University of Illinois

Boren Undergraduate Scholarships

Eligibility

Open to freshmen through seniors for semester or year long study in a non-western country. U.S. citizens only.

 

Who They Are Looking For

The Selection Committee rates candidates based on their study abroad program preferences, including countries, languages, and field(s) of study; length of time abroad; and commitment to work in the federal government. The strongest candidates have a solid academic record and the potential to succeed in their proposed study abroad experience, a commitment to international education to fulfill academic and career goals, and language interest and aptitude. Moreover, the student's study abroad program should directly relate to both the applicant's career aspirations and their envisioned work in the federal government in the Departments of Defense, State, or Homeland Security or in the Intelligence Community. Read more about recent Illinois Boren Scholars.


Early Review

Students are encouraged to submit drafts of their application to The Office of Prestigious Scholarships well in advance of the campus deadline in order to receive feedback. Applicants should strive to submit a first draft prior to winter break, as the office is willing to work with students through numerous revisions. Submit the application online (an electronic submittal comes to the Scholarships Office), and then email our office with a few potential meeting times to receive feedback.

 

REQUIRED Campus Deadline 12:00 Noon on January 20, 2010

The undergraduate Boren program requires that our campus reviews and rates all applications, and this rating goes forward confidentially with your application. Thus, it is extremely important to turn in a polished application to the Office of Prestigious Scholarships for the campus review committee by 12:00 on January 20. The campus committee's ratings will not change, even though you have the option of revising your application based on committee feedback. University faculty and staff who are familiar with the Boren will review materials, and The Office of Prestigious Scholarships will conduct an interview upon which your evaluation also is based. Regardless of the rating you earn from the campus committee, all applications are forwarded to a regional panel (however, lower rated applications rarely receive much attention at this level). Click here to obtain an idea of the types of questions your application should address and that may come up in an interview. Your 20-minute interview will be scheduled by e-mail after you submit your application.

Required information:

  1. Official transcripts from all colleges attended (including community colleges). Make sure that your Illinois transcript includes both your fall 2009 semester grades and your current courses in progress. Freshmen are required to submit high school transcripts as well.
  2. 2-3 signed letters of recommendation on the Boren forms you provide to your referees. The letters may also be written on letterhead and handed in with the completed Boren reference form with a "see attached" noted on it. Students may either hand deliver these letters in signed, sealed envelopes, or they may be submitted to The Office of Prestigious Scholarships directly by the referee.
  3. A complete Boren application submitted online (no hardcopy needed), including application form and both essays.
  4. Photocopies of your study abroad description/brochure for both primary and alternate programs (make sure you have spoken with a campus study abroad advisor and have met their application deadlines).
  5. A completed Language Self Assessment Form for each language you have studied.
  6. If desired, a Language Proficiency Form filled out by a language instructor (this form is optional).
  7. A résumé. Note that your nationally submitted application will not include a résumé, so make sure to incorporate this information into your essays as well.

Final Applicant Deadline 12:00 Noon on February 8, 2010

After The Office of Prestigious Scholarships receives committee member comments on your application submitted for campus review, you will have a few days to make any final changes to your application. Then, you will need to electronically resubmit your application by noon on February 2010. In addition, any updated transcripts, letters of recommendation, or program descriptions will need to be handed in to The Office of Prestigious Scholarships at this time.

 

The Final Stages

The Institute of International Education processes your application and distributes it to regional screening panels for review. The geographic area panels will be evaluating applications and recommending candidates to be reviewed by the national nominating panel. If your application is forwarded to the national committee, you will be contacted by IIE in late March/early April and asked to provide updated financial information for the final, national review panel. Please let us know if you are contacted--this is good news! Last year, our finalists were contacted on March 26. If you are selected to be forwarded to the national panel, from there you may be designated an award winner or an alternate, or you may not receive an award. All students will be notified of their status in late April or early May. Last year, Illinois award winner and alternate letters were emailed and postmarked on April 30.


General Application Tips

A critical component of a Boren application is a student’s demonstrated depth of understanding of federal government positions and hiring procedures. You should spend time investigating the following websites for in-depth information about federal government positions:

http://www.makingthedifference.org/ provides an overview of federal hiring and a plethora of data about the benefits of working with the federal government.

http://www.usajobs.gov/ and http://www.studentjobs.gov/ are sites used for people interested in applying to federal positions, and will provide you with information about the range of opportunities available.

http://www.usajobs.gov/EI23.asp lists common federal job titles by college major.

http://www.fedscope.opm.gov/employment.asp provides up to date quantitative data on the federal workforce, including numbers of positions by job title and geographic area of work. The site has a ton of detailed information, but is not user friendly.

Click here for additional application tips the University of Illinois has put together for you.

Also, the Boren has put together a series of webinars for undergraduates to learn more about the Boren Scholarships, including the eligibility requirements, the award preferences, the service requirement, and the application process.

Friday, Nov 20, 2009 2:00 PM - 3:00 PM EST. To register, go to https://www1.gotomeeting.com/register/168718521 

Tuesday, Dec 1, 2009 3:00 PM - 4:00 PM EST. To register, go to https://www1.gotomeeting.com/register/421037520   


Boren Website and Application

For official information and the online application for the National Security Education Program Boren Undergraduate Scholarship, visit their website.