Gilman-McCain Scholarship 2026–2027: $5,000 for Study or Internship Abroad

U.S. Department of State

Scholarships
USA
September 24, 2026

The Gilman-McCain Scholarship 2026–2027, officially called the John S. McCain International Scholarship for Military Families, provides a $5,000 award to eligible undergraduate children and spouses of active or activated U.S. military personnel for credit-bearing study or internships abroad.

The Fall 2026 application is currently open. Students applying in this cycle must have an eligible abroad program or internship starting between December 1, 2026 and October 31, 2027. The student application deadline is October 1, 2026 at 11:59 p.m. Pacific Time (PT).

This is a targeted scholarship. It is not open to international students generally. Applicants must be U.S. citizens or nationals, be undergraduate students at accredited U.S. higher education institutions, meet the military-dependent requirement, and satisfy the federal financial aid and study-abroad requirements.

Apply through the official Gilman application system

Quick Details

Detail	Information
Scholarship	John S. McCain International Scholarship for Military Families
Common name	Gilman-McCain Scholarship
Provider	U.S. Department of State
Study level	Undergraduate
Award	$5,000
Purpose	Credit-bearing study or internship abroad
Eligible applicants	Children or spouses of active/activated U.S. military personnel who meet all other requirements
Citizenship	U.S. citizen or national
Financial aid	Any type of Title IV federal financial aid
Fall 2026 deadline	October 1, 2026, 11:59 p.m. PT
Advisor deadline	October 8, 2026
Fall-cycle result notification	December 2026
Application fee	None
Application	Online

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The current scholarship page also states that 100 awards of $5,000 each are offered for the current academic year.

What Is the Gilman-McCain Scholarship?

The John S. McCain International Scholarship for Military Families is a congressionally funded initiative of the Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs at the U.S. Department of State. It operates within the framework of the Benjamin A. Gilman International Scholarship Program and is supported in implementation by the Institute of International Education.

Its main purpose is to help eligible undergraduate military dependents participate in credit-bearing international study or internship programs.

The award is $5,000 per recipient. The official program describes this money as funding toward the cost of the recipient’s study abroad or international internship program.

Who Can Apply for the Gilman-McCain Scholarship?

Applicants must meet several conditions at the same time.

According to the current official eligibility requirements, an applicant must:

Be a U.S. citizen or U.S. national.
Be an undergraduate student in good standing at an accredited U.S. institution of higher education, including an eligible two-year or four-year institution.
Be the child or spouse of active or activated U.S. military personnel at the time of application.
Receive any type of Title IV federal financial aid when applying, or provide proof that they will receive it during their study abroad program or internship.
Be applying to or accepted into an eligible credit-bearing study abroad or internship program.
Meet the program’s rules for the proposed overseas destination.

Proof of acceptance to the study or internship program is required before the scholarship award can be disbursed.

Which Military Families Are Included?

The official scholarship page lists dependents of active or activated personnel connected with the following services:

Air Force, Air Force Reserve, Air National Guard, Army, Army National Guard, Army Reserve, Coast Guard, Coast Guard Reserve, Marine Corps, Marine Corps Reserve, Navy, Navy Reserve, Space Force, NOAA Commissioned Corps, and USPHS Commissioned Corps.

The program also confirms that eligible dependents of reservists can apply when the military member meets the active-status requirement and all other scholarship conditions are satisfied.

What Does “Dependent” Mean for This Scholarship?

For this scholarship, the relevant dependent categories are a child or spouse of an active or activated U.S. military member.

Applicants need documentation confirming this status. The current official FAQ states that applicants must provide a child or spouse dependent military ID (DD1173 Form) confirming the parent or spouse’s active military status.

Importantly, the active-status test applies at the time the student submits the scholarship application. The official FAQ says a student can remain eligible if the parent or spouse later leaves active status before the student goes abroad, provided the military member was active when the scholarship application was made.

Can International Students Apply?

No. This scholarship should not be presented as a general scholarship for international students.

The official eligibility rules require applicants to be citizens or nationals of the United States and undergraduate students at accredited U.S. higher education institutions.

Therefore, being the dependent of military personnel by itself is not enough. Applicants must satisfy the other requirements, including U.S. citizenship/nationality, undergraduate enrollment, qualifying military-dependent status, Title IV federal financial aid, and an eligible credit-bearing overseas program.

Is a Federal Pell Grant Required?

A Federal Pell Grant is not specifically required for the Gilman-McCain Scholarship.

Instead, applicants must receive any type of Title IV federal financial aid at the time of application or show that they will receive qualifying Title IV aid during their study abroad program or internship.

This is an important difference between the Gilman-McCain Scholarship and the standard Benjamin A. Gilman International Scholarship. The standard Gilman Scholarship requires Federal Pell Grant eligibility, while Gilman-McCain uses the broader Title IV federal financial aid requirement for eligible military dependents.

What Does the Gilman-McCain Scholarship Cover?

Each Gilman-McCain recipient receives $5,000 toward the cost of an eligible study abroad or international internship program.

The official program does not describe the standard $5,000 award as automatically paying every expense of studying abroad. For that reason, it is more accurate to call this a $5,000 scholarship award, rather than saying that every recipient receives a “fully funded scholarship.”

