Scholarships and Funding

The Linda Rock and the Maria E. Becker Scholarships were established by the Rock and Becker families to pay tribute to their beloved daughters, Linda Diane Rock and Maria E. Becker, and to honor their memory by supporting study abroad, which played a tremendous role in the lives of their daughters. The scholarship amount varies depending on availability of funds and number of applicants. Scholarships are awarded once in the fall semester and once in the spring semester for various terms (winter, spring, summer, fall), and are administered by the department.

Please note: Linda Rock scholarships support undergraduate French, Italian or Spanish majors/minors. Maria Becker scholarships support undergraduate French students.

RLL gratefully acknowledges the generous bequest of the Wilma J. Newberry estate. Professor Newberry was a faculty member of RLL (formerly Modern Languages and Literature) from 1973-1997.

Born in 1927 in Covington, Kentucky, Professor Newberry received her BA from Case Western Reserve and her PhD from the University of Washington. She is noted for her book, The Pirandellian Mode in Spanish Literature from Cervantes to Sastre, and for her articles on modern Spanish theatre and narrative in Hispania, PMLA, Symposium and other journals.

Please note: Wilma J. Newberry scholarships will be used to assist undergraduate Spanish majors with the expenses of studying in Spain.

Prof. Edward J. Dudley was chair of UB's Department of Spanish, Italian and Portuguese, and then the Department of Modern Languages and Literatures, from 1974-1983. A well-known Cervantes scholar, he returned to the classroom in 1983, retiring in 1999.  Donations to this fund honor his memory and serve to support graduate students who wish to broaden their studies with international experience.

• Applicants must be currently enrolled, full-time matriculated UB undergraduate/graduate students in good academic standing.
• Priority consideration is given to students pursuing a major in RLL, but minors are eligible to apply. Minors should indicate if they have applied to or already received the College of Arts and Sciences William C. and Annette L. Rock Fund for Study Abroad, as they are not eligible for both College of Arts and Sciences and RLL scholarships.
• The distribution of funds is made contingent on written confirmation of acceptance to an accredited study abroad program. However, all interested students should apply even if they have not received confirmation of acceptance.
• The study abroad course of study must be full-time. The definition of "full-time" is set by the program-sponsoring institution.
• Financial need, academic achievement and potential for growth are the chief criteria for these scholarships.

Applications for study abroad programs are accepted annually in the fall and spring. The application window for Summer 2025 and Fall 2025 is now open. Please be sure to contact your RLL faculty advisor with any questions. 

Application Deadline: Friday, February 28, 2025.

Before beginning the application form below, applicants should gather a writing sample from coursework in the target language and a current copy of their academic advisement report (AAR), both in PDF format.