Participation in IUHPFL is an investment in a high school student's future studies and career. While the experience is worth every penny and enriches the student's life in countless ways, we understand that the cost can be significant. We offer the following information and resources to help students find ways to raise the funds through sponsorships, fundraising activities and events, online funding platforms, and scholarships.
Please Note: If you have questions about whether 529 Funds can be used to pay IUHPFL Program Fees, please consult with a financial advisor. While IUHPFL is a program of Indiana University, its participants are not IU students.
Fundraising and Financial Assistance
Students who qualify for financial assistance through IUHPFL will see their award as a reduction in Program Fees on the first invoice, which is emailed to students and their parents/guardians in February. Awards typically range between $500 and $1,500; therefore it is necessary for applicants to have additional funding sources to pay for Airfare and remaining Program Fees.
IUHPFL scholarships vary in amount, based on the financial need of the individual student, the overall demand for assistance from applicants, and the availability of scholarship funds as a result of donations from program alumni and other supporters.
Applicants are notified of their acceptance status around the third week of January and can apply for assistance as soon as they are accepted. The Financial Assistance Application is due on February 1st.
This list of scholarships is not exhaustive, so ask your school counselor or do your own research to learn what additional scholarships might be available.
| Language | Scholarship Details | Amount | Application Deadline |
|---|---|---|---|
| All Languages | Grafton & Laura Trout Endowment Grafton Trout was Director of IUHPFL from 1977 to 1994. Shortly before his passing in 2016, he and his wife, Laura, agreed to establish an endowment fund for IUHPFL scholarships. | Varies | Students who are accepted into the program in January must complete the IUHPFL Financial Assistance process with their parents/guardians to be considered for this award. Instructions will be emailed upon acceptance. |
| All Languages | Dave Hefner International Exchange Fund, Inc. Available to high school students living in northeastern Indiana, this fund provides financial assistance for participation in study abroad programs, like IUHPFL. Students must apply on their website. | Unknown | See their website |
| All Languages | The Road Scholarship is available to individual students, as well as groups of 3 or more. Applicants must be under the age of 18 and nominated by a teacher or administrator in the school they currently attend. Only home-schooled students can be nominated by IUHPFL. For details, students are encouraged to contact the SYTA Youth Foundation directly and consult the list of Frequently Asked Questions on their website. | Unknown | See their website |
| French | The 1966 Saint-Brieuc Scholarship Endowment This scholarship fund was established by a dedicated group of IUHPFL alumni who participated in the 1966 Saint-Brieuc, France program. It gives first preference to students in the Saint-Brieuc, France program who have financial need. Award amounts vary, depending on the number of students at that site with need. | Varies | Students who are accepted into the program in January must complete the IUHPFL Financial Assistance process with their parents/guardians to be considered for this award. Instructions will be emailed upon acceptance. |
| French | The John and Barbara Busch Scholarship This fund provides awards to French students attending North Central High School who are accepted into IUHPFL. Mr. and Mrs. Busch graduated from North Central in 1969, and Mr. Busch participated in the 1968 Saint-Brieuc program. They hope that award recipients will simply "pay it forward" someday and help future students to study abroad. | Varies | Students who are accepted into the program in January must complete the IUHPFL Financial Assistance process with their parents/guardians to be considered for this award. Instructions will be emailed upon acceptance. |
| French | The Jessica Feddersen Scholarship Fund Jessica attended Elkhart Central High School and is an alum of the IUHPFL 1997 Brest, France program. She wishes to help other Indiana students experience IUHPFL. Awards will be given to two or three recipients per year and will be applied directly toward their IUHPFL Program Fees. Preference will first be given to Elkhart County French students placed in the Brest program, but other applicants with financial need can be considered. | $1,000 - $1,500 | Students who are accepted into the program in January must complete the IUHPFL Financial Assistance process with their parents/guardians to be considered for this award. Instructions will be emailed upon acceptance. |
