Scholarships for Yemen

Roots of Civilization and Persian Trade, but Few Signs of Mideast Wealth

Yemen has long existed at the crossroads of cultures. It linked some of the oldest centres of civilization in the Near East by virtue of its location in South Arabia. They transported precious metals and exotic spices. It is a culturally rich country with influence from many civilizations, such as the early civilization of Sheba.  It is the only state in the Arabian Peninsula to have a purely republican form of government, and Yemen was the first country in the Arabian peninsula to grant women the right to vote.

However, Yemen is one of the poorest and least developed countries in the Arab World, with a young population and increasing population growth. Yemen’s economy is weak compared to most countries in the Middle-East, mainly because Yemen has very small oil reserves.  For these reasons students will find almost no other scholarship programs besides those funded by various branches of the federal government.

Language and culture studies remain one of the leading attractions to Yemen. In comparison to its close neighbor, Saudi Arabia, there is no internationally renowned business center, no brand-new metropolitan skyscrapers or high-tech industry to draw the international elite.

Federal Funding: Strongest Supporter of Yemen Studies

The Bureau of Education and Cultural Affairs has designed and funded two very generous programs that are applicable, either directly or indirectly, to students wishing to study in Yemen:

• The American Institute for Yemeni Studies  is a consortium of institutions of higher education whose purpose is to promote scholarly research on Yemen. The Institute provides essential resources for the support of research in Yemen and the  development of academic ties between the Yemeni and American academic communites. The American Institute for Yemeni Studies annually holds two competitions for fellowship programs supporting research on Yemen, one for U.S. citizens, presently limited to venues other than Yemen, and one for citizens of the Republic of Yemen.
• The Benjamin A. Gilman International Scholarships offers grants for U.S. citizen undergraduate students of limited financial means to pursue academic studies abroad. Such international study is intended to better prepare U.S. students to assume significant roles in an increasingly global economy and interdependent world. The program aims to encourage students to choose non-traditional study abroad destinations, especially those outside of Western Europe, Australia and New Zealand.
  • Award recipients are chosen by a competitive selection process and must use the award to defray eligible study abroad costs. These costs include program tuition, room and board, books, local transportation, insurance and international airfare.
  • Over 2,300 scholarships of up to $5,000 will be awarded this academic year for U.S. citizen undergraduates to study abroad. Award amounts will vary depending on the length of study and student need with the average award being approximately $4,000.
• The Council of American Overseas Research Centers offers two generous programs for students who may be participating in study programs in Yemen:
  • CAORC Fellowships foster international scholarly exchange, primarily through sponsorship of fellowship programs which allow pre-doctoral and senior scholars to pursue independent research important to the increase of knowledge and to our understanding of foreign cultures. In addition to scholarly support services for individuals and institutional group projects, the American Institute for Yemeni Studies offers fellowships for Arabic study and for independent research in Yemen.
  • Critical Language Scholarships are one of the federal government’s newest programs aimed at boosting the numbers of professionals with advanced language abilities. Undergraduate and graduate students may apply for the summer programs that take place at an array of Middle Eastern language institutes, including one in Yemen. Candidates are exposed to an intensive program in Arabic language and culture. Students are preferred whose career track is directly relative to the language requirement.
• The David L. Boren Scholarships are funded by the National Security Education Program and administered by the Institute of International Education with the goal of recruiting a next generation of niche-trained government personnel.  With changes in the world, Boren felt that the U.S. would work more and more through partnerships with other countries whose needs and perspectives needed to be more fully understood.
  • Boren Scholarships provide up to $20,000 to U.S. undergraduate students to study abroad in areas of the world that are critical to U.S. interests and underrepresented in study abroad, including Africa, Asia, Central & Eastern Europe, Eurasia, Latin America, and the Middle East
  • Applicants should identify how their study abroad program, as well as their future academic and career goals, will contribute to U.S. national security, broadly defined.