Dec. 12, 2025 — A new wave of Benjamin A. Gilman International Scholarship announcements is landing on U.S. campuses as students learn the outcome of the October 2025 application cycle. From New York City to Pittsburgh to Virginia, universities are spotlighting recipients who will use the funding to study across Europe, Africa, and Asia—often in programs that would be financially out of reach without support tied to federal financial aid eligibility. [1]
The Gilman Program—run on behalf of the U.S. Department of State and administered by the Institute of International Education—supports U.S. undergraduates with high financial need to study or intern abroad. Recipients must be Federal Pell Grant recipients (or able to show they will receive Pell during the term abroad), making the scholarship a pivotal tool for widening access to global learning beyond students who can self-fund international experiences. [2]
Below is what’s newly reported as of December 12, 2025, including today’s University of Richmond release and this week’s announcements from Fordham and the University of Pittsburgh. [3]
University of Richmond: Five Gilman Scholars Headed to Czechia, Ghana, Portugal, South Korea and Spain
In a release dated December 12, 2025, the University of Richmond announced that five students have been offered Gilman Scholarships to support upcoming study abroad plans. The destinations span Czechia, Ghana, Portugal, South Korea, and Spain, reflecting the program’s emphasis on building global experience across diverse regions and academic pathways. [4]
The university’s Office of Scholars and Fellowships emphasized the equity impact of the award, noting that the scholarships help students participate in international education who otherwise might not be able to travel. [5]
Richmond listed the following recipients and locations:
- Kristal Boakye (accounting, junior) — Ghana [6]
- Bonny Bruzos (philosophy, sophomore) — Czechia [7]
- Ryan Dillard (biology, junior) — South Korea [8]
- Brenda Galbier (psychology, sophomore) — Spain [9]
- Amani Jamil (economics, junior) — Portugal [10]
Richmond also reported that since the program began in 2001, 118 University of Richmond students have been offered Gilman Scholarships—signaling sustained institutional participation in a highly competitive national program. [11]
Fordham University: Two Gilman Scholarship Winners Planning Programs in Paris, Spain and Morocco
At Fordham University, a December 11, 2025 announcement named two undergraduates as new Gilman Scholarship recipients: Andrra Kryeziu and Zainab Razia. [12]
Fordham reported that:
- Kryeziu, an honors student majoring in International Political Economy, plans to study international relations and business in Paris in the spring. [13]
- Razia, a political science major, plans to study migration policy with a summer program spanning Granada, Spain, and Morocco. [14]
The university also highlighted how the scholarship fits into larger momentum around education abroad on campus. Fordham said study abroad participation has risen to a historic high of 51%, and that the university was listed among the top 20 doctoral-granting universities for semester-long study abroad participation. [15]
Beyond travel itself, Fordham pointed to downstream career value: Gilman recipients gain access to a broad alumni network, and the program can connect to federal career pathways—an idea supported by the Gilman Program’s Non-Competitive Eligibility (NCE) hiring status for federal employment for eligible alumni. [16]
University of Pittsburgh: Eight Gilman Scholars Across Engineering, Nursing, Business and Public Health
The University of Pittsburgh also announced Gilman Scholarship results on December 11, 2025, naming eight undergraduates selected in the October 2025 application cycle. [17]
Pitt’s list underscores how the scholarship reaches students across majors, including professional and STEM-adjacent tracks often seen as “hard to schedule” for studying abroad. Pitt reported the following recipients and destinations:
- Adora Abdul (engineering, first-year; honors) — Spain [18]
- Leo Dean (business, junior; supply chain management) — Australia [19]
- Khady Fall (nursing, junior) — Senegal [20]
- Rachel Kam (nursing, junior; minor in Korean) — Switzerland [21]
- Ariana Kamugisha (public health, sophomore; Swahili minor; African studies certificate) — Kenya [22]
- Sophia Marzka (business, sophomore; marketing; innovation/entrepreneurship certificate; honors) — South Korea [23]
- Riley Moss (nursing, first-year; honors) — Argentina [24]
- Emily Truitt (public health, sophomore; honors) — India [25]
Pitt also flagged what many students immediately want to know after award announcements begin circulating: when the next cycle opens. The university reported that the next Gilman application cycle opens in mid-January, with applications due March 5—a deadline that matches the program’s official timeline. [26]
The October 2025 Gilman Cycle: National Competition and What the Numbers Show
While each university announcement centers on individual student journeys, multiple institutions are also publishing the broader competitiveness picture behind this year’s results:
- The University of Maryland reported that 7,700 applicants competed nationally and 1,550 scholarships were awarded—an overall selection rate of 20%—and said UMD earned 46 scholarships from 178 applications. [27]
