Overview

As part of the Government of Canada's International Education Strategy (IES), the Global Skills Opportunity is an initiative funded by Employment and Social Development Canada (ESDC) to help support students in accessing learning abroad opportunities at their host institution.

At Memorial University, the GSO Fund is available as a Travel Bursary to support Canadian (and permanent resident) undergraduate students, specically those with disabilities, Indigenous students, and from low income backgrounds to access meaningful learning abroad experiences. Further, the fund aims to support any student with travelling to locations outside of the U.K., France, U.S., and Australia on a learning abroad program affiliated with Memorial University, its campuses and faculties through integration with our Global Ambassadors Program (GAP). 

Calls for applications to the fund are made on a semesterly basis. 

Applications for the GSO Bursary Fund are now closed. Please watch this space for future updates.

Objectives

There are many reasons to participate in a learning abroad experience supported through the Global Skills Opportunity, including (but not limited to):

• The development and enhancement of international and intercultural skills
• Develop employment-improving skills and opportunities
• Elevating your academic perspectives with new environments of thought and instruction
• Personally enriching immersion in new languages, cultures, ideas and places
• Improved access to opportunities that may have been out-of-reach

Eligibility

To be eligible for a GSO Fund Travel Bursary, it is necessary to meet specific criteria outlined by the Government of Canada to access the financial supports that are part of the fund. The following conditions must be met:

1. You are a Canadian citizen or permanent resident; &
2. You are an undergraduate student at Memorial University; &
3. You are:
   1. A student with a disability; &/OR
   2. An Indigenous student; &/OR
   3. A low-income student (in receipt of student loans); &/OR
   4. Seeking to travel for academic purposes to a non-traditional location, as defined by the Government of Canada. Non-traditional locations refer to all countries other than the United States, the United Kingdom, France and Australia.

In addition to these requirements to apply to the GSO Fund Travel Bursary, the general requirements for participation in a learning abroad experience apply:

• You are currently enrolled in undergraduate studies at a Memorial campus;
• You are in good academic standing at Memorial;
• You are 18 years of age or older;
• You have completed a minimum of 30 credit hours at Memorial (program-specific criteria may apply, i.e. Business Students); &
• You have a minimum GPA of 2.5 (partner-specific criteria may apply).

Funding

As the program is designed to help support those students who traditionally have not been able to access learning abroad experiences, as well as travel to non-traditional locations, the eligible amount of support will vary depending on the application details.

Bursary estimates will vary depending on eligibility criteria and the destination of the learning abroad experience. 

It is the aim of the GSO Fund Travel Bursary to ensure as many students as possible can recieve financial support for their academic travel. The exact amount will be confirmed after submission of the expression of interest and the bursary application.

Expression of Interest

This bursary program aims to increase the participation of young Canadians - especially underrepresented students - in international learning opportunities both at home and abroad. The program also seeks to diversify study/work-abroad destination countries beyond locations where many Canadian students already opt to work and study.

Applications for the GSO Bursary Fund are now closed. Please watch this space for future updates.