First Time Travelers
Each year Greenheart Travel provides scholarship grants to individuals who are “first-time travelers” and have the desire for travel and cultural immersion. Our First Time Traveler Scholarships are available for our adult, high school and short term programs. We encourage everyone to follow their travel aspirations, despite obstacles that may inhibit these goals.
We want to help make travel accessible to everyone and truly believe that when you study, teach or volunteer abroad, you are embarking on a journey that will significantly impact your global perspective! That is why, along with our scholarship grants, we will offer additional support and resources for first-time travelers.
Let Greenheart Travel staff members tell you about the life-changing experience of traveling abroad for the first time:
Selection Criteria
The purpose of this scholarship is to give the opportunity to travel to those who have not had it before. Therefore, you should meet these requirements if you want to be considered:
- Be a First Time Traveler*
- Be enrolled in, or in the process of, applying for a Greenheart Travel program
- Be in good standing with your high school, university, work, etc.
- Have a desire to travel, curiously explore new cultures, and positively share your experiences with your home communities
- Be excited to tell your story to the Greenheart Travel community and be a mentor to future travelers. If you get chosen you’ll be asked to submit:
- 2 blog posts (~500-750 words each) about your experiences abroad
- 1 review of your Greenheart Travel program on Go Overseas and Go Abroad
- 5 one-minute videos highlighting your daily life on the program
- 20 high resolution photos of you experiencing life on your program
*What is a First Time Traveler?
We’ll be the first to admit that this term is a bit loose here. But generally, a First Time Traveler will have no experience traveling abroad alone. It is possible that you went on a Caribbean cruise with your family, or a short school trip to Costa Rica, so we’d be accepting of you if that were your only experience abroad.
However, it is important to us that we reach people who will be traveling abroad solo for the first time. Preference will be given to those with the least experience traveling. At the beginning of the scholarship application, you’ll need to provide a paragraph explaining your travel experience and why you consider yourself a First Time Traveler.What does it mean to be in good standing with my high school, university or work?
We’ll need a recommendation letter from a teacher, guidance counselor or boss. We’re asking you to have them outline why they think you’d be a good candidate for the scholarship and why you’d be a great promoter of cultural exchange.
Teen Scholarships
Teen Scholarships
2026-2027 Scholarships for Ages 13-18
The scholarship scholarship cycle for Summer 2026 Teen Language Camp and Fall 2026 High School Abroad programs is now open! To be considered for a Summer 2026 Teen Language Camp or Fall 2026 High School Abroad Spring scholarship, please submit your completed application by March 15, 2026.
High School Abroad Scholarships
Program Location Length Scholarship Amount Argentina All Program Lengths $1000 – $2000 Australia All Program Lengths $1000 – $2000 Austria All Program Lengths $1000 – $2000 Costa Rica Summer Only $500 – $1000 Denmark All Program Lengths $1000 – $2000 England All Program Lengths $1500 – $2500 Finland Semester or Academic Year $1000 – $2000 France All Program Lengths $1000 – $2000 Germany All Program Lengths $1000 – $2000 Ireland All Program Lengths $1000 – $2000 Italy All Program Lengths $1000 – $2000 Japan All Program Lengths $1000 – $2000 The Netherlands All Program Lengths $1000 – $2000 New Zealand All Program Lengths $1000 – $2000 Norway Semester or Academic Year $1000 – $2000 Spain Trimester $500 – $1000 Sweden All Program Lengths $1000 – $2000 Teen Language Camp Scholarships
Terms of Acceptance
As a scholarship recipient, we want to showcase your experience and program! All travelers who receive scholarship funding will be asked to create the following for Greenheart Travel:
- Recipients will submit five (5) one-minute videos highlighting your daily life on your program
- Recipients will write 2 blog posts about their program and experience of at least 500-750 words each.
- Recipients will submit 20 high-resolution photos to Greenheart Travel of their time abroad.
- Recipients will agree to be a mentor for new travelers after their program.
- Recipients will leave a review on GoOverseas.com and GoAbroad.com after the end of their program. Link to be provided by Greenheart Travel.
Application Process
Ready to take one step closer to taking the leap abroad? Get your application started today!
Application Deadlines
- High School Abroad Program Scholarship Deadline: March 15, 2026
- Teen Language Camp Program Scholarship Deadline: March 15, 2026
Application Process
- Start Your Application HERE. All scholarship applications are completed online in our application portal. All First Time Traveler Scholarship applicants will need to complete a separate scholarship application in addition to the program application for their intended travel program.
- Show Us Who You Are! Complete your application by answering short-answer questions, gathering recommendations and references, and recording an introduction video.
- Receive a Scholarship Decision: Scholarship applicants will be notified 2-4 weeks after the posted deadline if they have been awarded a scholarship. Upon completion of a corresponding program application and successful acceptance to the program, scholarship funds will be disbursed in accordance with the scholarship terms and conditions.
FAQs
Can I apply for multiple Greenheart Travel scholarships?
No, you can only submit one scholarship application per scholarship cycle.
Do I need to apply for the program at the same time that I apply for the scholarship?
Yes, in order to be considered for the scholarship, you need to submit an active application for the program at the same time. They can be submitted simultaneously or in sequence with one another.
You are not required to submit a deposit or any money to apply for the scholarship, but we do need a completed application with all of your details on file to award you a scholarship.
If you plan to do your program even if you are not awarded the scholarship, we HIGHLY recommend submitting deposits and applying as normal – as not to disrupt your program timeline.
How many people usually apply for Greenheart Travel’s scholarships?
We have a limited number of scholarships and each season we often receive over 100 scholarship applications from eager travelers!
Does Greenheart Travel have other financial aid?
We do not offer other forms of financial aid at this time. We do offer a guide for fundraising. Many past participants have had success using these resources, including Jaime who wrote a wonderful blog about her unique fundraising efforts.
If I find a scholarship from another organization outside of Greenheart Travel, can I apply it to my program fee?
Yes! We welcome you to find funding opportunities from all over, and we can accept scholarship credit from other organizations, foundations or from fundraising efforts.
What should be in the letter of recommendation?
We’ll be asking them to outline why they think you’d be a good candidate for the scholarship and why you’d be a great promoter of cultural exchange.
You will have the ability to input your recommenders email into our application portal, and they can log into your application and provide a recommendation.
Can I still apply for the scholarship if I want to go in Spring 2027?
No, the current scholarships are only for the stated season. Scholarship applications for Spring 2027 will be opened in June of 2026.
Can I apply for the scholarship even if I’ve already applied for a program?
Yes! There is no problem if you’ve already submitted your application and still want to apply for the scholarship.
