letter of reference from a faculty member
• Previous international experience
• Candidates must have a clean student conduct record

Program/Experience Factors:

• Duration of stay abroad
• Program cost/fee, travel costs (airfare, visa expenses, immunizations), living expenses
• Research equipment, additional logistical costs (if applicable)
• Relation of program/experience to COF’s strategic priorities to enhance and expand the worldwide impact of the College of Forestry and tackle critical global issues through international education and collaboration

Your Award Letter will provide details on how you will receive the funds. Some awards are deposited directly into Student Accounts. Other awards are made as a reimbursement of agreed-upon costs up to the total amount awarded. In the case of a reimbursement, a receipt for the expense(s) will be required. Funding awards will follow COF and OSU approved travel/reimbursement policy. If a student is claiming reimbursement from more than one funding source, the International Engagement award must be used to cover costs not covered elsewhere.

The award will be disbursed during the term you are abroad, not necessarily before your program begins.

Professionalism

General Professionalism – Make sure everything is clear and concise. Your purpose is to ask for funds as an academic and to have an experience that will benefit you academically, so make sure to bring that mindset into any writing you have to do for a scholarship.

Grammar and typos – Read through your responses out loud, and have another person look over your essays for grammar and spelling mistakes. It’s an easy way to catch mistakes that you might otherwise miss, and it’s always good to have another set of eyes on your work before you press submit!

Contractions, slang and jargon – This is professional writing, so it always looks better when you write without contractions or slang. Remember you are speaking to a professional audience. That being said, do not use jargon either. Maybe you do complex lab work that relates to the program topic, but most people do not work in your field so do not assume they know what you’re talking about. Write to an educated and informed audience, but be a good communicator as well.

Expectations if you receive the award – We ask for a small “giveback” project about your experiences abroad if you receive the award. You get to tell us what you would be interested in doing but in the end we decide based on what we need. This is part of receiving the award. Make sure to be professional about getting it done in a timely manner and responding to any emails about the project. We know everyone is busy, so just make sure you can commit to doing this if you receive the award.              

The Essay

Length – A good essay response is between 350-500 words. The scholarship committee has to read a lot of these so don’t make it too long since they have many others to read as well. At the same time, don’t just write a few sentences– this can make it hard to understand why you are applying for the award and get a good picture of how this will benefit you as a student.

What to include – With such a short response space, make sure to include only the most important information. Why will this program help you in achieving your academic or career goals and help you in the future? Why are you interested in this program? Why are you asking for this amount of funding? Justify your reasons for applying to this academic experience – you are not going on a vacation so make your academic interests in the program very clear.

The Recommendation Letter

Who to ask – For an academic award, be sure to ask an OSU professor. They need to be able to speak about you in an academic context. If you don’t feel any professor knows you well enough, approach a professor whose class you really enjoyed. If it is the beginning of a term and you know you will need a letter, feel free to let a professor know that you’re thinking of asking them for a recommendation and ask if there is anything you can do help them get to know your strengths. This can also be useful for e-campus students who maybe haven’t met their professors in person.

How to ask – Send your professor an email or visit them during office hours, explain what the program/award is, and ask if they can write you a letter. It is very important to give them plenty of time to get it done and it’s always polite to send them your resume to help them write about your other experiences as well as what they know about you. Also, always give them an out – let them know they can say no if they’re too busy or don’t think they know you well enough.

It has to be an actual letter – You can have the same person write your recommendation for the scholarship and one of the faculty-led programs, but remember: this award requires an actual letter (not a webform). The faculty-led program applications have your recommenders fill out a webform. Let your recommender know that you need a PDF or Word document this time.