Carnegie Mellon University

How to Apply to the Dietrich College Study/Travel Abroad Grant Program

Depending on your intended program abroad, and whether you are applying for individual or group support, choose one of the following application options:

To apply for a Dietrich Study/Travel Abroad Grant, you must meet with your Office of International Education (OIE) study abroad advisor as part of the first step in the application process.  During this meeting, your advisor will confirm your eligibility for the Dietrich Study/Travel Abroad Grant, and point out your eligibility for other potential funding sources. In addition, your advisor will review and help you with articulating your learning objectives for your proposed program abroad, review your resume, assist you in compiling projected program expenses, and assist you as needed with the rest of the grant application process. 

Completed applications and supporting documentation should be submitted to dietrichdean@andrew.cmu.edu. Applications will be reviewed only when all required materials have been submitted, and until available college scholarship funds have been committed.

Application Deadlines, Decisions and Notifications

Applications are “rolling,” while also governed by the following deadlines:

Funding for a program abroad during

Application deadline

Fall Semester

April 1

Spring Semester

November 1

Winter Break

November 1

Spring Break

February 1

Summer

April 1

OIE-administered funding programs have separate application deadlines.  Visit the OIE Study Abroad Funding page for more details.

Completed applications will generally be reviewed on a bi-weekly basis until June 30, or until all funds for the current cycle have been distributed (whichever comes first).

Other Student Responsibilities

If selected to receive a Dietrich College Study/Travel Abroad Grant, you will be required to:

  1. Attend an OIE pre-departure orientation session, and complete all complete all e-forms  in the CMU Study Abroad Portal.  Funds will not be distributed before these requirements are satisfied.
  2. After completion of your program:
    1. Meet with your study abroad advisor to identify skills acquired or enhanced through your experience abroad, and update your resume to reflect these skills.
    2. Complete a program questionnaire and reflective essay about your experience abroad, and how it affected your personal and career interests and goals.  Submit your completed post-abroad questionnaire to dietrichdean@andrew.cmu.edu.
    3. Complete your plan for sharing your experience abroad with the Dietrich College/CMU community.

Frequently Asked Questions

Completed applications will generally be reviewed every two weeks, and applicants notified immediately thereafter via email.

If your submitted application is complete, your deadline for responding to your program acceptance offer is sooner than when you are likely to receive a decision about your grant application, and your ability to accept the offer is contingent on whether or not you receive a grant, furnish this information where requested in the grant program application. We will make every effort to review and respond to your application soon enough for you to meet your response deadline.

Yes. Visit the OIE website for more details. This will also be a central topic of discussion in your required meeting with your study abroad advisor. Please know that the extent to which you follow through on applying for all sources of funding available to you will enhance your chances for funding through the Dietrich Study/Travel Abroad Grant Program.

This will be clarified for you as part of the conversation that you have with your OIE study broad advisor as part of the first step in the grant application process.

Tax Information

Dietrich College Study/Travel Abroad funds can be used for a variety of educational purposes including tuition and fees, course related expenses such as required fees, books, supplies, and equipment, and other expenses related to the overseas experience.  Some grants are deemed as “qualified” and are not taxable, while others are “non-qualified” and are therefore taxable. Individual grants may be qualified or non-qualified depending on various factors.  For more information, refer to the IRS Publication 970 “Tax Benefits for Education” (www.irs.gov) and/or consult a qualified tax advisor or accountant.  Representatives of Carnegie Mellon (including Dietrich college and the Office of International Education [OIE] cannot and will not provide tax advice.   

NOTE: For U.S. tax residents, if a grant is deemed as “non-qualified” and therefore taxable, taxes will not be withheld from the payment; nor will Carnegie Mellon issue a tax statement (W-2 or 1099) to the recipient or the IRS for the payment. It is the student’s responsibility to include information about the grant funds on their personal income tax return.

Nonresident aliens (non-U.S. tax residents) may also be subject to tax withholding and reporting requirements.

Students should consult their personal tax advisor for additional information and advice, or if they have additional questions.