Social, Environmental and Economic Development
$1,500 study abroad scholarship to turn global experience into sustainability action
Studying abroad shows you how other places solve problems you had assumed were unsolvable at home. The SEED Scholarship supports students who intend to bring something back.
Two $1,500 awards are made each year — $1,200 toward your program cost, plus $300 once you submit a short post-program report on your project — to students studying, interning, or researching abroad — with any program, any provider, in any country. You do not need to travel with Authentica, applying creates no obligation of any kind, and there is no application fee.
What is the SEED Scholarship?
SEED stands for Social, Environmental and Economic Development. The Authentica SEED Scholarship is a $1,500 study abroad sustainability scholarship — $1,200 toward your program cost and a further $300 once you submit a post-program report on your project — awarded twice a year to a student who turns a real observation abroad into a practical, SDG-aligned idea. It is open to students worldwide, with any program or provider — no application fee and no minimum GPA.
- SEED stands for
- Social, Environmental and Economic Development
- Award
- $1,500 (US dollars), released in two parts
- How it is split
- $1,200 applied toward your program cost · $300 released once you submit your post-program report
- How often
- Twice a year — one award each cycle
- Who can apply
- Undergraduate and graduate students worldwide, any nationality, any major
- Program
- Any education abroad experience of 14 days or longer, with any provider — Authentica not required
- Term
- Any term — academic year, semester, quarter, or winter — as long as the program runs 14 days or more
- University listing
- Your university or provider must list the SEED Scholarship on their website — you provide the link when you apply
- Cost to apply
- None — no application fee, no obligation, no minimum GPA
- Deadlines
- November 13, 2026 (Spring cycle) and April 30, 2027 (Fall cycle)
- Focus
- Sustainability and the UN Sustainable Development Goals
Updated September 2026 · Dates shown are for the 2026–2027 cycles.
Open, independent, and free to enter
The SEED Scholarship is designed to be genuinely accessible — the kind of award an advisor can recommend to any student, with confidence.
Any provider, any country
Go with any program, university exchange, or independently. Your choice has no bearing on the outcome. Universities and providers are welcome to list this scholarship — simply link to this page.
No application fee, ever
There is never a fee to apply for, or to receive, the SEED Scholarship.
No GPA, no financial forms
No minimum GPA and no financial documentation required. Open to any major or field.
A published rubric
Every application is scored against the same transparent, public criteria by our review panel.
Who can apply
If you are heading abroad — or hoping to — for two weeks or more, you are likely eligible.
- Currently enrolled undergraduate or graduate students — full-time or part-time — at any accredited institution, anywhere in the world
- Open to students of any nationality or citizenship
- Any major or field of study
- Participating in, accepted to, or currently applying to any education abroad experience lasting 14 days or longer, in any term — academic year, semester, quarter, or winter — whether study abroad, exchange, internship, field school, research, service learning, or volunteering
- Programs beginning within 12 months of the application deadline
- Age 18 or older at the time of application
- Enrolled at a university or with a provider that lists the SEED Scholarship on their website — you will be asked for the link on your application
You do not need
- A minimum GPA
- Any financial aid documentation
- To be enrolled in, applying to, or affiliated with an Authentica program
Eligibility at a glance
Who qualifies, and what universities and providers do if they would like to promote the scholarship.
| Who | What is required |
|---|---|
| Students | Be 18 or older and enrolled at an accredited institution · Be on, accepted to, or applying to an education abroad experience of 14 days or longer starting within 12 months · Your university or provider must list the SEED Scholarship on their website, and you provide the link on your application · Submit one response to the prompt before the deadline. No fee and no minimum GPA. |
| Universities and providers | To promote the SEED Scholarship to your students, add a link to this page on your scholarships or funding page. That is the only requirement — no agreement, no fee, and no exclusivity. Email seed@authentica.com and we will send a printable flyer and suggested listing copy. |
Link to use: https://authentica.com/financial-options/authentica-seed-scholarship/
How SEED compares to a typical study abroad scholarship
Many study abroad scholarships attach conditions that quietly rule students out. SEED is built to do the opposite.
