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SAILS & Other Scholarships

Fall 2023 SAILS are open.  The deadline to submit a Fall 2023 SAILS application is June 30th, 2023, at midnight. Thank you for your patience.

Apply for Fall 2023 SAILS

 

Information and Guidelines

If you want to study abroad, you can apply for the Study Abroad International Learning Scholarship (SAILS). This competitive scholarship provides funding for undergraduate and graduate approved international educational experiences that enrich academic and individual development. Scholarship recipients may receive either $1,500 to support a short-term (less than ten weeks) international activity or $2,500 for a long-term (ten weeks or longer) international activity (funded by Student Life and Services Fee). Preference will be given to applicants who have never received SAILS funding for an international activity. Applying for multiple international activities and terms using one application is not allowed. Only one application per international activity per term will be considered. Applications will be reviewed by the SAILS Committee (comprised of UNF students, faculty, and staff) as per the specified deadlines. The final awarding is contingent upon the rules and regulations of Financial Aid, since funds will be distributed through the UNF Office of Financial Aid. Awarding is also contingent upon acceptance to an approved international activity. Students may access the SAILS Scholarship application through their MyWings portal in Online Forms.

Please Note: Your approved study abroad experience must be associated with UNF credits during the semester of your international activity.

Eligibility Guidelines

To be eligible for a SAILS award, the program must meet one of the following criteria:
  • Be a credit bearing activity
  • Be part of a degree requirement
  • Be credit or course related
To be eligible for a SAILS award, the applicant must (at the time of application and the time of participation):
  • Be a degree-seeking UNF student
  • Be in good academic standing
  • Be in compliance with all University regulations, rules and codes of conduct governing students on campus
To be eligible for a SAILS award, the applicant must (at the time of application):
  • Be accepted (or have applied) to an approved international activity and have an active file with the UNF International Center (i.e., have discussed international plans with an International Center Study Abroad Advisor).
  • Submit one application per term (Summer B, Fall, Spring and Summer A/C)
  • Be enrolled at UNF for a minimum of 6 credit hours
The essay prompt and recommender prompt for SAILS are:
  • Essay #1: Provide a detailed explanation of the proposed international activity's impact on your personal, academic, and professional life.
  • Recommendation Letter: A thoughtfully written letter of recommendation from a reference explaining the potential significance of the international activity on the applicant. Limit one letter of recommendation per SAILS application.
Scholarship recipients agree that upon return from the SAILS activity, they must:
  • Complete a post-trip survey provided by the International Center regarding the educational/personal outcomes from their international experience.

Application Tips

  1. 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.
  2. The SAILS Scholarship is very competitive. Remember you are competing with other students and want to have an application that stands out.
  3. Follow the directions! For example, stick to the 1 page limit for the essay question and use the Times New Roman, 12 point font. Remember to double space as well.
  4. Spend time completing your application, take it seriously and don't rush.
  5. For the essay, make sure you provide a detailed explanation of how the international program will impact you personally, professionally, and academically.
  6. You will need a thoughtfully written letter of recommendation from a reference explaining the potential significance of the international activity of the applicant. Limit one letter of recommendation per SAILS applicant. Choose a current professional reference (UNF staff or professor), and explain to them what is required for this letter. There's a prompt for the recommender. Remember the letter must be signed and on letter head.
  7. Let a friend read your essays to assist with editing.
  8. You must turn in all the application materials (application, essay, and recommendation) at the same time. Remember: just because you apply does not mean you will receive SAILS.
  9. You must have an active file with the UNF International Center (i.e., have discussed international plans with an International Center Study Abroad Advisor). 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, as mentioned above.

IMPORTANT: SAILS is a competitive scholarship program; not all students who apply for the SAILS will receive an award.

FAQ

REMEMBER: THE SAILS SCHOLARSHIP IS COMPETITIVE
  • 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.