| German | Max Kade Fellowships Each year, 3-5 IUHPFL Graz applicants are selected to receive this award, based on academic merit. Funds are applied directly to recipients' IUHPFL Airfare. Every German student who is accepted into the Graz program is considered for this award; no additional application materials are required. | $1,200 | No application required |
| German | Indiana German Heritage Society Scholarship The Indiana German Heritage Society works to increase interest in German language and culture throughout the state and endeavors to provide scholarships to high school students participating in educational programs in German-speaking countries. Germanic heritage is not required to apply for and receive this award. Graz program applicants are encouraged to visit the IGHS website for more information. | $1,000 | February 18th, 2023 |
| Spanish, French & German | Dede Rippetoe-Reed Scholarship This award was established for students with financial need at Huntington North High School. Applicants should contact The Huntington County Community Foundation. Preference is given to Spanish students at Huntington North. Ms. Rippetoe-Reed is a former Spanish teacher at Huntington North, whose life was profoundly changed by her first study abroad trip to Mexico in high school. She wishes to help students at HNHS reap the benefits of IUHPFL. | Varies | Students who are accepted into the program in January must contact The Huntington County Community Foundation to be considered for this award. |
Before and during the application phase in the fall, students are encouraged to save money for the program by working part-time jobs, babysitting, pet sitting, tutoring, doing yard work for neighbors, etc.
Once a student is accepted into the program, there are any number of activities and events that can help raise funds.
For example:
- Beverage stand
- Doughnut or snack sale
- Read-a-thon
- Recyclables for cash
- Yard sale
Groups of students from one school can also host bigger events such as:
- Arts or crafts exhibition
- Bake sale
- Car wash
- Chili cook-off
- Game tournament
- Costume run
- Cultural cuisine night
- Online auction
- Pajama day
- Pancake breakfast
- Pie-throwing contest
- Raffle
- Silent auction
- Spaghetti dinner
Remember there is a lot of information online for how to plan and organize fundraising activities!
Sponsorships are donations, usually paid directly to students, from relatives, family friends, organizations, or local businesses. Once students have their Letter of Acceptance, they can actively seek sponorships in a variety of ways:
- Students should begin talking to relatives and family friends about their desire to participate in IUHPFL as early as possible and ask if they might be interested in helping to sponsor their participation once they are accepted.
- Students can research and contact local businesses and service organizations (Lion's Club, Kiwanis, Rotary, etc.) about possibly sponsoring their participation in the program.
- Students can use and adapt a Sponsorship Letter, in combination with their Letter of Acceptance, when approaching local businesses and organizations.
Whenever possible, sponsorship funds should be given directly to the student or guardian. If a business or organization requires that their contribution be made directly to IUHPFL, they can pay IU directly online using the student’s Invoice Number and the Customer Number, which are found on the student’s invoice. Otherwise, payments made by cash or check must be given to the student and their parents/guardians, as IU cannot be responsible for tracking and processing those contributions.
Sponsorships are not tax deductible for the sponsor since they are given to individual students.
Students may begin raising funds online only after they have been notified of their acceptance into IUHPFL. Any raising of funds for IUHPFL participation from the public before then is strictly prohibited.
- GoFundMe* allows users to create personal goals and fundraising projects which they are able to share via text message, email, and social media.
- GoEnnounce* allows students to track academic and extracurricular progress, as well as fundraise for specific goals. Users can track and share their progress and achievements while saving towards their goal.
- GoGetFunding* - create a campaign in 10 minutes or less and accept donations instantly with credit/debit cards or Paypal.
*Please note, crowdfunding websites charge fees that may vary.
How to Make a Successful Crowdfunding Profile
- Be Creative! Use a compelling video, story or pictures to support your cause.
- Use hashtags to help spread the word #liveyourlanguage #crowdfunding #studyabroad #iuhpfl etc.
- Share via text message, email, and on all social media.
- Make your campaign look its best; donors won't give money if your goals aren't clear and presentable.
- Provide a link to https://iuhpfl.indiana.edu/ so donors can better understand what they are supporting.
- Be positive, grateful, and be sure to thank your donors!
Adapted from gogetfunding.com/how-to-fundraise/