Office of International Student & Scholar Services

The Donald N. Nelson Scholarship supports semester global experiences with a preference for those that incorporate a foreign language.

Applicant eligibility requirements:

• Ohio resident 
• full-time, degree-seeking undergraduate student
• Rising sophomore or higher 
• Minimum 3.0 GPA
• Must continue studies at home university for at least one semester during which a follow-on project will be completed

Program eligibility requirements:

• Credit-bearing study abroad, international internship or virtual international program
• Approved by home school
• Study abroad and internship programs must be at least one semester in duration; virtual international programs must be at least 4 weeks.

Preference is given to first-time study abroad applicants studying physically or virtually in a non-English-speaking country and taking courses or interning in the native language of the host country.

Deadlines: December 1 at 11:59 pm for spring semester programs 

Link to spring semester scholarship application: Spring 2022 Nelson Scholarship Application

May 1 at 11:59 pm for fall semester and academic year programs

Link to fall semester scholarship application: Fall 2022 Nelson Scholarship Application

Please note that the scholarship application must be completed in one sitting. Be sure to have your essays written and ready to upload when you start the application.

You will be required to upload two essays. The prompts are as follows:

Essay 1: Upload a personal statement articulating your goals for your international experience and how your selected program will help you attain them. Please also explain how the experience relates to your degree and career plans.

The essay should be approximately 500 words and double spaced. Please use the following naming convention for the file: FirstnameLastnameEssay1 (e.g. JaneDoeEssay1).

Essay 2: Nelson scholarship awardees are expected to complete a service project at their home university following their international experience that helps to promote study abroad experiences and funding opportunities like the scholarships sponsored by the Ohio International Consortium. 

Please upload an essay outlining your service project. Be sure to articulate who your target audience is and how your project will impact this group. 

The essay should be approximately 250 words and double spaced. Please use the following naming convention for the file: FirstnameLastnameEssay2 (e.g. JaneDoeEssay2).

Applicant eligibility requirements:

• Ohio resident 
• full-time, degree-seeking undergraduate student
• Rising sophomore or higher 
• Minimum 2.5 GPA
• Must continue studies at home campus for at least one semester 

Program eligibility requirements:

• Credit-bearing virtual study abroad or virtual international internship program
• Approved by home school
• Programs must take place during the 2021 calendar year and be 5-31 days in length

Awardees are expected to work with their home study abroad office to develop a virtual service project that will allow them to share their experience with fellow students and the OIC.

Preference is given to first-time study abroad applicants.

Deadline: January 3, 2022 at 11:59 pm EST

Link to scholarship application: OIC Scholarship for Short-Term Study Abroad

Please note that the scholarship application must be completed in one sitting. Be sure to have your essays written and ready to upload when you start the application.

You will be required to upload two essays. The prompts are as follows:

Essay 1: Upload a personal statement explaining why you selected your virtual program, how the experience fits into your degree and career plans, and any challenges you may have faced in making your international experience a reality. 

The essay should be approximately 500 words and double spaced. Please use the following naming convention for the file: FirstnameLastnameEssay1 (e.g. JaneDoeEssay1).