Giant Leaps Semester Scholarships

Giant Leaps Scholarships are available to assist undergraduate students of any major with costs associated with a study abroad program. Scholarship amounts vary (see chart below). These scholarships are made possible thanks to support from Global Partnerships and Programs and the deans/executive director of Purdue’s colleges.

To make scholarship funding more accessible and simplify the process for students, Purdue Programs for Study Abroad automatically reviews study abroad applicants eligibility for Giant Leaps Scholarships.

Eligibility

• Must be a degree-seeking student, and in one of the following:
  • Purdue West Lafayette undergraduate
  • Purdue Professional Pharmacy student in their first four years of studies who do not have a Purdue Bachelor’s degree
  • Purdue in Indianapolis undergraduate
  • Purdue Polytechnic undergraduate student at statewide campuses

AND

• Must be participating in an approved credit bearing study abroad program through Purdue University during the 2026-27 academic year.
• Must be a US citizen or Permanent Resident.
• Have a FAFSA on file with Purdue stating a verified federally calculated Total Family Income (see limits below) for the term of your study abroad experience.  Students who do not have a FAFSA on file should view the instructions listed on the Division of Financial Aid website to get started.

Students are only eligible for one semester award during their Purdue career (regardless of amount).

Process

• Students must enroll for an approved semester or yearlong program on the Study Abroad website.
• After enrollment, eligibility for the Giant Leaps Scholarships will be automatically reviewed daily.
• Status updates will display on student My Study Abroad page.
• Please note that the system downloads academic information (could take up to 3 days) before status will display on the student page. 
• Students do not need to be in accepted status to be reviewed.

Priority Deadline

• Fall and Academic Year - April 1
• Spring and Calendar Year - November 1

While eligibility will be automatically reviewed upon study abroad program enrollment, students will need to ensure any necessary action is taken to meet eligibility criteria (FAFSA on file, etc.) prior to the deadline for timely distribution of funds. Complete applications may be considered after the priority deadline up to two weeks prior to departure, although notifications and distributions may be delayed.

No further eligibility review will take place within two weeks of departure date.

2026-27 Scholarship Eligibility

Note: Eligibility and award amounts are valid through Summer 2027.

Total Family Income: Total of parent and student Adjusted Gross Income and reported untaxed income (examples include tax-deferred pension contribution, IRA and Keogh deductions, child support received, tax-exempt interest, and untaxed IRA distributions) for both student and parent.