A record 15 UMaine students were offered Gilman scholarships to study abroad 

A total of 15 students from the University of Maine were given the opportunity to study abroad in Germany, Portugal, South Korea, Spain, the United Kingdom, the Netherlands and Sweden after having been awarded the Benjamin A. Gilman International Scholarship and the Gilman- MCain Scholarship  during the 2024-25 academic year.  

The Benjamin A. Gilman Scholarship Program encourages students from all academic backgrounds to participate in study abroad programs to gain professional skills and experience new cultures. Since the inception of the program in 2001, over 44,000 scholarships between $3,000 and $5,000 have been awarded to U.S. students to participate in study abroad programs around the world, according to the program website. 

Overall, 1,600 students from across the U.S. have been awarded a Gilman scholarship in the fall 2024 application cycle. An additional group has been awarded the Gilman-McCain scholarship in January and 3,500 U.S. students were awarded in the Spring 2025 application cycle. 

Samuel Lausier, a senior student in the Maine Business School from Madawaska, Maine, is one of the UMaine recipients from the fall 2024 application cycle. He plans to study at the University of Mannheim in Germany in the fall through the exchange program UMaine has offered for over 12 years. 

“I’ve always wanted to travel, and studying abroad in Germany is a perfect way to do so. I’m excited to be surrounded by a different culture and experience life from a perspective I’ve never had before growing up in Maine,” said Lausier, who is double majoring in accounting and finance. “I’m also extremely excited at the prospect of traveling outside of the country during my time abroad. There are so many things to see throughout Europe, and I intend to spend all of my free time exploring as much of it as I can!” 

Drew Parent, a senior double majoring in social work and women’s, gender, and sexuality studies from Acton, Maine is another recipient from fall 2024 application cycle. They used the scholarship to study abroad in Portugal during the May term. 

“I would not have been able to experience this opportunity without the funding from the scholarship, so anything that I gained from this experience is directly related to the Gilman Scholarship. Whether that is the personal growth gained from this experience, or the professional development from immersing myself in the policies there, literally every aspect of this opportunity I am crediting to the Gilman Scholarship,” said Parent. “It was truly the experience of a lifetime. I am extremely grateful to have had the opportunity and I strongly encourage anyone who is interested in studying abroad to consider applying for a Gilman Scholarship.”

Lausier, Parent and others were made aware of this scholarship opportunity through email newsletters sent out by the Office of Major Scholarships or by the Office of International Programs. These offices also provided information sessions and a workshop to students interested in applying for this scholarship opportunity to provide application support.

The Office of International Programs, the Division of Lifelong Learning as well as other units were also pivotal in supporting these students’ applications.  

“My biggest takeaway from the workshop was learning more about what the panel is looking for from their applicants in the various essays they require you to write. This helped me better formulate the direction of my essays and definitely played a big role in my being awarded the scholarship,” Lausier added. 

The next application cycle for the Gilman Scholarship is open and the deadline is Oct. 3 for study abroad programs starting in 2026. UMaine students who are interested in applying can contact Nives Dal Bo-Wheeler, director of the Office of Major Scholarships, at nives.dalbowheeler@maine.edu.

Story by former news and social media intern Luke ONeil.

Contact: Marcus Wolf, 207.581.3721; marcus.wolf@maine.edu