Applicants should compare their total program costs with the $5,000 award and any other financial aid available to them.

Eligible Study Abroad and Internship Programs

The scholarship is designed for credit-bearing study abroad and international internship programs. Applicants may already be accepted to their program or still be in the process of applying when they submit their scholarship application.

The destination also matters. The current rules generally require the program to be in a country or location with an overall U.S. Department of State Travel Advisory Level 1 or Level 2. Students cannot participate through Gilman in locations or specific areas designated Level 3 or Level 4.

The official program also restricts participation involving overseas institutions on the applicable Section 1286 NDAA list of foreign institutions engaging in problematic activities. The current Gilman page notes that the annually updated list dated June 26, 2026 applies to programs in China.

These restrictions make it important to check the proposed host institution and destination before finalizing an application.

Fall 2026 Application Deadline

The Fall 2026 Gilman-McCain application is open as of September 24, 2026.

The key dates are:

Student application deadline: October 1, 2026 at 11:59 p.m. Pacific Time
Advisor certification deadline: October 8, 2026
Expected notification: December 2026

This application cycle covers eligible study abroad programs and internships beginning between December 1, 2026 and October 31, 2027.

Applicants should pay special attention to the Pacific Time deadline. The official deadline page states that late applications are not accepted.

Gilman-McCain Winter Application

Students who miss or do not fit the Fall 2026 cycle may also need to know about the separate Gilman-McCain Winter Application.

The official scholarship page says this application will open in mid-November 2026 for programs or internships starting from February 1 through October 31, 2027.

Its announced deadline is January 7, 2027 at 11:59 p.m. Pacific Time, while advisor certification is due January 14, 2027. Applicants are expected to receive status notifications in February 2027.

This winter cycle is specifically stated on the Gilman-McCain page and should not be confused with the broader Gilman Program’s Spring 2027 cycle.

Required Application Materials

The current Gilman application overview identifies several core parts of the online application:

Four required short essays
Transcript, with either official or unofficial transcripts accepted
Study abroad or internship program details
Selection of the applicant’s study abroad advisor and financial aid advisor for certification

Gilman-McCain applicants also need documentation showing their qualifying military-dependent status. The current Gilman-McCain FAQ identifies the DD1173 dependent military ID for confirming child or spouse dependent status.

Applicants should follow the current online application itself for any additional fields or documentation requested for their circumstances.

Gilman-McCain Scholarship Essays

The current Gilman application requires four short essays, each with a maximum of 500 words:

Motivations for Studying or Interning Abroad
Preparation and Skill Development
Gilman Scholars as Citizen Diplomats
Contributions to U.S. Communities and Follow-on Service Project Proposal

The official essay instructions state that each essay should provide a distinct response and address all required prompts. Optional supplemental essays apply to applicants seeking the Critical Need Language Award or STEM Supplemental Award.

Applicants should be careful with older Gilman application PDFs or third-party guides. Some older materials describe a different essay structure. The current official essay page is the stronger source for the present application cycle and lists four required short essays.

How to Apply for the Gilman-McCain Scholarship

Applications are submitted through the official Gilman online application system.

First, confirm that you meet the Gilman-McCain eligibility rules and that your proposed study or internship abroad is credit-bearing and meets the destination requirements.

Then complete the online application, including the required essays, transcript information, abroad-program details, military-dependent documentation, and advisor information. The official application overview confirms that applications must be submitted through the online portal.

After the student submits the application, the study abroad advisor and financial aid advisor must complete their certifications by the advisor deadline. Applicants are responsible for making sure the required certifications are completed.

Start the official Gilman-McCain application

Selection and Verification Process

Submitting an application does not automatically result in an award.

The Gilman-McCain program first reviews eligibility requirements, including documentation confirming the applicant’s status as a child or spouse dependent of an active military member. Complete and eligible applications are then considered by selection panels separately from other applicants.

The broader Gilman process also includes advisor certification, eligibility screening, panel review, and U.S. Department of State review and approval of recommended applications before final notifications are issued.

For the Fall 2026 cycle, applicants are scheduled to receive their status by email in December 2026.

Is There an Application Fee?

No. The official Gilman-McCain FAQ states that there is no application fee to submit a scholarship application.

Applicants should therefore use the official Gilman application portal rather than paying an outside website to submit the scholarship application on their behalf.

Can Dependents of Veterans Apply?

Not on the basis of veteran status alone.

The Gilman-McCain Scholarship requires the applicant to be the child or spouse of active or activated U.S. military personnel at the time of application. The official FAQ specifically states that dependents of veterans do not qualify under this requirement when the military member is no longer active.

Similarly, dependents of military personnel who died while serving on active duty are not eligible under the current Gilman-McCain rule unless the current active-dependent requirement is otherwise met; the official FAQ states that only dependents of current active military members qualify.

Can a Student Receive Both Gilman and Gilman-McCain Scholarships?

A student may potentially meet the eligibility conditions for both programs, particularly when the student is an eligible military dependent and receives a Federal Pell Grant.

However, the official Gilman-McCain FAQ states that a student cannot receive both scholarships. Students eligible for Gilman-McCain will no longer be considered for the standard Gilman Scholarship

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