WKU News
WKU Named a Top Producer of Gilman Scholars
- Wednesday, November 1st, 2023
Western Kentucky University (WKU) has been named a Top Producer of Gilman Scholarship recipients by the U.S. Department of State’s Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs (ECA).
With 24 Gilman Scholars who studied abroad in academic year 2021-2022, WKU ranked second in the nation in the medium category (5,000-15,000 undergraduate students). With only two Kentucky institutions recognized in any category, WKU is the state's only public university to be earn the Top Producer honor.
“At WKU, multiple offices and departments collaborate to ensure that every WKU student has the opportunity to study or intern abroad,” said Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs Bud Fischer. “This national recognition from the Gilman Scholarship is a testament to the power of institutional collaboration for equitable access to transformative educational experiences. When we work together, our students win.”
The institution’s interdepartmental support for the Gilman Scholarship is led by the Office of Scholar Development (OSD), which mentors students applying for national scholarships that fund “academic extras” beyond what tuition covers—including international education.
“We’re committed to supporting the Gilman Scholarship because it aligns with our mission to make more possible for WKU students,” said Lindsey Houchin, Assistant Director of OSD. "Gilman makes study abroad accessible for students with significant financial need, and WKU's commitment to outreach and support through the application process makes the scholarship more successful for our students."
Throughout its more than twenty-year history, the Benjamin A. Gilman International Scholarship Program has reshaped study abroad to make it more accessible by providing scholarships to outstanding U.S. undergraduate students who, due to high financial need, might not otherwise go abroad. Since the program’s inception in 2001, more than 41,000 Gilman Scholars from all U.S. states, Puerto Rico, and other U.S. territories have studied or interned abroad in more than 155 countries.
To read a full report of the Gilman Scholarship's recognition of Top Producers, click here.
About The Benjamin A. Gilman Scholarship: Funded by the U.S. Department of State, the Gilman Scholarship program funds internships or study abroad programs for undergraduate Pell Grant recipients. Since 2001, the Gilman Scholarship has enabled more than 33,000 Americans to study in countries around the world, representing diverse backgrounds including ethnic minority students, students with disabilities, and first-generation college students.
About the Office of Scholar Development (OSD): OSD mentors students applying for national scholarships to fund “academic extras” such as study abroad, research, professional experience, and more. From first drafts to final submissions with multiple revisions in between, OSD helps students make more possible. By conceptualizing and revising the stories they tell in application essays, students better understand their strengths, interests, and purpose—and explore multiple possible pathways to that work.