Scholarships in El Salvador
Long History of Unrest
This small, Central American country is right in the heart of tropical rainforest territory. Biodiversity and ecological studies are hot in this region mainly due to the alarming damage that continues due to increasing human demand and shortsighted mismanagement of natural resources.
El Salvador is also suited to students whose interests in Central America may be more socio-political. The country has had a long history of revolution and upheaval.
Government Scholarships
Hundreds of undergraduate students would never be able to afford the high cost of international abroad programs, such as those in El Salvador, without the assistance of the very popular, even prestigious Benjamin A. Gilman International Scholarships. The main purpose of the federally funded program is to create a more internationally savvy generation of business and industry professionals more truly representative of our diverse American backgrounds. Applicants are selected from thousands on the basis of academic excellence and financial disadvantage. Eligible applicants must be Pell Grant recipients. Gilman Scholars may receive up to $5,000 to study in El Salvador.
The David L. Boren Scholarships pick up where the Gilman program leaves off. Part of the National Security Education Program, the Boren Scholarships are open to undergraduates and graduate students majoring in a wide range of disciplines. Of course engineering, tech, math, and the sciences may take precedence. Applicants are expected to hold their own academically and be willing to pursue deeply engaging programs in El Salvador. Students must have a program plan that enables them to learn the colloquial language and assimilate into common culture while studying their chosen discipline. This is a scholarship for service program which means you owe the government some of your time after you graduate. They will expect you to work in an area of national security where you may be able to utilize your skills. Candidates who express an interest in long-term employment with a national security agency will be preferred. Awards are a maximum of $26,000.
Private Funding
The Rainforest Alliance is a world-recognized leader in rainforest conservation and preservation and their main focus is Central and South America. Graduate students whose studies have concentrated on forestry, biodiversity and resource management may qualify for a two-year Kleinhans Fellowship in El Salvador. A possible $30,000 is available for the program. Candidates will be reviewed for the merit and scope of their projected research as well as how well their background agrees with the mission of the Alliance.
The Conference on Latin American History offers top grad students a modest travel scholarship so they can explore research before they write their dissertation. The James R. Scobie Memorial Award for Preliminary Ph.D. Research awards $1,000 to outstanding applicants with refined research proposals and innovative projects. Also, research must be related to El Salvador, or another Latin American country, and recipients must have a verifiable need to travel to the country to conduct their research.
College Scholarships
The University of Texas-Austin provides students with a number of study abroad options. They may choose a UT directed program, participate in an exchange, or find one offered by a private organization or another college. Students in any situation, who wish to study in El Salvador, may be eligible for the Joe and Teresa Lozano Long Travel Scholarship. The catch is that applicants must be studying Latin American Studies. Scholarships are a generous $5,000.
Students from Augsburg College in Minnesota who are participating in the Sustainable Development and Social Change in Central America, which includes El Salvador, may qualify for the Scholarships for Students from Historically Disadvantaged Groups. Applicants must be minorities or financially disadvantaged to qualify. Selections are made on the basis of academic standing and financial requirements. Funding varies.
Yale University of course maintains a well-funded stable of scholarships. Undergraduate and graduate students in the Latin American and Iberian Studies program may be eligible for the department’s travel award. Candidates going to El Salvador to study Spanish are not eligible, but all other programs are considered. Up to $750 is awarded and is simply designed to help assist with travel expenses.
