The U.S. Department of State’s Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs has recognized Union as a top producer of Gilman Scholars over the past 20 years.
Fifty-one Union students have received Gilman Scholarships since 2001, making the College one of the top producers in the small school category.
Established in 2001, the Gilman Scholarship provides support for students of limited means to study or intern abroad.
Scholars receive as much as $5,000 for program costs, plus an additional $3,000 for the study of a critical language.
Florence, capital of Italy's famed Tuscany region, is just one of many places Union students can study abroad.
“Being recognized for a strong performance with the Gilman Scholarship over the last 20 years is particularly gratifying,” said Lynn Evans, director of National Fellowships and Scholarships. “It reflects Union College’s ongoing commitment to bridge classroom and immersive experiences, and to ensure that students of all economic backgrounds can access and take full advantage of the study abroad opportunities our school provides.”
The scholarship program is named for the late congressional representative Benjamin A. Gilman of New York, a staunch proponent of exchange programs for American students of all backgrounds to study abroad.
In honor of the program’s 20th anniversary, the Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs compiled a list of the 20 top producing Gilman institutions in four categories based on enrollment: small (fewer than 5,000 students), medium (between 5,000 and 15,000) and large (15,000 or more) institutions and associated-awarding institutions.
Since the program’s inception in 2001, more than 34,000 Gilman Scholars from all U.S. states, Puerto Rico and other U.S. territories have studied or interned in more than 155 countries around the globe.
Union’s robust study abroad program includes nearly 40 full-term and mini-term programs in 25 countries. Sixty percent of students study abroad.
The recognition as a top producer of Gilman Scholars comes as Union continues its efforts to advance educational equity and opportunity.
Union is committed to meeting the full financial need of all admitted students. The average need-based scholarship at Union is $40,300. More than half of its students receive need-based financial scholarship assistance; more than 25 percent receive merit scholarships.
The College recently announced it is one of the first schools to partner with the Schuler Education Foundation to invest up to $40 million to enroll significantly more low-income students.
Jack Schuler, co-founder of the Schuler Education Foundation, will spend $500 million over the next 10 years as part of the Schuler Access Initiative. He wants to include up to 20 liberal arts schools that will match the funds, for a potential investment of $1 billion.
Union plans to raise $20 million over the next five years, which, with Schuler’s match, will provide the College with $40 million in scholarship grant funding to recruit and enroll underserved students.