On August 6, 2020, the Department of State updated the COVID-19 Travel Advisory and advises all U.S. citizens to read the country-specific Travel Advisories and U.S. Embassy COVID pages for updates on the impact of COVID-19 worldwide.
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Update as of November 23, 2020.
TRAVEL ADVISORY POLICY
As of March 20, 2020, the worldwide Gilman Program was paused through the end of December 2020. As of January 1, 2021, the Gilman Program will again support travel under its long-standing policy of allowing students to study or intern in locations with Level 1 or Level 2 Travel Advisories only.
The U.S. Department of State is continuing to update Travel Advisories. While the status of some locations may change in the coming weeks and months, the Gilman Program is unable to provide funding for programs taking place in locations with Travel Advisory Levels 3 or 4. More information may be found in the Gilman Scholarship Terms and Conditions.
If the Travel Advisory for an intended destination is lowered to a Level 1 or 2 at least four weeks prior to a student’s program start date, the program will be eligible. In the meantime, no funding will be disbursed for a program in a location with a Level 3 or 4 Travel Advisory.
COVID-19 TRAVEL CONSIDERATIONS
Many areas worldwide are experiencing COVID-19 outbreaks and have taken actions that may limit traveler mobility, including quarantines and border restrictions. Even countries, jurisdictions, or areas where cases have not been reported may restrict travel without notice. If students are participating in programs in Level 1 or 2 locations, it is essential that they confirm their ability to travel to and enter the location and adhere to any additional requirements or restrictions that may be in place. Please note that situations are continuing to evolve, and students should continue to reconfirm this information as the proposed time period for the exchange approaches.
For more information on the safety and health support available to Gilman Scholars, click here.
Frequently Asked Questions
Q. When will MARCH 2021 DEADLINe applicants know if they are selected to receive a Gilman Scholarship?
A. The Gilman Program anticipates notifying applicants and their advisors in summer 2021.
Q. WHAT KIND OF VIRTUAL PROGRAMS OR INTERNSHIPS ARE ELIGIBLE FOR GILMAN?
A. The following options are considered eligible virtual abroad programs, all of which must be credit-bearing:
- Online courses at an institution based outside of the United States;
- Via direct enrollment, an exchange program or a program provider;
- Virtual faculty-led study abroad programs;
- Virtual international internships;
- Virtual intensive language programs at an institution based outside of the United States; and/or
- Students may also propose internationally-focused virtual programs for review by Gilman Program staff. They should email Gilman@iie.org.
Q. What programs or countries are acceptable for the application?
A. Programs must be credit-bearing and located in a country/area with an overall Travel Advisory of Level 1 or 2. Please refer to eligibility for more details.
Last Update: Reissued with updates to COVID-19 information.
Q. can a gilman recipient defer to a program beginning in 2022?
A. The latest that a current Gilman recipient can defer their award is to a program beginning by December 31, 2021. If a student will be studying abroad in 2022 (or later), they will need to decline the award and reapply during a future application cycle. Students who were previously selected, but whose plans were impacted by COVID, will receive priority consideration in the selection process.
Q. What should a Gilman recipient do if they will no longer be studying abroad?
A. If a student is no longer planning on studying abroad or enrolling in a credit-bearing virtual program, they should decline their award in their Gilman account.
If a student has already received their Gilman Scholarship funds but will not be participating in an eligible program, they should contact their Gilman regional advisor. Students will be provided with information on how to account for how they spent their scholarship funds (ex: $500 on non-refundable airfare, $200 on visa fees, etc.). Repayments will be determined on a case-by-case basis.
Q. Can a Gilman recipient who has not yet gone abroad put the scholarship funds towards an online program?
A. Yes, recipients can use their Gilman Scholarship funds to pay for credit-bearing virtual study abroad or international internship programs beginning between now and December 31, 2021. The following options are considered eligible virtual abroad programs:
- Online courses at an institution based outside of the United States;
- Via direct enrollment or a program provider;
- Virtual faculty-led study abroad programs;
- Virtual international internships;
- Virtual intensive language programs at an institution based outside of the United States; and/or
- Students may also propose internationally-focused virtual programs for review by Gilman Program staff.