| What students often hit | Many study abroad scholarships | The SEED Scholarship |
|---|---|---|
| Application fee | Sometimes charged | Never — free to apply |
| Minimum GPA | Often required | None required |
| Provider restriction | Tied to one provider or program | Any provider, exchange, or independent travel |
| Financial-aid paperwork | Frequently required | None required |
| What you submit | Long essays and transcripts | One 600-word response or a 2-minute video |
| Focus | General merit or need | Sustainability and the UN SDGs |
See how SEED sits alongside our other financial options for studying abroad.
What we are asking for
One short submission — in whichever format suits you best.
Written
600 words maximum
Video
2 minutes maximum
Identify a sustainability challenge in a place you are studying or hope to study. Name the UN Sustainable Development Goal it maps to. Describe one practical action students could realistically take to address it.
We are looking for specificity over polish. A concrete observation about one neighborhood, one campus, or one supply chain will always beat a general statement about the planet. We are not grading your prose or your production values — we are reading for whether you have actually looked at something closely and thought about what could be done.
How applications are reviewed
Every application is scored by our review panel against a published rubric — so you know exactly what earns points.
| Category | What we are looking for | Points |
|---|---|---|
| Specificity of the challenge | A real, observed, locally grounded problem — not a generality | /12 |
| SDG alignment | Correct mapping, with reasoning for why that goal fits | /8 |
| Practicality of the proposed action | Something students could actually do, at realistic scale | /12 |
| Clarity and authenticity | Communicates clearly in the applicant’s own voice | /8 |
| Total | /40 |
Ties are broken by the practicality score. The highest-scoring applicant in each cycle receives the award.
Deadlines and awards
Two cycles a year, each with one $1,500 award — $1,200 toward program cost and $300 on completion of a post-program report. Dates shown for the 2026–2027 cycles.
| Cycle | Application deadline | Winner announced | Award |
|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | Friday, November 13, 2026 · 11:59 PM ET | Friday, December 18, 2026 | $1,200 + $300 |
| Fall | Friday, April 30, 2027 · 11:59 PM ET | Friday, June 4, 2027 | $1,200 + $300 |
These deadlines recur every year — apply for the current open cycle. If a deadline falls on a weekend or public holiday, we accept applications until 11:59 PM ET the next business day. Winners are announced by first name, last name, and institution, only with the winner’s written permission — declining publicity does not affect the award.
How the award is paid. The award is released in two parts. The first $1,200 is applied toward your program cost. The remaining $300 follows once you submit a short post-program report on your project. Payment arrangements are confirmed with each recipient and their institution, as these vary from one institution to another. Before any funds are released, we confirm the winner’s enrollment and program participation with their institution or provider.
Apply for the SEED Scholarship
A few details and one submission. It takes most applicants under 30 minutes.
Prepare your response
Write up to 600 words, or record up to 2 minutes, answering the prompt above.
Complete the short form
A few details about you and your education abroad experience — no essays, no documents.
Submit before the deadline
Apply any time before the current cycle’s deadline. We reply within two business days.
Questions? Email seed@authentica.com.
Frequently asked questions
Does my university need to list the SEED Scholarship for me to apply?
How can a university or provider list the SEED Scholarship?
How is the $1,500 SEED Scholarship paid out?
What is the post-program report?
What does SEED stand for?
Do I have to travel with Authentica?
Is there an application fee?
I haven’t been accepted to a program yet. Can I apply?
Can I apply to both cycles?
Can I use the SEED Scholarship for a winter or short-term program?
Can international students apply?
Is the award taxable?
Who reads my application?
What happens to my information?
Are there study abroad scholarships that don’t require a minimum GPA?
What sustainability scholarships can study abroad students apply for?
Do study abroad scholarships require you to travel with a specific provider?
Official rules and terms
The full terms of the Authentica SEED Scholarship, published so advisors and applicants can review everything in one place.
