The SAIL Scholarship

As part of Global Leaps Semester Scholarships, CILMAR offers the Semester Abroad in Intercultural Learning (SAIL) Scholarship Program. This credit-bearing program provides mentored distance learning courses that assist students in their intercultural learning and development while abroad. SAIL courses challenge students to engage with their host-country’s culture in meaningful ways while supporting them in the development of intercultural attitudes, skills, and knowledge. Mentors share their experiences and insights to help students make connections between course content and lived experiences while studying abroad. Students who successfully complete the requirements of the program will receive a $1000 scholarship regardless of financial need as a credit in the semester after they return from their program abroad.

SAIL scholarships are disbursed to Student Bursar accounts in the return semester following the studying abroad and only if the distance learning course is successfully completed. Funds typically reach student accounts two to three weeks after the start of the semester.

Questions regarding the SAIL Scholarship and eligible courses should be directed to Dr. Daniel Jones, the scholarship and course coordinator.

Eligibility

Students wishing to take part in the SAIL scholarship program must be a degree-seeking student as one of the following:

  • a Purdue West Lafayette undergraduate
  • a Purdue in Indianapolis undergraduate
  • a Purdue Polytechnic undergraduate student at statewide campuses
  • a Purdue Professional Pharmacy student in their first four years of studies who do not have a Purdue Bachelor’s degree
AND
  • Must be participating in an approved credit bearing study abroad program through Purdue University during the academic year, Fall & Spring semester's only.*
  • Must have at least one semester of classes to complete after returning from study abroad
  • Be available to begin the mentored course approximately two weeks prior to departure in person (preferable) or online

*Check with your study abroad advisor to verify which semester your program is a part of as some program start and end dates do not align with Purdue Academic Calendars.

Deadlines

Deadlines
  Deadlines
Fall (including Academic Year) April 1
Spring (including Calendar Year) October 1

Note: This deadline pertains only to participation in this scholarship program; deadlines for course registration, study abroad applications, or applications for other forms of financial aid may differ.

Application process

Prior to applying for the SAIL scholarship, students must first apply to an approved semester or academic year program on the Purdue Study Abroad website. When the academic information has been downloaded to the student’s My Study Abroad page, the student will then be able to access the SAIL scholarship application via a green box at the top of the page.

Course Options

The SAIL scholarship is provided as an award for successful completion of a SAIL-eligible course. Please navigate to the SAIL Scholarship Courses page to view a list of all available courses.

Students must complete the SAIL scholarship application by selecting the criteria that applies to the relevant study abroad program and academic requirements (e.g., GEARE students must select the ENGR 39700 course option in the application). When applying to a co-sponsored program, students must verify course availability with the hosting study abroad program provider. This is to verify that the course is actually available in the location and during the semester of your program. The best method for this verification is to contact a representative of the Program Provider. The response email can be forwarded on to Dr. Daniel Jones, the SAIL program coordinator. 

SAIL applications will only be accepted after acceptance into an approved semester or year-long study abroad program.

Assessment and Evidence of Effectiveness

Each semester, SAIL students as a whole show meaningful growth in intercultural competence development. Various methods, such as the Intercultural Development Inventory and student learning artifacts, have been used to assess learning in SAIL. Peer-reviewed publications in the Journal of Excellence in College Teaching and Frontiers: The Interdisciplinary Journal of Study Abroad document the effectiveness of the mentoring practices and curricula used in the SAIL courses. Dr. Jones is currently leading efforts to develop a new instrument for use in SAIL assessment: the Situated Intercultural Measure of Behaviors and Attitudes (SIMBA).

 

Goals: Learning Outcomes and Evidence

Per the recommendations of the National Institute for Learning Outcomes Assessment (NILOA) Transparency Framework and the NILOA Excellence in Assessment Standards, we provide the goals for each student program offered through CILMAR.

  • Recruit culturally diverse students and incorporate learners' voices, experiences, and values through intercultural and inclusive mentoring. 
  • Support mentored students to exhibit mean growth in intercultural development.
  • Cultivate a sense of global citizenship, understanding one's role and responsibility in a global context by engaging learners in curriculum that promotes intercultural and DEIB tenets and develop an awareness of cultural nuances and differences. 

Updated 9/13/2024