If a student originally applied for an in-person program but will be switching to a virtual program, they should follow the instructions below to complete a Program Change in their Gilman account.
Q.How can a Gilman recipient defer an award to a future term or change to a different program?
A. Students who are planning to participate in the same program during a later term will need to update their estimated program dates on the Notice of Award page in the Gilman application system. Please see the step-by-step guide for additional instructions. They will be able to defer to a virtual or in-person program that starts between January 1, 2021, and December 31, 2021.
Students who are changing to a different program or who initially applied for an in-person program and are changing to a virtual program will be required to complete a Program Change in their Gilman account. Please see the step-by-step guide for additional instructions. Students changing to a different program than indicated on their original Gilman application will also need an updated certification from their study abroad advisor.
Students with additional questions or concerns can contact a Gilman team representative at:
| For Gilman Scholars | Contact |
|---|---|
| Recent recipients, contact according to your region | Phone: 800.852.2141, Ext 3 |
| Middle East/Africa | GilmanAfricaMENA@iie.org |
| Latin America, the Caribbean, and North America | GilmanWH@iie.org |
| East Asia and the Pacific | GilmanEAsiaPacific@iie.org |
| Europe | GilmanEurope@iie.org |
| South and Central Asia | GilmanSCAsia@iie.org |
Q. ARE RECIPIENTS’ AWARD AMOUNTS ADJUSTED IF THEY CHANGE TO A NEW PROGRAM?
A. No, Gilman recipients’ award amounts will not be adjusted. If a student changes from one program to another program, their award amount will remain the same. The only exception would be a recipient of the Critical Need Language Award who is no longer studying the critical need language.
Q. WILL RECIPIENTS BE ALLOWED TO TRAVEL IF THE COUNTRY OR AREA’S TRAVEL ADVISORY LEVEL IS STILL AT 3 OR 4?
A. If a recipient’s destination is at a Travel Advisory level 3 or 4, they are required to change their program location. The Gilman Program is monitoring Travel Advisory Levels closely and will reach out to affected students directly with any updates as scheduled departure dates approach.
For more information on this topic, please see page on Eligibility.
Q. If a study abroad destination still has a Level 3 or 4 Travel Advisory within four weeks of the program start date, what options does a recipient ahve for their Scholarship?
A. Recipients may:
- Change to a credit-bearing program in a location that has a Level 1 or 2 Travel Advisory. Students may follow these steps to update their program information.
- Participate in a credit-bearing virtual study abroad program or international internship. Virtual programs can begin anytime between now and December 31, 2021. Students may follow these steps to change to a virtual program.
- Defer to a later term. Note that the program must start before December 31, 2021 and have a Level 1 or 2 Travel Advisory at least four weeks prior to the program start date. Students will only receive their funding for programs in locations with Level 1 or 2 Travel Advisories. Students may follow these steps to defer.
- Decline the Gilman Scholarship. Students may reapply during a later application cycle if they plan to study abroad in 2022 or beyond. Although prior recipients who were unable to study abroad will not be guaranteed a scholarship, they will be given special consideration as part of the selection process. Students should indicate that they will be declining the award on the Notifications page in their Gilman portal or by contacting their Gilman regional advisor.
Q. Can a Gilman recipient defer their award to a later term if they will be transferring from a two-year institution to a four-year institution, or vice versa?
A. Yes, if a Gilman recipient is transferring from a two-year institution to a four-year institution, or from a four-year institution to a two-year institution, they will be able to defer to a virtual or in-person program that starts between January 1, 2021, and December 31, 2021.
Q. Can a recipient use the Gilman Scholarship to participate on a study abroad program after graduating?
A. Gilman recipients must be current undergraduate students for the duration of their study abroad program.
The Gilman Program is allowing exceptions to this policy only for recipients of the Cycle 1/October 2019 and March 2020 application cycles. For more information, please contact your Gilman regional advisor. Note that this exception is specifically in response to COVID-19 and will not be applicable in future terms.
Q. can a recipient participate in a virtual program and also travel to the country where the program is hosted?
A. The Gilman Program cannot provide funding for a program in a country with a Travel Advisory Level 3 or 4. If you participate in a virtual program as a Gilman Scholar, your program must be completed from within the U.S. or a country with a Travel Advisory Level 1 or 2.
Q. what is the deadline for recipients to notify gilman about new program plans?
A. Please contact the Gilman Program by March 31st, 2021 with your new program plans. Programs must begin by December 31, 2021.
Note that students do not need to have applied to or been accepted to a program by this date but should have an idea of a first-choice plan. Award documentation is due on a rolling basis based on the program start date, with deadlines listed here.
Q. what should a gilman recipient do if they are not sure of their plans yet?
A. The Gilman Program recognizes that students are dealing with uncertainty and we are working to allow as much flexibility as possible. The Gilman Program will send occasional reminders via email. Gilman recipients are expected to read these emails and should contact their Gilman regional advisor as they determine their plans or with any updates to their program.
Q. Can the Gilman Program help Gilman alumni currently abroad return to the United States?
A. The Gilman Program cannot assist Gilman alumni who are currently abroad to return to the United States. The Gilman Program’s emergency travel assistance was solely to support students who departed immediately after travel restrictions were enacted. Individuals remaining in their study abroad countries should reach out directly to the U.S. Embassy’s Office of American Citizen Services for questions and support, if needed.
Q. Do Gilman Scholars who returned early need to complete their Follow-on Service Project?
A. Yes, Gilman Scholars who returned early will be required to complete their Follow-On Service Project within 6 months of their return to the U.S.
Q. How do Gilman Scholars extend their Follow-on Service Project deadline?
A. To request an extension, scholars need to log into the Gilman Alumni Portal and click the Follow-on Report tab to propose a new and reasonable deadline for the project along with a brief explanation of the extension request.
Q. How can a Gilman Scholar who has returned early revise their Follow-on Service Project Proposal?
A. If a Gilman Scholar who returned early is unable to complete their Follow-On Service Project as proposed in the application, they should contact gilmanrecipients@iie.org with the reason for revision and the new plan. Then they should summarize the new Follow-on Service Project plan in paragraph format by addressing the following questions:
- Briefly outline your proposed project to promote the Gilman Scholarship and international education. How will this project impact your home university or community? What are your project goals?
- What is your target population and how will your project impact this group?
- How will you integrate the impact of your experiences abroad into your project? What medium will you use to express your message? (ex: presentation, flyer, social media, etc.)
- What, if any, campus departments, student organizations, and/or community organizations will you collaborate with in promoting the Gilman Scholarship and international education? Have you already made contact with these groups?
Q. Do advisors need to edit certifications for applicants whose programs were canceled?
A. No. Advisors do not need to edit certifications for applications submitted if the programs were canceled. Students who are changing to a different program or participating in a credit-bearing virtual program will be required to complete a ‘Program Change’ in the Gilman application system. Once they have provided their updated information, advisors will be prompted to certify new program information. Note that students who are participating in the same program indicated on their application, but during a later term, they will not be required to get their updated program dates certified by their advisor.
Q. CAN MY STUDENT APPLY FOR A PROGRAM IN A COUNTRY OR AREA THAT IS CURRENTLY A TRAVEL ADVISORY LEVEL 3 OR 4?
A. If a country or area is at a level 3 or 4 only due to COVID-19 at the time they apply, Gilman will still consider them eligible for review. However, if the applicant becomes a recipient and the country or area is still at a level 3 or 4 four weeks before their program start date, they are required to change their program location.
Q. CAN GILMAN SEND FLYERS AND POSTERS TO ME?
A. At this time Gilman is providing free digital flyers, posters, and other resources to advisors. You may find them under Advisor Outreach Tools and Advisor Resources.
Q. Where can I find additional State Department and CDC Guidance and Resources to provide students and colleagues?
A. Other resources for up-to-date information regarding the current global health conditions include, but are not limited to:
