Uganda Study Abroad Scholarships

Post-Idi Amin Uganda offers Real Life Instruction

Uganda has faced guerrilla warfare ever sense becoming an independent nation in 1962. It also is subject to poverty and widespread disease- most predominantly HIV/AIDS and tuberculosis. Because of these extremely unfortunate events, however, it is a great place for students and scholars alike to study the effects that these tragedies have caused. Peace and conflict studies are major area for study in Uganda.

There are many different opportunities for students to receive funding for a study abroad program in Uganda. The United States government is actually a big proponent in encouraging foreign study in this region.

Government Scholarships

There are many critiques about our federal government, but the one thing they are extremely good at is providing the means by which students can study abroad. There are two programs in particular which allow students this opportunity.

The Benjamin A. Gilman International Scholarships are a great source of financial assistance to students who are already receiving financial aid in the form of Federal Pell Grants. This program encourages students to travel to locations outside the normal scope of other study abroad programs. Countries in Western Europe, Australia and New Zealand are discouraged. Third-world countries such as Uganda are at the top of list of places that the government urges students to go to. The average amount awarded is $4,000! Over 2,300 Gilman Scholarships are awarded annually.

Another great program the Federal Government endorses is the David L. Boren Awards for International Study. This program gives both undergraduates and graduate students the chance to study in a foreign country and learn another language. The locations you can choose from a deemed critical to the United States’ interested. Like the Gilman Scholarships, these places are also underrepresented in other study abroad programs. The programs associated with the Boren Scholarships focus on the challenges of a global society, including global disease and hunger, economic competitiveness, and sustainable development. The amount of funding is very different than the Gilman scholarships, however. Students can receive up to $20,000.

As mentioned before, there is a great need for people to volunteer in the medical field. The Global Health Program for Fellows and Scholars, supported by the National Institute of Health, gives students the opportunity to participate in clinical research training. Through the Global Health program, graduate students are able to travel to countries in Africa, Asia, and The Americas to meet and work with mentors and colleagues to advance people’s health. This experience is unrivaled in that students are actively involved in learning new practices while making a difference in peoples’ lives. In Uganda there is a special focus on the treatment and prevention practices of HIV/AIDS. Only around 50 of these awards are given each year to the top candidates.

The Fulbright U.S. Student Program is another great way to find funding for studying abroad. The Fulbright Program provides grants for students to conduct individually designed research projects. While abroad, students will be living, working, and learning from the people of their host country. Students will also learn about the peoples’ viewpoints and beliefs, and learn how the native people do things and how they think. Every aspect of the Fulbright Program is aimed at promoting mutual, international understanding. This grant provides funding for transportation to and from the country, room and board, accident and sickness health benefits, books and research allowances, language study programs, and full or partial tuition.

Study Abroad Organizations

There are even organizations which are dedicated to providing students with the chance to study abroad. The School for International Training is one such organization. SIT is one of the leading groups dedicated to making students future international leaders. Their mission is to empower people and institutions through their education, exchange, and development programs. They offer a special program in Uganda called “Post-Conflict Transformation.” Uganda has come face-to-face with conflict over the past few decades which has left approximately 80% of its population displaced from their homes. Consequently the main focus of this program is on the hardships and trials that come with being displaced from one’s home, while also examining what the communities are doing to create peace and develop their economy.

SIT offers scholarships to those who are enrolled in one of their programs. Around $750,000 in awards is handed out annually. Here are just a few:

• Compton Fund- students participating in SIT programs with a focus on peace or environmental studies, or sustainable development are eligible for this award.
• SIT Fund - this fund is dedicated to promoting study abroad opportunities all over the globe. This means that students enrolled in any School for International Training program are eligible for this scholarship.
• SIT Pell Grant Match Award- this award is given to students already receiving Federal Pell Grant funding for a study abroad program.
• Sally Bragg Baker Scholarships- recognize female participants who most exemplify a spirit of “international exchange” and believe passionately in world peace.