STAFF REPORT
Glasgow News 1
Western Kentucky University is earning national attention for helping students take their education overseas.
WKU has been recognized as an all-time Top Producing Institution in the Gilman Scholarship Program, placing the school among the top 25 medium-sized colleges and universities in the program’s 25-year history, according to a university press release.
The Gilman International Scholarship is a nationally competitive, congressionally funded program named for the late Rep. Benjamin A. Gilman of New York. It is administered by the U.S. Department of State’s Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs and is designed to increase the number of American undergraduates studying and interning abroad.
The program focuses on students with high financial need, offering scholarships of up to $5,000 for credit-bearing study and intern abroad opportunities. Since the program began in 2001, more than 50,000 students nationwide have received Gilman awards.
At WKU, the Gilman Scholarship has become a core part of the work of the Office of Scholar Development. Assistant Director Dr. Melinda Grimsley said the program has made the biggest impact on the largest number of WKU students applying for nationally competitive awards.
In the office’s 18-year history, WKU students have submitted 835 Gilman applications with the mentorship of OSD advisors.
To date, Hilltoppers have earned 396 scholarships totaling $1,530,250 to support study and internships in 43 different countries. The median Gilman award for WKU students is $4,000, an amount officials say can make a significant difference in whether students are able to pursue international opportunities.
The impact is especially strong for students from rural and small-town backgrounds, including several Gilman Scholars from Barren County. In 2025, John Berry, of Glasgow, was a Gilman scholar, who studied in Costa Rica.
Associate Provost of Global Learning and International Affairs John Sunnygard said the scholarship has enabled students from rural and urban Kentucky and Tennessee to take part in WKU Global’s study abroad programs, with many returning to campus as Global Learning Ambassadors.
Faculty members see the change in the classroom, too. Dr. Ke Peng, professor of Chinese and director of the Chinese Flagship Program, said Gilman support has transformed students’ lives by accelerating language skills, deepening cultural understanding and driving personal and professional growth.
Dr. Lindy Davidson, director of the Mahurin Honors College, said the success of Gilman applicants reflects both the strength of WKU’s talent pool and the one-on-one mentoring students receive when they apply for nationally competitive awards.
Key Facts
• Western Kentucky University recognized as an all-time Top Producing Institution in the Gilman Scholarship Program
• WKU ranks among the top 25 medium-sized colleges and universities in the program’s 25-year history
• Gilman Scholarship is a congressionally funded U.S. State Department program supporting study abroad for undergraduates with high financial need
• Since 2008, WKU’s Office of Scholar Development has mentored 835 Gilman applications
• WKU students have earned 396 Gilman scholarships totaling $1,530,250
• Hilltoppers have used Gilman awards to study or intern in 43 countries, with a median award of $4,000
• Several Gilman Scholars have been students from Barren County and other small towns
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