State Department and Airbnb Announce Partnership to Support Gilman Scholars in China

 

U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry and Airbnb CEO Brian Chesky announced a new partnership to expand the U.S. Department of State’s Benjamin A. Gilman International Scholarship Program in China at an event at the U.S. Institute of Peace in Washington, D.C. on September 12. The collaboration between Airbnb and the Gilman Program supports the State Department’s goal of expanding opportunities for students of limited financial means to study abroad. The State Department is working through public-private partnerships like this one to provide more opportunities for American students to study abroad. The Gilman Program, implemented by IIE, provides need-based scholarships to U.S. undergraduates who have been traditionally underrepresented in study or internships abroad. Gilman Scholars receive scholarships of up to $5,000 and students studying critical languages, including Chinese, are eligible for an additional $3,000. Airbnb is committing $80,000 per year for Gilman Scholarships to China, which begin this academic year.