Study Abroad Scholarship Funds

Supported by the generosity of our donors, the following 17 funds have provided meaningful support for hundreds of University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign students in their pursuit of transformative, globally-minded learning experience abroad.

Carlene and Andy Ziegler Study Abroad Scholarship Fund

The Carlene and Andy Ziegler Study Abroad Endowed Scholarship Fund was established in 2007 to assist academically strong students with financial need in participating in the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign's study abroad programs. Carlene studied abroad in France as an undergraduate and hoped to make that opportunity available for others.

Chad Lobdell Memorial Study Abroad Award Fund

The Lobdell family of Normal, Illinois, established the Chad Lobdell Memorial Scholarship in loving memory of their late son Chad, who spent his spring 1991 semester at the University of Lancaster. The purpose of the award is to give students wishing to study in Great Britain the chance to benefit from the experience of studying abroad—an experience which had a profound influence on Chad and those who knew him.

Charles Wert India-Illinois Scholarship Fund

The Charles Wert India-Illinois Scholarship Fund provides financial support to University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign students studying abroad in India or other areas of South and Southeast Asia. The program reflects the Charles Wert’s strong interest in fostering interactions between the university and institutions in India.

Earl and Janice Kellogg International Award Fund

The Kellogg Award serves to honor Earl Kellogg, who served as Associate Provost for International Affairs, and his wife, Jan. The award is intended to increase the number of students with global competencies and in-depth understandings of other countries and cultures. University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign students may achieve this advance in understanding by studying abroad and holding internships in the developing world, particularly in countries in Africa, Latin America, and Asia that historically have been underrepresented in study abroad. The award will help prepare students to function more effectively in their careers and citizenship at the local, state, national, and global levels.

Enabled Abroad Scholarship Fund

The Enabled Abroad Scholarship is available to undergraduate students with a physical or sensory disability who would like to participate in one of the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign's study abroad programs.

Study Abroad Scholarships Fund - International Programs and Studies

Gifts to this fund support the Friends of Illinois International (formerly known as International Programs and Studies) Study Abroad Scholarship, which is available to any student participating in one of the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign's study abroad programs.

Joan Solaún Honorary Study Abroad Scholarship Fund

Joan Solaún served as director of Illinois Abroad and Global Exchange (then called the Study Abroad Office) for 23 years. During her tenure, Joan helped transform study abroad at the university from a small program that served only a few hundred students a year to one of the largest programs in the country. Today, thanks to Joan’s leadership, the Urbana campus sends more than 2,000 students to study in over fifty countries. The Joan Solaún Honorary Study Abroad Scholarship honors Joan’s many contributions to study abroad at the university and, at the same time, helps make studying abroad more affordable for deserving Illinois students.

Kelsey Fourdyce Study Abroad Scholarship Fund

This scholarship has been established by the family and friends of Kelsey Fourdyce to honor her memory and give those who otherwise would not be able to study abroad an opportunity to follow in her footsteps. Kelsey Fourdyce was a loving daughter, sister, aunt, niece, cousin, friend, and citizen of the world. Kelsey had a passion for life and a love for travel. While studying at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign—where in 2006 she earned her B.S. in Agricultural, Consumer, and Environmental Sciences—she spent a semester in Granada, Spain, which sparked her curiosity for the people and languages of the world. Her travels inspired her to become fluent in Spanish and French, make homes on three continents, and receive degrees in two countries. In January, 2014, she was awarded a M.S. in International Business Development from the University of Neuchatel, Switzerland, with the distinction cum laude. Throughout her adventures, Kelsey built lasting friendships and left a meaningful impression on others everywhere. Recipients of this scholarship are encouraged to embrace other cultures, learn new languages, and make life-long relationships with those they meet along the way.

Margaret Marsden Murphy Study Abroad Award Fund

This scholarship was established in memory of Margaret Marsden Murphy by her family. Gifts to this fund support University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign undergraduates in their study abroad experiences.

Mary B. Eddington Memorial Award Fund

This award was established in loving memory of the late Mary Eddington, by her mother, Mrs. Babette Eddington of Schaumburg, Illinois. Mary studied at Curtin University in Perth, Australia, in fall semester of 1997, and passed away before she could return to the United States. Mary loved her study abroad experience, and her mother Babette is grateful she is able to assist current students traveling overseas. This award is intended to assist female students with financial need going to Great Britain for a semester or academic year (though all genders are welcome to apply).

Mary E. Mohler Fund

The Mary E. Mohler International Study Grant seeks to promote a global orientation among future American leaders and professionals. The grant directly assists students in broadening their educational backgrounds and encompassing an international perspective, specifically students with an interest in international studies who study abroad in Great Britain, France, Germany, Hungary, Poland, Russia, and Pacific Rim countries. The fund was created by a generous gift from the late Mary Elizabeth Takach.

Melissa Dorsey Memorial Study Abroad Scholarship Fund

This scholarship was established in loving memory of Melissa Dorsey by her family. Melissa passed away on January 4, 2013, from cancer. She was a 2004 graduate of the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign. During her junior year, she studied abroad for a semester in Paris. Melissa went on to St. Louis University Law School earning a Juris Doctorate in 2007. Later, she went on to work as a Foreign Service Officer assigned as Consular Officer at the U.S. Embassy in Tel Aviv, Israel. Melissa loved traveling, learning languages, and experiencing different cultures. Through the Melissa Dorsey Memorial Study Abroad Scholarship, other students going abroad for a semester or academic year will have the opportunity to have the experience of living abroad.

Michael and Mary Ann Vahl Study Abroad Scholarship Fund

This scholarship was established by Michael and Mary Ann Vahl to support students studying in Scotland or other parts of the United Kingdom. Mike spent a year abroad at the University of Dundee and benefitted tremendously from that experience. Mr. and Mrs. Vahl are happy to directly assist current University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign students who are studying abroad in the United Kingdom for a semester or academic year.

Michelle Randag Study Abroad Scholarship Fund

Michelle T. Randag set up this scholarship to support University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign students who display financial need and will be enrolled in an academic year study abroad program. Michelle studied abroad for an academic year in Wales and then completed additional studies and an internship in the Dominican Republic, and she hopes this scholarship will make academic year study abroad experiences more affordable and accessible to all students.

Nelle M. Signor Fellowship in International Relations Fund

The Nelle M. Signor Fellowships are awarded annually to outstanding University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign doctoral students conducting dissertation research in international relations and related fields. The fellowships are funded through a generous gift from the late Nelle M. Signor.

Suzanne and David Martin-Reay Endowment Fund

Suzanne and David Martin-Reay, having met as a result of Suzanne’s participation in study abroad, greatly benefited from it and strongly believe that all students having a desire should be able to participate in study abroad. They established this fund to enable University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign students to gain an understanding of other cultures as well as critical international skills and experiences. This fund directly assists students with financial need who are abroad for an academic year.

William H. and Olivia F. Allaway Scholarship Fund

William H. and Olivia F. Allaway set up this scholarship to support an undergraduate student exhibiting academic merit and financial need enrolled in a study abroad program at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign.