The U.S. Department of State’s Benjamin A. Gilman International Scholarship Program selected Scott Palmer, Prestigious Scholarship Advisor at UC Davis, to serve as a Gilman Advisor Ambassador. Over the year, he will serve as a voice for higher education, advising diverse U.S. colleges and universities about the Benjamin A. Gilman Program International Scholarship (Gilman) Program. Palmer will share his expertise to promote the Gilman Program and guide students in the application process. 

The Gilman Program selected 26 Gilman Advisor Ambassadors representing diverse institutions in 22 U.S. states and the District of Columbia from a strong pool of applicants. The 2023-2024 cohort is composed of professionals from study abroad offices, financial services, honors colleges, and student services positions. Advisors will receive training from staff at the Department of State’s Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs, which sponsors and oversees the Gilman Program, and Gilman Program staff at the Institute of International Education (IIE), which supports program implementation. Through the Gilman Advisor Ambassadors Program, advisors will work together to offer higher education perspectives on the Gilman Program, mentor new Gilman advisors, and participate in national-level outreach efforts through conferences, campus engagement, and other activities.  

“It is an honor to be selected as a Benjamin A. Gilman Scholarship Advisor Ambassador, especially as this important program has provided transformative experiences for so many UC Davis students. I look forward to engaging with the program and other advisor ambassadors as well as representing the Gilman program in the upcoming year,” said Palmer.

Since 2001, the Gilman Program has awarded more than 41,000 scholarships to outstanding U.S. undergraduate students with high financial need from all 50 states, the District of Columbia, and all U.S. territories. Gilman scholars, reflecting the rich diversity of our country, engage with their peers, communities, and host campuses in over 155 countries. One hundred percent of Gilman scholars have financial need, nearly 70 percent of Gilman scholars self-identify as racial or ethnic minorities, over 60 percent come from rural communities and small towns, and nearly half are first-generation college students. More than 5,000 Gilman advisors play a key role in connecting U.S. students on campuses across the United States with this scholarship opportunity.  

The Gilman Program is a program of the U.S. Department of State’s Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs with funding provided by the U.S. government and supported in its implementation by the Institute of International Education.