Cameroon Study Abroad Scholarships
Overseas Study - An Integral Part of a 21st Century Education
There are many reasons to seek out Cameroon as an African destination for a study abroad program. The country is a smorgasbord of culture, language, and geographical environments. Cameroon is also one of the least likely to erupt in civil unrest.
Many students and scholars seek out the region for an opportunity to participate in the ongoing HIV/AIDs-related programs or for socio-political explorations, art and culture or for sustainable development programs.
Government Scholarships
The West African Research Association (WARA) maintains headquarters at the University of Florida, Boston University, and Dakar, Senegal. The organization, funded in part by the State Department is in the business of providing students, scholars and organizations with the resources to engage in American-West African communication and collaboration. Scholarships made possible through WARA include:
- WARA Pre-Doctoral Fellowships are given to eligible applicants for a summer of research in Cameroon or another West African country. Candidates must have a viable outline that clearly describes research to be conducted leading to a dissertation. Besides travel expenses, recipients also are awarded another $3,000.
- WARA Post-Doctoral Fellowships are available once the dissertation is done for those scholars with additional research studies to work on. Criteria are similar to the pre-doctoral fellowships as are the monetary awards.
Fulbright Scholarships to Cameroon are fully funded and best suited to doctoral level students whose primary studies are in the health sciences, including HIV/AIDs research. Other programs of focus may include political or social sciences and technology. These awards are extremely competitive. Eligible applicants should have skills with French, the primary language.
The Benjamin A. Gilman International Scholarships are hotly contested among undergraduate Pell Grant recipients. The program is a design of the U.S. State Department’s Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs and is intended to provide traditionally underrepresented students, particularly those limited financially, with the necessary funds to participate in unique and challenging study abroad programs, such as Cameroon. Awards are up to $7,000 and are handed out to a few hundred qualified students annually.
Undergraduate and graduate students alike may qualify for slightly different versions of the David L. Boren Scholarships. The goal of this well-funded program is to train and recruit the next generation of national security personnel as well as turn out a highly trained, internationally savvy generation of Americans. Applicants are encouraged to seek out challenging and non-traditional destinations, such as Cameroon, and those of interest to the federal government. Awards up to $25,000 are bundled with scholarship for service agreements. Preference is given to those applicants who express a career interest in national security.
Study Abroad Organizations
Participants in the Cameroon program through the School for International Training (SIT) have the unique opportunity to explore "Culture and Development" in the country. From a cultural standpoint students survey the epic number of ethnic groups all working to live harmoniously and from the development stance, explore how Cameroon maintains its best qualities while all around it is changing. SIT scholarships include:
- Compton Fund provides scholarships to participants who are engaging in an SIT program that focuses on the environment or development, such as Cameroon. Preference is given to financially needy students who are also minority.
- SIT Fund represents the pool of most widely awarded scholarships. Almost any student may qualify on the basis of financial need. Awards vary based on need.
- Diversity Fund scholarships are reserved for those applicants most underrepresented in study abroad programs, such as minority groups or those very financially and socially disadvantaged.
- HBCU Scholarships go to participants from a Historically Black College who also present proof of financial need.
- Sally Bragg Baker Scholarships are special awards that recognize remarkable female participants. Candidates are chosen for their dedication to multicultural exchange and passion for peace and understanding.
College Scholarships
The University of Maryland offers a summer study abroad program in Cameroon. The course is designed to be a "theoretical ‘journey’ in post-colonial studies." UMD provides general study abroad scholarships to students with at least a 3.0 GPA as well as demonstrated financial need for the funds. Up to $2,000 may be awarded depending on need and number of recipients.
