UT Austin Honored as 20-Year Top Producer of Gilman Scholars
- Oct 27, 2021
- Education Abroad
The University of Texas at Austin was recognized today by the U.S. Department of State’s Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs for having produced the most Benjamin A. Gilman International Scholarship recipients over the past twenty years in the large institution category. More than 570 students from UT Austin have received Gilman Scholarships since 2001.
“We are honored to be recognized for our commitment to the Gilman Scholarship Program, which in twenty years has provided more than $2.7 million in education abroad funding for our students,” said Sonia Feigenbaum, senior vice provost of global engagement and chief international officer. “With more than 22 percent of our undergraduate student body eligible to receive the Pell Grant, the Gilman Scholarship has long been a pillar of our strategy to increase access to international education.”
Throughout its twenty-year history, the State Department's Gilman Program has reshaped study abroad to make it more accessible and inclusive for American students by providing scholarships to outstanding U.S. undergraduates who, due to financial constraints, might not otherwise participate. 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.
Today at the Diversity Abroad conference, Deputy Assistant Secretary of State Ethan Rosenzweig virtually announced the U.S. colleges and universities that have sent the most Gilman Scholars abroad over the past two decades. These institutions were recognized for their support of equity, diversity and accessibility in study abroad for American students through the Gilman Program. The State Department’s Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs, in collaboration with the Institute of International Education, compiles the lists and organizes them by institution size and degree-awarding category.
Based on twenty years of data, the top twenty institutions in four categories are being honored: small, medium, and large institutions, and associate-awarding institutions. Colleges and universities in twenty-seven states, plus Washington, D.C., and Puerto Rico, are represented, as well as thirty-three minority-serving institutions.
As the recent Department of State and Department of Education Joint Statement of Principles in Support of International Education noted, “All Americans need to be equipped with global and cultural competencies to navigate the ever-changing landscapes of education, international business, scientific discovery and innovation, and the global economy.”
To learn more about the Gilman and Gilman-McCain Scholarships and how their diverse alumni are pursuing impactful careers in the government, nonprofit and private sectors, contact eca-press@state.gov or visit gilmanscholarship.org. The website includes a full list of the named institutions by category, plus additional information on the Gilman Program’s 20th anniversary.
The Gilman competition is administered at The University of Texas at Austin through the Education Abroad office at Texas Global, which hosts four information sessions per year and a scholarship writing workshop once each semester. Find scholarship opportunities and more information at the Gilman International Scholarship Program page on the Texas Global website.
