Financing your Student-Athletes Abroad Program
Fundraising
Fundraising allows seemingly impossible opportunities become possible!
It is our mission to remove barriers that prevent student-athletes from traveling abroad, and we know the financial burden of study abroad programs is typically the biggest obstacle to overcome! Our staff have personally fundraise, and helped students fundraise through many of these methods. Please let us know if there is any way we can help!
Fundraising Ideas:
Crowdfunding with RallyMe*
We partner with RallyMe, which provides us access to professional online fundraising services that are specifically designed for athletes and teams.
Visit beyondsports.rallyme.com to set up your campaign!
*Before starting your campaign, meet with the compliance officer at your school to ensure you're not violating any regulations. We recommend utilizing a crowdfunding website because it allows you to collect all of your funds on a single platform.
Reach out to your personal network: Write a letter to friends, relatives, coaches, professors, old teachers, coaches explaining your excitement for your study abroad experience and ask for donations.
Odds and Ends Jobs: babysitting, dog walking or pet sitting, tutoring, spring cleaning, yard work, snow shoveling.
Donations in lieu of gifts: Ask for donations instead of gifts for holidays and birthdays.
Sales: Find an organization offering fundraising partnerships, such as: Hershey's, Yankee Candle, Otis Spunkmeyer, and Deanan Gourmet Popcorn.
Run a sports camp for local youth: Ask your Coach or Athletic Director for facilities support and advertise locally.
Scholarships
Student-Athletes Abroad offers partial scholarships to qualified applicants. Scholarship decisions are determined during the application review process, and you will be notified of a scholarship award through SAA at the time of your admission to your chosen program.
Here are some other scholarship sources to explore:
University Scholarships: Reach out to your Financial Aid and International Education offices to start your search for study abroad funding directly through your university. Many schools have internal scholarships or grants that you may be eligible for. Check with your athletic department as well, in case there is specific funding available for athletes wishing to go abroad.
External Scholarships: There are hundreds of private and public organizations ready to invest in your experience abroad! Here are a few scholarship databases and additional information to get you started:
Federal Financial Aid: You're eligible for federal financial aid for the cost of studying abroad as long as the program is approved by your university. Let us know if you would like assistance navigating this process with your university's financial aid office.
Traveling abroad as a student-athlete IS possible!
Let us know how we can help you reach your fundraising goals!
