Wartburg College was one of 18 colleges and universities recognized by the U.S. Department of State for supporting a Benjamin A. Gilman Scholarship recipient for the first time in the 2021-22 academic year.

In 2021-22, Wartburg had five recipients of the scholarship, which allows American students with limited financial means to study or intern abroad. The Gilman program is a key part of the Department of State’s dedication to increasing diversity, equity, inclusion and accessibility among American students studying abroad to better reflect the population of the U.S. Wartburg’s five scholarship recipients received $21,000 total.

“The Gilman Scholarship is a life-changing opportunity for students who may never have even considered studying abroad. Gilman outreach and advising are very rewarding aspects of my role on campus,” said Kathleen Sihler, study away coordinator and national scholarship and fellowship adviser.

The program has continued to grow at Wartburg, with eight students receiving a total of $32,000 in 2022-23 and another 10 applicants waiting for word yet this year if they received a scholarship in the October application cycle.

Nearly 550 U.S. higher education institutions sent more than 3,100 scholarship recipients from 40 states, the District of Columbia, Guam and Puerto Rico to study or intern abroad in over 100 locations around the world in 2021-22.

“I am so thankful that I even got to go to Italy for the experience of a lifetime. I am a Pell Grant recipient, so I didn’t know if I’d ever be able to study abroad,” said Sophia Broers, a Wartburg College junior who studied in Italy during the college’s May Term. “I received $4,000 to cover many of the costs for my experience. It is because of this scholarship that I was able to fulfill my dream of studying abroad in Italy, and I will forever be grateful.”