Scholarships

Scholarships & Grants

IAESTE United States is dedicated to providing scholarships and grants to outstanding members who participate in the internship programs. We currently offer the following scholarships and grants. By selecting the items below, you’ll be able to find out more about eligibility requirements and deadlines.

Eligibility Requirements

To apply for a scholarship you must: 

  1. Be a member of IAESTE United States at the time of your internship. 
  2. Be enrolled at a university that has an IAESTE United States Local Committee on-campus (for the list, please click here.)
  3. Submit a photo of your internship experience.
  4. Submit the scholarship-specific materials (described below).

All application materials should be submitted to outbound@aipt.org by December 1*. Late applications will not be accepted. Winners will be notified by January 1 and announced at the National Conference.

*Note: If your internship began before December 1, you should apply under the same year. If your internship will begin after December 1, you should apply under the following year. For example, if your internship began May 18, 2009 you must apply by December 1, 2009. If your internship begins December 8, 2009 you should apply by December 1, 2010. If you have questions about which year you should apply, please contact us at
outbound@aipt.org.

Scholarship Criteria

Each scholarship has its own focus and weighs criteria differently; for specific scholarship requirements, please see below. In general, however, scholarships are awarded on the basis of a combination of some or all of the following criteria:

  • Choice of a destination which enables a student to leave the familiar and thereby grow professionally, culturally, and personally. 
  • A drive to use the international experience as a springboard to further develop the skills and competencies needed to fulfill a successful career of lifelong learning.
  • Choice of a region that directly relates to a student's academic, personal, and cultural interests. This is exemplified in the student's extracurricular activities, language ability, and essays.
  • Involvement in the Local Committee, with a focus on hosting international interns on the student's campus and raising jobs that will provide the opportunity for more students to participate in the IAESTE technical internship program. 
  • A strong academic record.
  • Strong communication skills, which indicate an applicant's ability to serve as an articulate and thoughtful ambassador of the United States and the IAESTE program.
 

Scholarship Descriptions and Application Requirements

IAESTE United States will be offering the following Scholarships in 2010.

  1. Underrepresented Groups in Technical Fields

    Two scholarships of $750 will be awarded to IAESTE members who are African-American, Hispanic, Native American, and/or female. These groups, traditionally underrepresented in science and technical fields, are also underrepresented within IAESTE United States membership. To encourage growth of the organization, and a more diverse community of members, IAESTE United States reserves two scholarships for members of underrepresented groups.
    To apply, submit

    • A 500 word essay explaining the meaning and value of your IAESTE internship. Discuss the challenges of being an underrepresented individual in science and engineering and how you feel this international experience will empower you to contribute to your professional field.
    • The scholarship application.
    • A photo of your internship.

  2. Non-traditional Destination Travel Grants

    Two travel grants of $750 will be given to IAESTE United States members who have completed an internship in a non-traditional destination. The travel grant is designed to offset the cost of transportation and encourage student interest in nontraditional destinations. IAESTE United States broadly defines non-traditional destinations as Eastern Europe, Africa, the Middle East, and parts of Asia and South America. Some good examples of nontraditional countries are Croatia, Kazakhstan, and Uruguay. If you are unsure whether your internship country is considered a non-traditional destination, please contact us.
    To apply, submit: 

    • A 500 word essay on your experience (both culturally as well as details on your specific internship) in the country. This essay will be used as a country and internship profile to encourage other students to work in nontraditional countries; winners' essays will be posted online.
    • The scholarship application.
    • A photo of your internship.

  3. The IAESTE Experience: My Media Journey

    Two grants of $750 will be awarded to IAESTE United States members who express their IAESTE internship experiences through the use of multimedia devices.  This media grant is designed to increase the number of students who share their technical and cultural experiences as well as spread the IAESTE Spirit through the use of technology.
    To apply, submit:

    • An essay on your overall IAESTE internship experience and how you used media through your journey.
    • The scholarship application
    • Your media submission

    Please note the following guidelines for your media submission:

    Acceptable submissions include websites, blogs, slideshows, power point presentations, videos, etc. If you have a question about submissions, please contact our office.

    • Websites/blogs related to your IAESTE internship
    • Video and other presentations must be between 1 and 4 minutes in length
    • We ONLY accept PowerPoint presentations less than 10MB via email
    • All other submissions must be in the form of links to media hosted at another location (YouTube, picture gallery websites, etc).

Applications for IAESTE United States Scholarships & Grants can be found on our Downloads Page.