Study Abroad - SAILS & Other Scholarships

Eligibility questions

• I am older than the traditional college student. Am I eligible to apply for a SAILS Scholarship?

  Yes. The SAILS is not age-based. Students may apply as long as they meet all the eligibility requirements, regardless of age.

• Is my program eligible for a SAILS Scholarship?

  For a program to be eligible for SAILS, the program must meet one of the following criteria: be a credit bearing activity, be part of a degree requirement, or be credit or course related. All application materials should include evidence of one of these three elements. 

• I am eligible to receive funding for a SAILS Scholarship if I am participating in a third party program?

  In order for a SAILS scholarship to disperse to a student's account,the student must be enrolled in UNF credits during the term of travel You must be an UNF student, this means in classes: be a credit bearing activity, be part of a degree requirement, or be credit or course related. Please remember final awarding of a SAILS scholarship is contingent upon Financial Aid policies, since this office is responsible for processing and dispersing funds.

• What if my major is listed as Non-seeking seeking on my student transcript? Am I eligible to apply for a SAILS Scholarship?

  No. For a student to be eligible for SAILS, the student must be a degree seeking UNF student. That means you must have a declared major and that major should be listed on your student transcript in the field called major.

• How do I know if I have an active file with the UNF International Center?

  If you are participating in a Faculty-Led trip then your professor will notify the International Center of your involvement when they submit the roster for the course. This submission will generate a file for you. If you are going on a third party or exchange, then you will need to meet with a study aboard advisor and discuss your international plans.

Applying for the SAILS

• Can I still apply after the deadline?

  No. Once the application deadline for that particular award period passes, the application will no longer be accessible online.

Scholarship process and selection

• How are students selected?

  Successful candidates are selected on the basis of their applications. All completed applications are evaluated by a University Committee. Once the applications have been evaluated, the International Center will notify recipients.

• I have a really high GPA and consider myself a strong candidate. Why didn’t I receive a scholarship?

  Every year we receive many excellent applications and have only a limited number of funds to award. Unfortunately, the applications we get from deserving students greatly outnumber the awards we have available. As such, we have a very competitive process and sometimes even strong students do not get selected.

What happens after I submit my SAILS application?

• How will I know if I am selected as a scholarship recipient or not?

  The International Center will notify all applicants of their award status by email.

• Will I be notified if I do not receive a SAILS award?

  Yes, the International Center will notify all applicants by email.

• If I am selected for a scholarship, when should I expect my disbursement?

  Scholarship awards are contingent upon proof of enrollment and follow the rules and regulations for the disbursement of Financial Aid. This can vary with each individual student. Dispersements will begin after the first three weeks of the beginning of the term that you are awarded a SAILS.

• Does the amount I receive in scholarships affect my eligibility for financial aid?

  Yes, it can. It depends on the specific rules and regulations of Financial Aid and your individual Financial Aid package. If you have questions about this, contact One Stop Student Services.

• What are my chances of receiving a scholarship?

  In general, the more applications there are, the more competitive the selection process will be. However, selection will depend largely upon how well you write your application materials.

Regarding SAILS and TLO funding and study abroad program costs

• How does my SAILS award work with study abroad program costs?

  Even if you receive a SAILS you are responsible to pay for any study abroad program costs by the stated deadline. There is NO deferment of study abroad program costs if one receives a SAILS award. For most students, SAILS will be disbursed after the deadline to pay tuition and fees.

• When do I need to pay tuition and fees for a study abroad class?

  Students are responsible for payment of tuition and fees by the established deadline date, as published on the University Academic Calendar.

• What is a TLO?

  TLO funding is awarded to a specific academic class. Professors are the ones that apply for TLO funding for their classes.

• How do TLOs and SAILS fit together?

  Remember if you are going on a TLO trip the Faculty-Leader will need to provide the International Center with the list of TLO students for their courses. This list will be checked against students applying for a SAILS scholarship. Any SAILS applicant who is on the TLO list will be removed from the application process. If a TLO list has empty slots, and a student in that class applies for a SAILS award, that student’s application will be removed from the application process and the student’s name will be provided to the Faculty-Leader for inclusion on the TLO list. If the Faculty-Leader decides to accept additional students over and above what was listed in the TLO application, those additional students may apply for a SAILS scholarship, on a competitive basis.

• Where does funding for the SAILS come from?

  The SAILS funding comes from the Student Life and Services Fee.

• What if I still have a question after reading the above Frequently Asked Questions?

  Feel free to contact the International Center at 904-620-2657 or intlctr@unf.edu.