Undergraduate students who are part of a UW-Madison Promise Program (Bucky’s Tuition Promise, Bucky’s Pell Pathway, BANNER) are encouraged to apply for the Study Abroad Promise Scholarship from International Academic Programs (IAP). This scholarship is open earlier than other scholarships, so you know you have guaranteed funding towards a UW-Madison faculty-led summer or winter intersession program.
This scholarship of up to $6,000 is intended to:
- Provide assurance of some funding earlier in the study abroad process and encourage early financial planning.
- Ease some of the financial barriers of study abroad.
This award does not cover pre-departure costs; it is applied to your account during the term you receive your program bill.
This award is contingent upon your acceptance to and completion of the faculty-led study abroad program in winter intersession and summer, as well as fulfilling the scholarship giveback requirements. Receiving the award does not guarantee acceptance into a study abroad program.
This award is not transferable:
- to a future term should you decide to defer your study abroad experience.
- to another program type.
Eligibility Requirements
This scholarship is open to undergraduate students who:
- will participate on a summer or winter intersession faculty-led program (view eligible programs)
- are part of a Promise Program (Bucky’s Tuition Promise, Bucky’s Pell Pathway, BANNER)
- are full-time degree-seeking undergraduate students at UW-Madison
- have not previously participated (at time that the Promise scholarship is applied) in any UW-Madison study abroad program or international internship
Additional consideration will be given to:
- class standing
- first generation college students
- students who have previously applied for a Study Abroad Promise Scholarship, but were not awarded
Give Back
Students who receive this scholarship participate in engagement activities to highlight their experience. There are many exciting engagement activities to choose from:
- Blogger (submit 2 blog entries while on your program)
- Social Media Takeover (Instagram)
- Study abroad/away students: complete a 24-hour takeover during your program
- Snail Mailer (send a postcard while on your program)
- Photographer (submit 10 photos & captions)
- Videographer (create a 1-4 minute video)
- Program Reflection (write a reflection at the end of your program)
To Apply
Completed Study Abroad Promise Scholarships must be submitted by the deadline posted in WISH. Check WISH for specific application deadlines.
| Program Duration | Scholarship Applications Open | Deadline to Apply |
| Summer | Early November | End November |
| Winter Intersession | Early June | End of June |
Students will be notified of their award status within two weeks of the deadline.
Eligible Programs
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Summer Programs
Winter Programs
Frequently Asked Questions
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Do I need to have submitted a program application to apply to the Promise Scholarship?
No, you do not need to have submitted your program application by the time you apply for the Promise Scholarship, but we do ask that you share what program you are most interested in for the duration you’re applying to the Promise Scholarship.
I am interested in a Global Gateway summer program. Should I still apply to the Promise scholarship?
Yes! The Global Gateway summer program deadlines will be after the Promise scholarship application deadline. We encourage you to apply for a Global Gateway program, if it is of interest to you. If you are selected to be a Global Gateway participant, then you will no longer receive the Promise scholarship, since the Global Gateway program is a funded program. If you are not selected to be a Global Gateway participant, you can use your Promise award for another short-term faculty-led program that is on the list of eligible programs.
I would like to do a program that is not on the list of eligible programs, can I still use the Promise scholarship?
Unfortunately, only the select short-term faculty-led summer and winter programs on the list above are eligible for the Promise scholarship.
Once I receive the Promise award, do I still have to apply to my study abroad program?
Yes, you do. Receiving the scholarship does not guarantee acceptance to your program. You will still need to apply to the program by the program deadline. Your application will be reviewed with all other applicants.
What if I don’t get accepted into my program or the program gets canceled? Can I still go abroad and use my scholarship?
We can assist you in finding another program that has space and still accepting applicants. However, you will only be able to use the Promise scholarship towards that program if your new program is on the list of eligible programs.
Can I transfer this scholarship to another duration?
No. The scholarship is only available for the term for which you receive it. If you apply in November, you can only use it for eligible summer programs. If you apply in June, you can only use it for eligible winter intersession programs.
Can I transfer the award to a different program than what I listed on my scholarship application or to a different program type?
You may only transfer the award to another short-term faculty-led program that is on the list of eligible programs. Any other program type or program not on this list is not eligible for the Promise award. We do have other awards for other program types during our regular scholarship cycles.
Interested in more information about study abroad scholarships?
For additional scholarship information, visit our scholarship page.
Scholarship Questions
Please email scholarships@studyabroad.wisc.edu if you have questions about any scholarships administered through International Academic Programs.