Tortuga Study Abroad Scholarship

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 2023 Scholarship

Submit your application by November 15, 2022. The winner will be announced on November 30, 2022.

Fall 2023 Scholarship

Submit your application by April 15, 2023. The winner will be announced on April 30, 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 will be featured on our blog, social media accounts, and alumni page.

Apply Here

For any questions, contact us.

Tortuga/GYA Gap Year Sholarship

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 with a shared vision of making at least a semester of quality gap year time accessible to every high school graduate.

Tortuga and GYA believe that students can experience powerful learning opportunities and personal development through gap year experiences

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 1/1/2023 and 12/31/2023.
• 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 1/15/2024.

Eligibility Requirements

• Be a U.S. citizen or permanent resident.
• Be between the ages of 18 and 21 during your gap year.
• Have a gap year plan that is at least two months in duration and will take place between 1/1/2023 and 12/31/2023.

Important Dates

Submit your application by October 31, 2022. The winner will be announced on November 17, 2022.

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 will be featured on our blog, social media accounts, and alumni page.

Apply Here

For any questions, contact GYA.

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.

Other Opportunities

Summer and Winter Term Scholarships

The Tortuga Study Abroad scholarship is limited to the spring and fall semesters and cannot be used on summer or winter term programs.

Alumni

Winners will be contacted via email. We will add each semester's winner to this section on the dates above.

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.