Spring 2017 Freeman Scholarship

Freeman-ASIA

 Spring 2017

STUDENT DEADLINE: October 20, 2016
ADVISER DEADLINE: October 27, 2016

About the Program 

 

The Freeman-ASIA program is designed to support U.S.-based undergraduates with demonstrated financial need who are planning to study abroad in East or Southeast Asia. The program’s goal is to increase the number of U.S. citizens and permanent residents with first-hand exposure to and understanding of Asia and its peoples and cultures.

Award recipients are required to share their experiences with their home campuses or communities to encourage study abroad by others and fulfill the program's goal of increasing understanding of Asia in the United States.

 

From its inception in 2001, Freeman-ASIA has made study abroad in East and Southeast Asia possible for over 4,600 U.S. undergraduates from more than 600 institutions.

With generous funding from the Freeman Foundation, the Institute of International Education (IIE) is grateful to have relaunched Freeman-ASIA in 2016.

 

 

Award Benefits:

 

A Freeman-ASIA Award provides need-based funding to assist the recipient with the cost of the study abroad program and related expenses, including airfare, basic living costs, local transportation, books, etc.

Grant amounts are:

Summer Award	up to $3,000
Semester/Quarter Award	up to $5,000
Academic Year Award	up to $7,000

Freeman-ASIA Award funds may be adjusted should the recipient receive additional financial assistance not reported at the time of application.

 

Award funds are distributed to the award recipient's checking account via Electronic Funds Transfer (EFT) in one lump sum for summer and semester awards and in two installments for academic year awards.

 

Students may apply for institutional/program-based Freeman Foundation grants and the Freeman-ASIA Awards simultaneously, but may only accept one Freeman-sponsored grant per proposed study abroad term should the student receive multiple offers.

 

Service Projects

• Within one month of returning from studying abroad, Freeman-ASIA Award recipients are required to provide feedback on their study abroad experiences by completing an online Freeman-ASIA Student Impact Survey.

 

• Additionally, Freeman-ASIA Award recipients are required to fulfill their service project requirements, based on their initial service proposal stated in their Freeman-ASIA applications, within the first semester or term immediately following their return from studying abroad.

 

• Service proposals, approved by Study Abroad Advisers, are the students' own ideas as to how they plan to share their overseas study abroad experiences and promote interest in study abroad in East and Southeast Asia on their college campuses and/or in their communities. In designing their service projects, students should consider their skills and interests in addition to the publicity needs of their campus and/or community.

 

Eligibility:

1. Must be a U.S. citizen or permanent resident at the time of application.
2. Must currently receive need-based financial aid or demonstrate a verifiable need for financial assistance to participate in the proposed study abroad program. The applicant is required to submit the Estimated Family Contribution (EFC) figure, calculated through FAFSA, with the statement of financial need through the online Freeman-ASIA application.
3. Must be an undergraduate student with a minimum GPA of 2.8, pursuing his or her first bachelor's degree (or associate's degree), at a two-year or a four-year institution of higher education in the United States.
4. Must apply through the U.S. home campus and have at least one term of enrollment remaining at the home institution in the U.S. upon returning from studying abroad in Asia.
5. Must have applied or have been accepted to a study abroad based program in: Cambodia, China, Hong Kong, Indonesia, Japan, Korea, Laos, Macao, Malaysia, Mongolia, Philippines, Singapore, Taiwan, Thailand, Vietnam. A multi-country program is eligible only if the applicant will spend at least 8 weeks in one of the countries stated above and will have intensive language study during that period.
6. Must have applied to or have been accepted by a study abroad based program that awards academic credits through the home campus or other U.S. accredited college or university. The proposed length of study in the host country must be a minimum of 8 weeks for a summer term, 10 weeks for a quarter term, and 12 weeks for a semester term.
7. Must have little or no previous experience in the country in which he or she plans to study. A summer term applicant must not have spent more than 4 weeks in the proposed country of study within the last 5 years. A semester or an academic year term applicant must not have spent more than 6 weeks in the proposed country of study within the last 5 years.
8. Must submit the online Freeman-ASIA Student Impact Survey within one month of returning to the United States and must initiate his/her service project to promote study abroad opportunities in Asia on the college campus and/or in the local community.
9. Must submit the Freeman-ASIA Final Service Report on the implementation of his/her service project at the end of the term following his/her return to the United States.
10. Must not be a previous Freeman-ASIA award recipient.

For Advisers

Important Information for Study Abroad and Financial Aid Advisers

Each applicant is required to secure the certification of their application from their Study Abroad and Financial Aid Advisers. Applications without these certifications will be disqualified. Applicants will register their Advisers as they complete the Embark online Freeman-ASIA application itself, and the Advisers will then receive log-in instructions via email, which will allow them to access their student's application to complete the certification process. Other than this registration, there is no specific sign-up process to become a Freeman-ASIA certifier.

Please note that although applications do not have to be submitted to be certified, students must have completed the relevant information pertaining to each Adviser in order for their application to be certified.

Study Abroad Advisers

Applicants are required to reach out to their Study Abroad Adviser to discuss their study abroad plans, and confirm that their program meets the Freeman-ASIA eligibility requirements. It is important that students identify and communicate with the individual on campus best suited to certify their application. This person is normally a campus Study Abroad Adviser, or the individual who is most familiar with the study abroad program to which the student is applying. Other faculty or staff members who are not familiar with the study abroad program should not be asked to certify the application.
 
