Student scholarships are available through Pitt and various national, international, and government organizations to support travel abroad, internships, research, teaching, and more. Pitt students and international students can find funding opportunities below. These are competitive programs and students are encouraged to apply if interested in additional support to fund their journeys related to African studies.
Study Abroad Scholarships
African Studies Scholarship
If you are a student planning to study abroad in Africa or doing research about Africa or attending an Africa focused professional conference, please apply to get a little extra funding to support your academic activities through the Center for African Studies.
Foreign Language and Area Studies Fellowships (FLAS) Program
The Foreign Language and Area Studies (FLAS) Fellowships program provides scholarships to assist meritorious undergraduate students and graduate students undergoing training in modern foreign languages and related area or international studies at Pitt and abroad.
International Studies Fund
The International Studies Fund (ISF) is intended to help students at the University of Pittsburgh conduct research on international issues or in international settings and/or with international collaborators. “International” is defined as relating to another country or culture, comparative analysis covering more than one country or culture, studies of international relations or of transnational activities, or studies which examine topics related to global issues or collaborative projects with partners around the world.
Nationality Room Scholarships
The Nationality Rooms scholarship are open to undergraduate and graduate students to apply. The purpose of the awards is to give pitt students the opportunity to experience in-depth immersion in another culture. See information on the African Studies Center Nationality Room Scholarship here!
Vira I Heinz Fellowship
The mission of the VIH Program is to develop and encourage a passion for life-long learning and civic engagement for first-time, underrepresented women and marginalized gender travelers.
Pitt Honors College Scholarships
Pitt Honors College offers a wide range of scholarship resources listed in their website.
Global Experiences Office Scholarships
The Global Experiences Office provides a listing of scholarships available to Pitt students planning to study abroad. Feel free to explore and see what fits your plan.
Fund for Education Abroad
This is an external program that offers scholarships to students doing a college related program.
Diversity Abroad
Take photos and post them on social media and write about your experience abroad to get funding from this scholarship.
Graduate Fellowships
Graduate Student Assistants
The Center for African Studies has graduate student assistants each semester who work in the center for 20 hours each week.
Foreign Language and Area Studies Fellowships (FLAS) Program
The Foreign Language and Area Studies (FLAS) Fellowships program provides scholarships to assist meritorious undergraduate students and graduate students undergoing training in modern foreign languages and related area or international studies at Pitt and abroad.
The Carl Paul Malmberg Fellowship
The Carl Paul Malmberg Fellowship supports early-career Lesotho nationals studying in health care, public affairs, education or other areas affecting Lesotho who have demonstrated strong potential for outstanding achievement and a capacity to contribute to the development of Lesotho.
Research Funding
African Studies Scholarship
If you are a student planning to study abroad in Africa or doing research about Africa or attending an Africa focused professional conference, please apply to get a little extra funding to support your academic activities through the Center for African Studies.
International Studies Fund
The International Studies Fund (ISF) is intended to help students at the University of Pittsburgh conduct research on international issues or in international settings and/or with international collaborators. “International” is defined as relating to another country or culture, comparative analysis covering more than one country or culture, studies of international relations or of transnational activities, or studies which examine topics related to global issues or collaborative projects with partners around the world.
Pitt Honors College Scholarships
Pitt Honors College offers a wide range of scholarship resources listed in their website. Students can seek the guidance of the UHC National Scholarship advisors for direct-apply opportunities provided that they contact the office well in advance before the deadline (one to three months, depending on the scholarship).
Outside of Pitt Funding Opportunities
- Fund for Education Abroad
- Benjamen A. Gilman International Scholarship
- Mahmoud Mohamed Taha Student Travel Award
- The Fulbright U.S. Student Program
- Fullbirght Hays Doctoral Dissertations Research Abroad (come see us to help with this)
- Boren Awards for International Study
- Critical Language Scholarships for Intensive Summer Institutes
- National Science Foundation Graduate Research Fellowship Program (NSF GRFP)
- The Rhodes Scholarship Program
- Science, Mathematics, and Research for Transformation (SMART) Defense Education Program
- The Harry S. Truman Scholarship
- Kluge Fellowship - Library of Congress
- Charles B. Rangel International Affairs Program
- Payne International Development Fellowship
- Davis Fellows for Peace
- Gary J. Rathburn Undergraduate International Research Award
*For undergraduates applying to any nationally competitive scholarship, consult with a Scholar-Mentor for assistance and guidance on applying.
Funding for African Scholars
Fulbright Foreign Language Teaching Assistant (FLTA)
The FLTA program brings a visiting fellow to assist with teaching Swahili and expose students to a true understanding of people of different nations, while serving as a resource for students and the community at large. The FLTA coordinates the language tables open to all who wish to learn basic Swahili, and shares their culture and experiences. They do outreach to the schools to teach about African cultures and societies and share their experience.
For International Students
- Washington Fellowship for Young African Leaders (for students from Africa only)
- P.E.O. International Peace Scholarship (IPS) (for women only)
- Margaret McNamara Education Grants (for women from developing countries only)
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Dorothy Marchus Senesh Fellowship (for women from developing countries studying peace-related field)
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Aga Khan Foundation International Scholarship (for master's or PhD students from specific African countries)
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AAUW International Fellowship (for women in master's, PhD, or post-doctoral program)
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United States Scholarship to Africa (for students from Africa who are under 39 years old)
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Ashinaga African Initiative (for students from sub-Saharan Africa who have lost a parent)
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Qalaa Holdings Scholarship Foundation (for students from Egypt in master's program)
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West African Scholar Mobility Fellowship (for PhD students from West Africa looking for a research grant)
- Benjamen A. Gilman International Scholarship
- Mahmoud Mohamed Taha Student Travel Award
- The Fulbright U.S. Student Program
- Fullbirght Hays Doctoral Dissertations Research Abroad (come see us to help with this)
- Boren Awards for International Study
- Critical Language Scholarships for Intensive Summer Institutes
- National Science Foundation Graduate Research Fellowship Program (NSF GRFP)
- The Rhodes Scholarship Program
- Science, Mathematics, and Research for Transformation (SMART) Defense Education Program
- The Harry S. Truman Scholarship
- Kluge Fellowship - Library of Congress
- Charles B. Rangel International Affairs Program
- Payne International Development Fellowship
- Davis Fellows for Peace
- Gary J. Rathburn Undergraduate International Research Award