Grants & Funding Advice

GEEO works to make our travel programs as affordable as possible for educators, but we understand that not every teacher is able to afford to travel. There are several grants, programs, and fundraising platforms available for teachers who want to travel and need financial assistance. Read on for ideas and resources so that you can fund your teacher travel program with GEEO.

Apply for a GEEO Travel Grant

We are currently offering grants of $165 to cover the cost of a new U.S. passport for first-time travelers who are full-time educators! Learn more about the grant here.

GEEO partners with several universities’ National Resource Centers (NRCs) to provide several grants to educators on a number of our programs each year. Grants are generally awarded on a rolling basis based on quality of application, and teachers who live in the universities’ respective states/regions are given special consideration. All remaining program costs, including international airfare, are the responsibility of the grant recipient.

2025-2026 Grant Opportunities

University Partner	Grant Amount	GEEO Program(s)	Current Status
University of Pennsylvania South Asia Center	$715 per recipient	India and Nepal (July 25 - Aug 10, 2026)	Closed - all grants awarded
University of Texas at Austin Center for Middle Eastern Studies & National Council for Geographic Education (NCGE)	$500 per recipient (6 awards)	Morocco (July 10 - 24, 2026)	Closed - all grants awarded
GEEO "New U.S. Passport" Grant	$165 per recipient	Any	Open - See Full Details
GEEO First-Time International Travelers Grant	$350 per recipient (5 awards) These grants are made possible by the generous donations of educators L. Tate, D. Arbas, D. Goebbert, D. Maldonado, and M. Kermott	Select summer 2026 programs – see grant application for more details	Open - First come, first served. Apply Now

International Education Needs your Support

For years, GEEO partnered with universities receiving U.S. Department of Education (ED) Title VI National Resource Center funding, which supports travel grants for educators. On September 10, 2025, ED terminated this Congressionally-appropriated funding prematurely, jeopardizing grant programs nationwide, removing GEEO’s ability to offer NRC-funded grants.

The federal grants under Title VI of the 1965 Higher Education Act have provided support for international education for seven decades. When terminating the funding, ED explained that “international and foreign language education grant programs are not a priority of the Administration.” The funding had supported a wide range of initiatives, including academic research, foreign language instruction, teacher training, and curriculum development—programs that supported the ability of the U.S. to respond to our increasingly interconnected world.

We believe the administration’s decision to terminate funding for these programs is in opposition to the country’s national interests, and we’re hopeful future political changes will restore grant support.

Apply for a Teacher Grant

Fund for Teachers (FFT) grants can be used to participate in GEEO programs. Previously, only teachers from certain school districts were eligible for FFT grants, but the grants are now open to any teacher in the United States! You can also check out the Institute of International Education (IIE), which manages dozens of scholarship programs for travel to places throughout the world.

Talk to Your School

The first thing we recommend you do is speak to your school’s principal and/or professional development coordinator. They may know of grants that your school district or state offers. Your school may reimburse your travel expenses as a professional development experience. You can also try contacting your school’s PTA or professional organizations with which you have membership.

Crowdfund

Read our blog post How Teachers Can Travel for Free, written by a GEEO alum, detailing how they used the crowdfunding platform DonorsChoose to fund their entire travel program with GEEO. While DonorsChoose no longer funds in-person travel, crowdfunding is still an option worth considering. By articulating how your travel program will benefit your classroom and community, you can leverage your friends, family, and local and online networks to help fund your travels.

Organize a Private GEEO Trip

Consider organizing a private GEEO trip for your colleagues, department, university alumni group, or friends and family. When you bring along 11 or more paying participants, GEEO provides a free 12th spot for the organizer—which could be you! This approach not only helps fund your travel but also creates a shared intercultural experience with people you know. Many organizers find that teachers are more likely to commit when traveling with familiar faces. Read our blog post about how New Jersey teacher Amy Heckel successfully organized private trips to Africa and Iceland, and contact us to explore options for your group.

Fundraising Tips

Start early
Most teachers make the mistake of waiting until a few months before their trip to begin fundraising, when the best time to begin collecting donations is really before the trip is even fully planned. The sooner fundraising begins, the sooner teachers will meet their goals. They are also less likely to fail due to a lack of time and preparation.

Think Unique
Every teacher has a “niche” that he or she fills in the educational community. Try to be creative and think of ways you can take advantage of unique opportunities you know about based on your experiences and familiarity with your community. Everyone has a unique set of experiences and connections, so tap into those resources when trying to find a source of funding.

Share Your Mission
Most civic groups are happy to welcome guest speakers, and this can be a great opportunity to network and share needs. Do not be afraid to hand out letters or try to make connections when visiting a civic group. For example, one of our participants was able to obtain funding for his GEEO program in Tunisia by offering to give a presentation about the experience when he returned. The local mosque was excited to help a teacher from their community bring knowledge about a predominantly Muslim country back into their classroom.

Good luck!

Let GEEO know if you have applied for a grant that you plan on using on one of our trips! Or, if you know of another grant for teacher travel that we should share with our educator friends, please tell us.

GEEO does not currently provide any direct grants for our programs and is in no way affiliated with the organizations and grantors listed above. The grant and funding descriptions provided on this webpage are for informational purposes only and shall in no way be deemed an offer, representation or warranty of GEEO.