When students have completed (but not submitted) their portion of the application, they will be asked to register their Study Abroad Adviser using the recommendations portal of the Embark application. The Adviser will then receive an email with login information and instructions for completing the certification. They will then review the academic and programmatic information provided in the application, offering corrections or clarification to the student's responses where necessary. The application will be considered certified when the Adviser confirms in her/his response and/or corrections that the applicant and the program are eligible, and that the program is approved by the home institution.

Financial Aid Advisers

Each Freeman-ASIA application requires the certification of the applicant's Financial Aid Adviser. Applicants should plan to meet with their Financial Aid Adviser to discuss their financial need for study abroad. When students have completed (but not submitted) their portion of the application, they will be asked to register their Financial Aid Adviser using the recommendations portal of the Embark application. The Adviser will then receive an email with login information and instructions for completing the application certification. Financial Aid Advisers will review the financial aid and financial need information provided in the application, and offer corrections or clarification if necessary. The application will be considered certified when the Adviser confirms in their responses that the applicant meets the financial need requirements.

For applicants whose Financial Aid and are the same person, the application will contain an option for dual certification from a single Adviser.

Be aware that both Advisers must meet the adviser deadline (normally one week following the student deadline) in order for the application to be considered.

 

Application Process

STUDENT DEADLINE:October 20, 2016
ADVISER DEADLINE: October 27, 2016

The summer application generally opens in mid-January, with a late February/early March deadline. The fall and academic year application generally opens in mid-February, with an early April deadline.

Applications and certifications must be submitted by 11:59pm (Eastern time) on the day of the respective deadline.

Applicants are responsible for ensuring that their Study Abroad and Financial Aid Advisers have the necessary information to complete and submit their certification to IIE by the adviser deadline. Late or incomplete applications will not be considered.

Study Abroad and Financial Aid Advisers may set earlier campus deadlines for submission of the Freeman-ASIA Applications. Applicants should contact their advisers about specific campus deadlines before proceeding with the Freeman-ASIA Applications.

 

Instructions

 

This part provides detailed instructions for completing the Freeman-ASIA scholarship application. It is important that you read this information carefully in order to understand the application requirements and procedures.

 

Potential applicants should:

1. Review the Freeman-ASIA eligibility requirements.
2. Identify a Study Abroad Program in East or Southeast Asia that qualifies for a Freeman-ASIA Award. Please note, the program must be approved by you home institution.
3. Contact the Study Abroad Adviser who will certify the programmatic and academic portions of your Freeman-ASIA application. You must ensure that you are requesting certification from the appropriate individual on campus; in most cases, this will be your campus Study Abroad Adviser. In general, faculty or other staff members who are not serving as an adviser for your study abroad program would not be the appropriate person to certify your application. This individual must be familiar with the study abroad program, and must be able to confirm that you (and your program) meet the eligibility requirements.
4. Contact the Financial Aid Adviser who will certify your financial need to study abroad. You must have a FAFSA on file for your Financial Aid Adviser to complete the certification.
5. If your Study Abroad and Financial Aid Adviser are the same individual, please use the dual adviser option in the Embark application. Do not submit two separate registrations for the same person.
6. Follow up with your Study Abroad and Financial Aid Advisers to ensure they have received their registration email to access your application.
7. Submit your application by the student deadline.
8. Check with their Study Abroad and Financial Aid Advisers to ensure that their certifications have been submitted by the adviser deadline.

Completing the Freeman-ASIA Application

To be considered for an award, all applicants must submit an application via Embark. When you register your Embark account, you will receive an email confirming your registration. Please read the Embark application instructions carefully as you navigate the application. In addition, please be aware of the following details and requirements:

1. You must complete the pre-screening page of the application before proceeding with the rest of the application.
2. In order for your application questions to be displayed correctly, you should complete them in the order in which they appear; do not skip ahead to other sections.
3. You must formally register your advisers in the "recommenders" portal of the application, after you have input their details in the application itself. Please complete your portion of the application before you register your advisers, otherwise they will receive notification to review your application before it is complete, and will not be able to certify your application. Note, however, that you do not need to submit your application for them to certify it, but you must have input all the necessary information and saved it in your application.
4. We do not request or accept academic recommendations. Please do not register additional recommenders. Only register your Study Abroad and Financial Aid Advisers.
5. You are required to upload in PDF form an unofficial transcript from your current institution, as well as unofficial transcripts from any prior institutions you have attended since high school.
6. No hard copy materials are required as part of the Freeman-ASIA application; the application is completed entirely online.

Online Application
Applicants must ensure that the certifications from their Study Abroad and Financial Aid Advisers have been completed and submitted to IIE via the Embark online application by the Adviser deadline. For the application to be complete, IIE must receive both certifications. Late or incomplete applications will not be considered.

Study Abroad and Financial Aid Advisers may set early campus submission deadlines. Thus, applicants should contact their advisers for campus-specific instructions before proceeding with the Freeman-ASIA Application.

All applicants will be notified of the results of their application via e-mail within 5 - 7 weeks of the application deadline. Nominees will need to complete and submit additional paperwork to confirm their financial need and participation in their study abroad program.

Apply for a Freeman-ASIA Scholarship Now

Application Tips
Preference will be given to students who:

• Participate in language study that will enhance their ability to engage with the host culture.
• Enroll in a study abroad program with at least 20 hours per week of class time, incorporating the study of an East or Southeast Asian language, culture, and history.
• Participate in a study abroad programs taught by host country faculty members.
• Demonstrate sincere interest in incorporating East or Southeast Asian Studies into future academic and/or professional plans.

The three primary criteria used to evaluate Freeman-ASIA Award applications are:

• Financial need
• Commitment to and demonstrated interest in East or Southeast Asian Studies
• Quality of the service project proposal

To find out more information, click here:

FAQS