4. The Committee’s work is concluded when the nominee is informed that he/she has been awarded the Global Grant Scholarship, arrangements are finalized with the Host Club, and the scholar’s pre-departure orientation has been completed. Committee members stay in touch with the Global Scholar during the period of study overseas and following his/her return home.

5. Committee tasks include updating the information on this Global Scholar website and promoting the scholarship program to colleges in Indiana, the Rotary Clubs throughout Indiana, and to other sources of candidates. The committee expects to recruit a pool of outstanding applicants by the Saturday, December 20, 2025 deadline.

6. This site provides information about Rotary’s Global Grant Scholarship Program, eligibility requirements, documents and forms, and a description of the application process.

7. Candidates must be endorsed by an Indiana Rotary Club. To find a club in your area, go to www.rotary.org and click on “club finder”, or contact the committee at apply@rotaryglobalscholar.com and request assistance.

8. Applications must be submitted to the Scholarship Committee (apply@rotaryglobalscholar.com) by December 20, 2025. In addition to the official form, applications include:

• • Two letters of recommendation
  • A preliminary budget (not to exceed $40,000)
  • A signed Club Endorsement form
  • A Letter of Acceptance from the overseas university of the candidate’s choice

In lieu of a Letter of Acceptance, the Committee will accept a Letter of Affiliation from the university indicating that the applicant has applied and meets the institution’s minimum qualifications, but that a final decision has not been made.

The Committee Chair will review all applications to make sure they are complete. The accepted applications will then be distributed to members of the Committee for review. The Chair is responsible for resolving all issues raised by Committee members.

9. The Committee will convene on Saturday, January 24, 2026 on Zoom to interview finalists.
Candidates who want to be considered are required to interview that day.

10. After holding interviews, the Committee will select the candidate it wishes to nominate for the Global Scholarship and an alternate. The current Rotary District Governors and Foundation Committee Chairs are required to sign off on the Committee’s decisions before the nominee’s Global Scholarship application material can be submitted to The Rotary Foundation. Nominees are given 10 business days to accept or decline the offer of a Global Scholarship. Scholars who accept a Rotary Global Scholarship cannot accept another scholarship at the same time.

11. The Committee is required to document for The Rotary Foundation (TRF) the process by which applications were generated, candidates were selected, and how/why the nominees were chosen. Changes to an application after award could impact eligibility and will be evaluated against factors such as: changing circumstances, the need to maintain a level playing field for all applicants, and the administrative impact.

12. Immediately following the selection and District approval of our Global Scholarship nominee(s), the scholar will prepare his/her application for submission to TRF who makes the final decision in every case.

Within three weeks of receiving a scholar’s application material and the authorizing signatures of the All-Indiana Rotary officials and representatives of the Host Rotary Club/District, The Rotary Foundation notifies the scholar of its decisions.

If a nominee is not approved by TRF, no scholarship is awarded. Most Global Scholarship applications that are not approved by TRF are rejected because an applicant’s plan of study or stated career goals was not sufficiently centered on one of Rotary’s Seven Humanitarian Areas of Focus.

After a nominee is approved by TRF, the scholar and the scholarship co-chair contact a Rotary Club in the city where the scholar will study and arrange for the club to be the scholar’s host.

13. The Global Grant Scholarship application to TRF is the funding process. No additional funding support is requested of an endorsing Rotary Club. $16,000 of the $40,000 that funds the Global Scholarship is provided by TRF World Fund and $24,000 comes from the three Indiana Districts’ Designated Funds ($8,000 from each district).

Scholarship funds are transferred by TRF to a bank account in Indiana designated specifically for Global Scholarship and overseen by the Chair.

The Chair is responsible for disbursing funds to the scholar and ensuring timely and accurate reporting. At the end of the scholar’s study experience, the scholar is responsible for submitting a final narrative and financial report to TRF. It is always possible that an audit will ensue.

14. It is expected that Global Scholars will participate in the life of their Host Rotary Club and host district and, after returning home, will be willing to share their experiences as a Global Scholar with Indiana Rotary clubs.