If studying abroad is on your vision board but your budget keeps side-eyeing the idea, the Tortuga Study Abroad Scholarship is worth a serious look. This opportunity is awarded twice a year to full-time undergrad students who want to earn academic credit while exploring the world. Tortuga (the travel backpack brand) funds these awards as part of its “pay it forward” mission—so when people buy their bags, it helps support scholarships for students heading overseas.
What the scholarship gives you?
Selected winners of the Tortuga Study Abroad Scholarship receive a practical travel and funding boost that includes a $1,000 scholarship to help cover study abroad expenses, along with one Tortuga travel backpack. The $1,000 award can be used toward tuition, room and board, books, or travel costs, and the funds are sent directly to the winner’s study abroad program or university rather than paid out to the student.
Who can apply?
To apply for the Tortuga Study Abroad Scholarship, you must be a U.S. citizen, permanent resident, or an international student currently studying in the United States on a student visa. Applicants also need to be a full-time undergraduate student in good academic standing at a four-year, degree-granting college or university in the U.S., and you must have applied to or already been accepted into a study abroad program that is eligible for academic credit through your institution. If you’re planning a gap year instead of studying abroad for credit, Tortuga recommends applying for their separate Gap Year Scholarship.
Apply: https://www.tortugabackpacks.com/pages/study-abroad-scholarship
Application deadlines you should save
For the Fall 2026 Tortuga Study Abroad Scholarship cycle, you must submit your application by April 15, 2026, and the winner will be announced on April 30, 2026. For the Spring 2027 cycle, the application deadline is October 15, 2026, with the winner announcement scheduled for October 30, 2026.
If you’re already working on a study abroad plan—or you’ve been accepted and just need financial backup—this scholarship is a clean, simple way to help cover the costs and upgrade your travel setup in one shot.