Young people deserve to experience the world beyond their college campuses, but not everyone can afford to travel, especially if you’re on a student budget.
The Tortuga Study Abroad Scholarship is awarded biannually to passionate students who want to explore the world.
At Tortuga, our mission is to make travel easier, including for study abroad and gap year students. When customers buy luggage from us, they are "paying it forward" by funding scholarships for students like you.
Tortuga Study Abroad Scholarship
The winner of the Tortuga Study Abroad Scholarship will receive:
- $1,000 scholarship for studying abroad
- 1 travel backpack
The scholarship may be used for tuition, room and board, books, or travel. Funds will be sent directly to the winner's study abroad program or university.
In cases where this is not possible, alternative arrangements will be made.
Eligibility Requirements
To apply for the Tortuga Study Abroad Scholarship, you must:
- Be a U.S. citizen, permanent resident, or currently studying in the United States on a student visa
- Be a full-time undergraduate student in good academic standing at a four-year, degree-granting college or university in the United States
- Have applied to or been accepted into a study abroad program eligible for credit by your college or university
Please check your eligibility before applying.
Important Dates
Spring 2024 Scholarship
Submit your application by November 15, 2023. The winner will be announced on November 30, 2023.
Fall 2024 Scholarship
Submit your application by April 15, 2024. The winner will be announced on April 30, 2024.
Summer and Winter Term Scholarships
The Tortuga Study Abroad scholarship is limited to the spring and fall semesters and cannot be used on Maymesters or summer or winter term programs.
How to Apply
Before applying, read all of the instructions and eligibility requirements on this page.
Then, fill out the application linked below. Only one submission per person will be accepted.
The winner may be featured on our blog, social media accounts, and alumni page.
For any questions, contact us.
Tortuga/GYA Gap Year Scholarship
Tortuga is a proud supporter of the Gap Year Association (GYA). The Gap Year Association is a nonprofit membership community for educators, students, gap year programs, and post-secondary institutions who believe that gap year experiences offer invaluable opportunities for personal, professional, and educational growth and development.
We work together with GYA to award a gap year scholarship to one student each year. The winner of the Tortuga/GYA Gap Year Scholarship will receive:
- $2,500 scholarship to be used for room and board, travel, and/or program tuition for a gap year experience occurring between 1/1/2024 and 12/31/2024.
- 1 travel backpack
Funds will be sent directly to the winner. A report summarizing how the funds were used including proof of receipts will be required by 1/15/2025.
Eligibility Requirements
- Be a U.S. citizen or permanent resident.
- Be between the ages of 18 and 22 during your gap year.
- Have a gap year plan that is at least two months in duration and will take place between 1/1/2024 and 12/31/2024.
Important Dates
Submit your application by 11:50 p.m. October 29, 2023. The winner will be announced on November 15, 2023.
How to Apply
Before applying, read all of the instructions and eligibility requirements on this page. Then, fill out the application linked below. Only one submission per person will be accepted. The winner may be featured on our blog, social media accounts, and alumni page.
For any questions, contact GYA.
Study Abroad Scholarship Alumni
Winners will be contacted via email. We will add each semester's winner to this section on the dates above.
- Fall 2023: Nicolas from the University of California - Davis who is studying abroad in Singapore.
- Spring 2023: Nathan from the University of Massachusetts - Amherst who is studying abroad in Prague.
- Fall 2022: Thomas from Northeastern University who is studying abroad in Ireland.
- Spring 2022: Helena from the University of Southern California who is studying abroad in Spain.
- Spring 2020: Emily from the University of Texas in Austin who is studying abroad in Singapore.
- Fall 2019: Alexis from Grove City College who is studying abroad in Brazil.
- Spring 2019: Abraham from Loyola University of Maryland who is studying abroad in New Zealand.
- Fall 2018: Emily from the University of Mississippi who is studying abroad in Morocco.
- Spring 2018: Will from Harvard University who is studying abroad in Dunedin, New Zealand.
- Fall 2017: Brianna from Indiana University who is studying abroad in Lima, Peru.
- Spring 2017: Melissa from St. John's University who is studying abroad in Rome, Seville, and Paris.
- Fall 2016: Tanner from Brigham Young University who is studying abroad in Jordan.
- Spring 2016: Blair from Florida State University who is studying abroad in England.
- Fall 2015: George from the University of Akron who is studying abroad in Italy.
- Spring 2015: Ashley from Otterbein University who is studying abroad in Nepal
About Tortuga
The Tortuga Study Abroad Scholarship is sponsored by Tortuga.
Tortuga was founded in 2010 by childhood best friends Fred Perrotta and Jeremy Michael Cohen after a backpacking trip to Eastern Europe. We couldn't find the perfect travel backpack, so we made it. Read more about Tortuga.
Disclaimer
All written submissions become property of Tortuga and may be posted on our website, blog, social media accounts, or elsewhere as we see fit.
You will not be added to any mailing lists by applying for the scholarship. If you are interested in Tortuga products, you can join our newsletter by signing up in the footer of this page.