- Sponsor and administration
- The Authentica SEED Scholarship is sponsored, funded, and administered by Authentica. No purchase or enrollment is necessary, and applying creates no obligation of any kind.
- Eligibility
- Applicants must be 18 or older; currently enrolled undergraduate or graduate students (full-time or part-time) at an accredited institution; of any nationality. They must be participating in, accepted to, or applying to an education abroad experience of 14 days or longer that begins within 12 months of the deadline. Applicants must be enrolled at a university, or with a provider, that lists the SEED Scholarship on its website, and must supply that link on their application; where an institution does not yet list it, applicants may supply their study abroad office contact and submit while Authentica approaches the institution. No minimum GPA and no financial documentation are required. Authentica employees and contractors, their immediate families, and previous SEED winners are not eligible.
- Awards
- Two awards of US $1,500 are made each year — one per cycle (Fall and Spring). Each award is paid in two parts: US $1,200 toward the recipient’s program cost, and US $300 released on submission of a satisfactory post-program report on the project described in their application. The report is due within 60 days of the program ending. Awards are not renewable.
- How to enter
- Submit the online application and one response — written (600 words maximum) or video (2 minutes maximum) — addressing the published prompt before the cycle deadline. One application per applicant per cycle. Applicants who are not selected may reapply in a future cycle; previous winners may not.
- Selection
- Each application is scored by our review panel against the published 40-point rubric. The highest-scoring applicant in each cycle receives the award; ties are broken by the practicality score. Reviews are conducted with applicant names removed where the platform allows. Decisions are final.
- Verification and acceptance
- Awards are contingent on verification. Authentica may confirm a selected applicant’s enrollment, good academic standing, and program participation with their institution or program provider. Within 14 days of notification, the selected applicant must accept the award and provide reasonable proof of enrollment or program participation — an acceptance or enrollment letter, a confirmation from their study abroad office, or provider registration. If a selected applicant does not respond, declines, or cannot verify eligibility within that window, the award passes to the next highest-scoring applicant in that cycle. Authentica may withhold or rescind an award for misrepresentation.
- Notification and publicity
- Winners are notified by email and announced on this page by first name, last name, and institution, only with the winner’s written permission. Declining publicity does not affect the award.
- Disbursement and taxes
- The award is paid in two instalments: US $1,200 toward the recipient’s program cost, released on verification of enrollment, and US $300 on receipt of a satisfactory post-program report. Payment arrangements are confirmed with each recipient and their institution before funds are released, as arrangements vary from one institution to another. Where an institution cannot accept third-party funds, Authentica will arrange payment to the student directly, subject to identity and enrollment verification. Recipients are responsible for any applicable taxes; treatment varies by country.
- Data and privacy
- Application information is used only to administer the scholarship. Applicants are added to Authentica’s mailing list only if they choose to opt in, and may unsubscribe at any time. See our privacy policy.
- Non-discrimination
- Awards are made without regard to race, color, national origin, religion, sex, gender identity, sexual orientation, disability, or veteran status.
- Changes and governing terms
- Authentica may update these rules or cycle dates; the version published on this page governs. Questions about these terms: seed@authentica.com.
Questions? Email seed@authentica.com — we reply within two business days.
Read the official rulesFor study abroad offices, universities, and providers
To list the SEED Scholarship, add a link to this page on your scholarships or funding page. That is all that is needed — no agreement, no fee, and no exclusivity, and your students stay eligible whichever provider they go with.
https://authentica.com/financial-options/authentica-seed-scholarship/
We can also provide a one-page printable flyer, suggested listing copy, a co-branded link for your funding page, or answers to any due-diligence questions about eligibility, selection, and disbursement. Email seed@authentica.com.
Bring something back.
If you are heading abroad and you have looked closely at a problem worth solving, we would like to read about it.
Apply for the SEED ScholarshipFull eligibility criteria and official rules are published in the SEED Scholarship official rules.