Freeman-ASIA
The Freeman-ASIA program is designed to support U.S.-based undergraduates with demonstrated financial need who are planning to study abroad 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 its inception in 2001, Freeman-ASIA has made study abroad in East and Southeast Asia possible for over 4,600 U.S. undergraduates from more than 600 institutions.
With generous funding from the Freeman Foundation, the Institute of International Education (IIE) is grateful to have relaunched Freeman-ASIA in 2016.
Awards Benefits
Freeman-ASIA Award provides need-based funding to assist the recipient with the cost of the study abroad program and related expenses, including airfare, basic living costs, local transportation, books, etc.
Grant amounts are:
| Summer Award | up to $3,000 |
| Semester/Quarter Award | up to $5,000 |
| Academic Year Award | up to $7,000 |
Freeman-ASIA Award funds may be adjusted should the recipient receive additional financial assistance not reported at the time of application.
Award funds are distributed to the award recipient's checking account via Electronic Funds Transfer (EFT) in one lump sum for summer and semester awards and in two installments for academic year awards.
Students may apply for institutional/program-based Freeman Foundation grants and the Freeman-ASIA Awards simultaneously, but may only accept one Freeman-sponsored grant per proposed study abroad term should the student receive multiple offers.
Service Project
Within one month of returning from studying abroad, Freeman-ASIA Award recipients are required to provide feedback on their study abroad experiences by completing an online Freeman-ASIA Student Impact Survey.
Additionally, Freeman-ASIA Award recipients are required to fulfill their service project requirements, based on their initial service proposal stated in their Freeman-ASIA applications, within the first semester or term immediately following their return from studying abroad.
Service proposals, approved by Study Abroad Advisers, are the students' own ideas 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. In designing their service projects, students should consider their skills and interests in addition to the publicity needs of their campus and/or community.
Eligibility
An applicant:
- Must be a U.S. citizen or permanent resident 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 fall and academic year application is now open. The spring 2018 application round will open in early September and will close in mid-October.
Summer 2017 Student Deadline: March 1, 2017
Summer 2017 Adviser Deadline: March 7, 2017
Fall/Academic Year 2017 Student Deadline: April 4, 2017
Fall/Academic Year 2017 Adviser Deadline: April 11, 2017
Applications and adviser certifications must be submitted by 5:00p.m. Eastern time on the day of the deadline.
Applicants are responsible for ensuring that their Study Abroad and Financial Aid Advisers have the necessary information to complete and submit their certification to IIE by the adviser deadline. Late or incomplete applications will not be considered.
Study Abroad and Financial Aid Advisers may set earlier campus deadlines for submission of the Freeman-ASIA Applications. Applicants should contact their advisers about specific campus deadlines before proceeding with the Freeman-ASIA Applications.
For more information please click "Further Official Information" below.
This opportunity has expired. It was originally published here:
http://www.iie.org/Programs/Freeman-ASIA#.WNUqDPl97IU