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Coming Soon!
Fall '26 Application will open August 1st!
INTERNATIONAL TRIP SCHOLARSHIPS
Update!
AccessAbility UnLimbited's International Trip Scholarship is open to all students and residents from ANY MSOP Program .
INTERNATIONAL TRIP SCHOLARSHIP
AccessAbility UnLimbited's International Trip Scholarship is a $1000 scholarship given to one student or resident each semester to help cover the cost of going on an international O&P service trip!
WHY SHOULD I GO?
International O&P trips provide the opportunity for students and residents to collaborate with different practitioners from around the country and the world, while facing the challenges of working in a different environment. These trips give participants exposure to different cultures and opportunity to provide devices to those who may not have access or financial means otherwise.
WHAT CAN I USE THE SCHOLARSHIP FOR?
The scholarship can be used to help cover any costs associated with an international orthotics/prosthetics trip, such as organizational fees, airfare, vaccinations, and supplies. To claim the scholarship, students must provide proof of their trip, such as a confirmation email from the organization they are traveling with. AAU will disburse the funds either through a donation on a fundraising platform or by reimbursing expenses upon receipt submission.
HOW LONG DO I HAVE TO GO ON A TRIP?
Recipients have 1 year to use the scholarship from the day they awarded it. Recipients who fail to use the scholarship within 1 year will forfeit the scholarship. Special cases will be reviewed by the AAU's Executive Board.
WHO CAN APPLY?
In order to be eligible for this scholarship, the following must apply to you:
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Students and residents from any MSOP Program will be eligible to apply for the scholarship
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Students must have a GPA of at least 3.0
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May not be a previous recipient of the scholarship
WHEN CAN I APPLY?
The international trip scholarship is offered each semester . Applications will be open for 1 month and will close at 11:59pm on the final day. Applicants will notified by email with the results 2 weeks after the application closes. The application schedule can be found below:
FALL SEMESTER
SPRING SEMESTER
SUMMER SEMESTER
August 1 - September 1
November 1- December 1
March 1 - April 1
HOW IS THE WINNER CHOSEN?
Applicants will be evaluated based off the following criteria:
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Essay response
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Volunteerism and community engagement history
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Letter of support from a faculty member within the MSOP program or residency mentor
WHAT DOES AN INTERNATIONAL TRIP LOOK LIKE?
Each trip looks different depending on what organization you are volunteering with and where you are going! AAU President, Tori Page, recently volunteered with Prosthetic Promises in His Name on a trip to Zambia. On this 14-day trip, Tori served mostly adults. Some patients needing a new prosthesis, while others had a prosthesis that needed to be repaired or adjusted. During the 10 clinical days, Tori's team was able to see 85 patients and provide 20 new prostheses! Here are some "Day in the Life" videos Tori made from this trip to help people get an idea of what these trips can look like!
01:06
00:46
01:12
01:17
01:25
PREVIOUS SCHOLARSHIP WINNERS
Caitie Steele
SPRING 2025
ROMP: ECUADOR
Reagan Thompson
SUMMER 2025
ROMP: ECUADOR
Reagan is currently a student resident in Salus at Drexel's MSOP program. Reagan used her scholarship to go to Ecuador with ROMP in August 2025. Her trip is focused on providing running legs to patients.
Kayla Connelly
FALL 2025
ROMP: GUATEMALA
Kayla is currently doing her combined residency. She used her international trip scholarship to go to Guatemala with ROMP Spring 2026! Kayla's team was able to provide 8 people with prostheses.
Brooke Porter
SPRING 2026
DREAMING AND WORKING TOGETHER
Brooke is a student in the University of Hartford's MSPO program class of 2026. Brooke used her scholarship to go with Dreaming and Working Together to go to Peru!
ORGANIZATIONS
Here are some organizations that offer international O&P volunteer opportunities to students and residents. Please note that this is not an exhaustive list, and AAU is not affiliated with any of the following organizations.
INTERNATIONAL SOCIETY FOR PROSTHETICS AND ORTHOTICS (ISPO)
MEXICO & GUATEMALA
WHEN
TRIP LENGTH
COST
REQUIREMENTS
TBD (Historically in September)
8-days
$850 Program Fee (Does not include airfare)
Volunteers are responsible for airfare/travel to country
Must be a member of ISPO ($50 student membership fee)
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