Traveling abroad is a life changing experience that facilitates personal growth and allows you to open your mind. When planning to go abroad, you need to think about some of the practicalities of arranging your program. For many students, the most important consideration is fitting the travel costs into their budget. Traveling abroad can be expensive. The cost of flights, visas, and food add up. The good news is that you may not have to cover all the costs yourself.
Sometimes it seems like only a certain demographic of students can afford to do an internship abroad. Luckily The Intern Group is making efforts to increase diversity in programs abroad, giving people more options when they want to fund an international internship.
Here are six tips for funding an internship abroad:
1. See if you can receive any need-based discounts
If you receive the Pell Grant in the US, Youth Allowance in Australia, the Canada Student Grant in Canada, or the Maintenance Grant in the UK, you are eligible to receive a $500 discount on any in-person program (virtual program excluded). Additionally, students who receive financial aid towards university tuition costs may be eligible to apply this towards program fees as well, especially if they receive university credit for the program.
To learn more about our need-based program-fee discounts, you can read about them on our financial aid page.
2. Speak to your study abroad office to see if you’re eligible for a partner university discount.
The Intern Group partners with 125+ universities from all over the world to increase diversity in international education and send more students abroad. An average partner university discount is 10%, and you can check our list of university partners here. Some universities also provide full-ride scholarships for international experiences, so inquire about this at your financial aid office, study abroad office, as well as talking to your academic advisor. You can also chat to our Admissions Team about your options.
3. Consult your academic advisor to see if you can get a department or club scholarship or grant.
Most departments and clubs at schools have funding to support their students in their academic project endeavors. If an international internship experience can help you with a thesis, or a class project, there might be a chance of receiving funding towards your program fees from your major’s academic department. This may involve you writing a proposal about how this experience abroad will help you gain more insight about something academic related to your major. Honor societies like Golden Key, NSHSS, and Beta Gamma Sigma also provide their participants with scholarships to The Intern Group’s programs.
4. Research organizations and government entities that provide scholarships for international opportunities.
Many organizations are working together to provide students with funding for international experiences, from your government to travel companies to even your honor societies. Organizations like the Fund For Education Abroad work with other names in international education to fund scholarships for experiences abroad. Similarly, applying for funding through Go Overseas, Go Abroad, the Benjamin A. Gilman International Scholarship, or the Boren Fellowship can provide you with funding opportunities toward your internship abroad. Lastly, there are many regional/governmental grants through Erasmus in Europe or the Prime Minister’s Scholarships for people from New Zealand that can provide applicants with large scholarships as well.
5. Working and saving.
Many people fund their internship abroad by raising the money themselves. Working outside of your studies or during holidays is a good way to add to your savings and potentially fund all your travels. Employers will also appreciate this kind of work on your CV as it shows that you are willing to work hard and you have used your spare time productively. This will also help you to build up more experience, which will help you find a better internship and make you even more employable in the future.
6. Discounts and scholarships through The Intern Group.
At The Intern Group, we want to make interning abroad a normal part of education and we want it to be accessible. This is why we offer a $500 discount if you've done the program before and wish to re-enrol, $250 off for both you and a friend if you refer someone to the program, and $500 off if you have a sibling who has previously done the program.
We also accept yearly applications for a scholarship for our virtual program. There are 5 winners and enables more people to realize their potential!
For a better understanding of scholarships and fundraising ideas, refer to our financing page.
