SDSU Named Gilman Scholarship Top Producing Institution
The U.S. Department of States Benjamin A. Gilman International Scholarship is a grant program that enables students of limited financial means to study or intern abroad.
San Diego State University has been named a Gilman International Scholarship Top Producing Institution by the U.S. Department of State in its inaugural list of U.S. higher education institutions that sent the most students abroad through the Benjamin A. Gilman International Scholarship Program.“We have been strategic in our efforts to create more opportunities for students to engage in high-impact practices, such as studying abroad, particularly those who are historically underserved.”
SDSU tied for 14th in the nation among large colleges and universities (more than 15,000 undergraduates) in producing Gilman Scholars during the 2016-2017 academic year. The university also placed 9th in the nation among large colleges and universities in producing Gilman Scholars who are first-generation college students.
"We have been strategic in our efforts to create more opportunities for students to engage in high-impact practices, such as studying abroad, particularly those who are historically underserved," said Eric Rivera, SDSU's vice president for Student Affairs.
"Our place in national rankings like Gilman is indicative of SDSU's commitment to helping a greater number of students connect with transformative experiences, no matter their backgrounds or economic circumstances," Rivera said.
The Benjamin A. Gilman International Scholarship Program is a U.S. Department of State grant program that enables students of limited financial means to study or intern abroad. The program offers undergraduate recipients awards up to $5,000.
“The Gilman scholarship helps students afford to go abroad when they may not have been able to do so otherwise” said Noah Hansen, director of SDSU’s International Student Center. “The high number of first-generation students receiving these scholarships reflects our strong collaboration with Educational Opportunity Programs to support their students studying abroad.”
During the 2016-2017 academic year, SDSU sent 23 students abroad with Gilman support to countries such as Chile, China, Thailand and France. The total topped institutions such as the University of Washington, New York University and the University of California, San Diego.
SDSU has established itself as a leading institution for international education. The university ranked eighth in the nation for having the most students study abroad, according to the most recent rankings in the Institute for International Education’s Open Doors Report. The report found that 2,659 SDSU students studied abroad during the 2015-16 academic year.
That number is expected to rise when the next Open Doors report is released next fall. Numbers released by the Office of International Programs show that a record 3,039 SDSU students had an international experience during the 2016-17 academic year.
“We know from our own and other research that when students are connected with such high-impact practices, they are more successful before and after they graduate,” Rivera said. “Another important return on this investment is that students who study abroad most often become more creative, adaptable and competitive in the workplace.”
