Botswana Study Abroad Scholarships
Diamond in the Rough
Botswana is synonymous with the diamond industry and an ongoing struggle to fight AIDS. Located in the southern region of Africa, the country is bounded by Zimbabwe, Namibia, South Africa and Zambia. The history of the diamond trade in this part of Africa is not a pretty one and current media reports indicate even more increases in the industry.
Besides the socio-political fabric, students frequent Botswana study abroad programs in environmental and ecological studies, as well as for language and culture.
Government Scholarships
The word is out among financially underprivileged undergraduates: the Benjamin A. Gilman International Scholarships are possibly the next best thing to sliced bread. You have to be a Pell Grant recipient to be considered, a first in the study abroad realm that up until recently has traditionally been populated by upper middleclass whites who manage to find the extra money. Gilman Scholars to Botswana may earn up to $7,000 for their program abroad.
Other study abroad opps for undergrads also come from the feds in the form of the David L. Boren Scholarships. There is a close version for graduate students as well. The primary intent of the Borens is to drastically increase the number of American students who graduate with an intimate knowledge of a language and culture far removed from our own. Another goal is to recruit the next generation of high-level security personnel. In fact applicants with a career interest in federal security have preference in these scholarships. Awards of $25,000 come bundled with a scholarship for service agreement.
When it comes to health scholarships locations in Africa seem at the top of the list. The continent is, after all, on a heady battle with AIDS and Botswana is one of the leading staging grounds. Students in health professions majors or in medical school whose primary focus is on clinical research of an international scale might qualify for the Fogarty International Center/Ellison Clinical Research Training Fellowships funded in part by the National Institutes of Health. Eligible applicants may choose to work among medical professionals in an NIH lab in Botswana.
Fulbright Scholarships for either graduate students or doctoral candidates are fully funded for Botswana. Each year a number of applicants are privy to a once-in-a-lifetime experience in this African country. Candidates must have a well-developed blueprint for research or program of study and the Fulbright program instructs applicants to align themselves with a Botswana university. Also, preference is given to those with Setswana language skills.
Study Abroad Organizations
The School for International Training (SIT) offers a program in Botswana on "Ecology and Conservation." Participants experience first hand a few of the nation’s most important ecosystems, especially the Kalahari Desert. SIT provides incomparable smorgasbord of international study programs. SIT scholarships include:
- SIT Fund scholarships are the organization’s most disbursed scholarship. Applicants are chosen based on financial need as well as average academic scores.
- Diversity Fund awards are doled out to participants who might traditionally have been overlooked in study abroad programs.
- Compton Fund scholarships may be used for the Botswana program because it’s an environmentally focused curriculum one of the requirements of the Compton.
- HBCU Scholarships are given to those eligible participants whose home institution is one of the Historically Black Colleges.
- Sally Bragg Baker Scholarships are carefully handed out to select female participants who embody a spirit of cultural exchange and humanitarian compassion.
Students wishing to study language and culture in Botswana may explore the program offered by the Council on International Educational Exchange (CIEE), one of the leading study abroad organizations. This particular program is designed as a full academic year. Participants study Setswana language while in the confines of an English-speaking university. Scholarships through CIEE include:
- Robert Bailey Scholarships are given to students who can "identify themselves" as belonging to an underrepresented population in study abroad programs. Selection is made on the basis of academic merit as well as financial need for the awards.
- CIEE International Study Programs Scholarships require participants attend a CIEE member college, of which there are many. Beyond this candidates must demonstrate average academic scores as well as formidable financial need. Up to $1,000 is awarded.