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 students. When customers buy a bag from us, they're "paying it forward" by funding scholarships for students like you.

 

The Scholarship

The winner of the Tortuga Study Abroad Scholarship will receive:

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.

If you're doing a gap year, check out our Gap Year Scholarship.

 

Important Dates

Spring 2026 Scholarship

  • Submit your application by November 15, 2025.
  • The winner will be announced on November 30, 2025.

Fall 2026 Scholarship

  • Submit your application by April 15, 2026.
  • The winner will be announced on April 30, 2026.

Summer and Winter Term Scholarships

  • The Tortuga Study Abroad scholarship is limited to the spring and fall semesters and cannot be used on May-mesters, summer programs, or winter 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.

Apply for the Tortuga Study Abroad Scholarship

For any questions, contact us. If you're looking for the Gap Year Scholarship, click here.


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 2025: Tyson from Western Michigan University who is studying abroad in Germany.
  • Spring 2025: Grace from Case Western Reserve University who is studying abroad in South Korea.
  • Fall 2024: Jaylen from the University of South Alabama who is studying abroad in Thailand.
  • Spring 2024: Rebecca from Murray State University who is studying abroad in Saint Etienne, France.
  • 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 makes carry-on-sized backpacks to make your travels easier. Childhood best friends Fred Perrotta and Jeremy Michael Cohen founded the company in 2010 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.