- Borough of Manhattan Community College (BMCC/CUNY) similarly cited the 7,700 / 1,550 / 20% figures in its own December 10, 2025 release, while noting 10 BMCC students received a combined $26,000 in awards averaging roughly $2,500–$3,000. [28]
- Today’s University of Richmond release also reported approximately 1,550 scholarships awarded nationally, aligning with those campus totals. [29]
Taken together, this week’s campus updates paint a consistent picture: Gilman is not a niche travel grant—it is a competitive national scholarship with a large applicant pool, and results are a significant institutional milestone when they arrive. [30]
What the Gilman Scholarship Covers, Who Qualifies, and Why It’s Different
Unlike many private study-abroad scholarships, Gilman is structured to expand access for students who are often underrepresented in international education—particularly those with high financial need. Official program materials describe Gilman as a competitive, merit-based U.S. Department of State initiative designed to build language and cultural skills that support U.S. economic prosperity and national security. [31]
Key eligibility requirements include:
- U.S. citizenship or nationality
- Undergraduate status in good standing at an accredited U.S. institution (two- or four-year)
- Federal Pell Grant receipt (at application time or during the term abroad)
- A credit-bearing study abroad or internship program
- A destination that aligns with U.S. Department of State Travel Advisory Levels 1 or 2 (with restrictions on Level 3/4 areas) [32]
Award and program scale:
- The Gilman Program states that nearly 3,000 scholarships of up to $5,000 will be awarded in the academic year, with additional limited supplemental funding opportunities for STEM-related experiences and critical language study. [33]
- The program reports an alumni network of more than 44,000, supporting study and internships in 170+ countries, with recipients coming from 1,386+ U.S. institutions over time. [34]
Career advantage: Gilman alumni may qualify for Non-Competitive Eligibility (NCE) status for federal hiring for 12 months, with possible extensions in certain cases—an often-overlooked benefit that campuses frequently cite when encouraging students to apply. [35]
Service requirement: After returning, Gilman scholars are required to complete alumni requirements—including a Follow-on Service Project designed to increase awareness of study abroad and the Gilman Scholarship in their home or campus community. [36]
Why These December 2025 Announcements Matter for Spring and Summer 2026 Planning
The Gilman Program’s official timeline explains why campus announcements cluster in December: for the October 2025 deadline, applicants are notified by email in December 2025. [37]
That notification window is strategically important for students finalizing spring, summer, and fall plans—especially those balancing:
- academic sequencing (clinical programs, engineering course chains, capstones),
- work obligations,
- and the higher upfront costs of passports, flights, deposits, and insurance.
The universities highlighting winners this week show how students are using Gilman to make diverse program models possible—semester study in Paris, multi-country summer programs in Spain and Morocco, and placements across Africa and Asia that align with majors ranging from accounting and philosophy to nursing and public health. [38]
Next Deadline: When the Gilman Application Opens Again
For students watching these announcements and wondering if it’s too late to apply, the answer is no.
The Gilman Program confirms that the next application cycle opens in mid-January 2026, with a student deadline of Thursday, March 5, 2026 (11:59 p.m. PT). [39]
Pitt’s announcement mirrors that timeline and directs students toward campus advising resources, a reminder that institutional support (workshops, essay feedback, financial aid coordination) is often part of the “hidden curriculum” behind strong applications. [40]
The Big Picture: Gilman as a Barometer of Where Study Abroad Is Heading
The Dec. 12 University of Richmond update is part of a broader pattern playing out in higher education: universities are increasingly treating global experiences as a core component of student success—while acknowledging that cost remains the biggest barrier.
Fordham’s report of a 51% study abroad participation rate and growing Gilman recipient totals shows how scholarships can shift what is “normal” on a campus. [41]
Meanwhile, Pitt’s mix of first-year and sophomore winners across engineering, nursing, business, and public health highlights that study abroad is no longer confined to a narrow slice of majors. [42]
And Richmond’s latest cohort—spanning accounting, philosophy, biology, psychology, and economics—underscores that a global education can be integrated into nearly any academic path when funding is available. [43]
As students across the country receive December notifications—and as campuses continue publishing recipient lists—Gilman remains one of the clearest indicators of how the study abroad landscape is evolving: toward broader participation, more diverse destinations, and a tighter connection between international experience, career readiness, and public service pathways. [44]
References
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