Freeman-ASIA (Freeman Awards for Study in Asia) is designed to support U.S.-based undergraduates with demonstrated financial need who are planning to study overseas 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 2001 through the 2013 academic year, Freeman-ASIA supported 4,500 U.S. undergraduates from more than 600 institutions with their study abroad plans in East and Southeast Asia.
Relaunched in 2016, the Freeman Awards for Study in Asia are generously supported by the Freeman Foundation and administered by the Institute of International Education.

The Award

Freeman-ASIA award amounts vary:
$3,000 for a summer program to
$5,000 for a semester/quarter program
$7,000 for an academic year program.
Applications must be submitted and reviewed by the campus study abroad advisor and financial aid advisor.

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.

Eligibility

Must be U.S. citizens or permanent residents at the time of application.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
Must not be a previous Freeman-ASIA award recipient.

The Application

See website for details.

As part of the application, applicants propose a service project 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.

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