This is the first year the Financial Aid office is offering the Global Trip Grant, a scholarship for students with high financial need who are pursuing an overseas practicum or internship.
Scholarships are typically started by generous donors. The donor who started the Global Trip Grant wanted to help students who would not be able to go on an international trip without financial assistance, Bekah Moser, director of scholarship giving, said.
Starting this year, the anonymous donor has committed to providing $30,000 in scholarship money each year for the next five years, Beth Fisher, assistant director of financial aid, packaging and scholarships, said. A portion of this $30,000 will go towards helping students afford international J-term trips, and the other portion will assist students with overseas summer trips.
The office is excited about this scholarship, as it focuses on an area that Taylor did not previously have a lot of scholarship assistance for, Fisher said.
They have already awarded this year’s J-term portion. 50 students applied for the scholarship this past spring, six of which ended up receiving the scholarship, Fisher said.
Each of the six scholarship recipients were awarded $3,000 to help offset their J-term trip costs. Considering the average J-term trip cost of $3,000-4,500, they chose to give each student $3,000 to cover a significant portion of that cost, Moser and Fisher explained.They wanted the scholarship to have a meaningful impact because the recipients will ultimately be students who have great financial need.
“I think every student who got this was so excited and appreciative of it when we were able to make those decisions,” Fisher said. “And so, I'm excited that some students are going to be able to have an experience that they would not have been able to without this additional aid.”
$18,000 of this year’s $30,000 scholarship money has already been awarded to students fulfilling international practicum/internship requirements through J-term trips. The remaining $12,000 will be awarded to students looking to complete their global practicum/internship through summer trips.
The priority application deadline is Feb. 1. However, Fisher said it is better to apply sooner than later.
Eligibility for this scholarship is largely based on financial need. If a student is interested in the Global Trip Grant, they should reach out to Fisher, and she will look at their FAFSA to determine if that student is eligible for the scholarship.
A student whose FAFSA does not indicate financial need will not qualify, Fisher said. Additionally, a student who does have financial need but much of that need is already being met through a combination of scholarships will also not likely be eligible. This scholarship is for students with “unmet financial need,” she explained.
The scholarship will also not be used to assist students who plan to attend a fundraising trip, she said.
If Fisher does determine that a student has unmet financial need and is therefore eligible, she will provide them with the application. Other factors they will consider when determining the scholarship recipients will be the student’s year and their responses to questions about why they want to go on a specific trip, Moser said.
Moser and Fisher hope to give away all $30,000 to students who need the assistance. In addition to easing a financial burden, they also recognize the scholarship’s unique role in making global trips more accessible.
“When you listen to students who have gone overseas in some way – spring break trip, study abroad – their experience has always deepened their outlook on other cultures, their understanding of God in those cultures and the realization that we're all people loved by God,” Fisher said. “And our little world here can seem pretty small until we go out and can expand our thinking.”
Moser also explained that this scholarship opportunity fits perfectly with Taylor’s mission to "develop student leaders marked with a passion to minister Christ’s redemptive love, grace, and truth to a world in need.”
“I don’t know how you do that (the mission statement) without experiencing the world,” Moser said.
Moser also emphasized the role of donors who make opportunities like the Global Trip Grant possible.
If students are interested in the Global Trip Grant, they can email Beth Fisher at btfisher@taylor.edu. Students interested in assistance for Summer 2026 global trips have until February to apply, and students interested in J-term 2027 assistance should apply this upcoming spring, she said.
“Please pursue this,” Fisher said. “We would love to help you, if we can.”
