Student Travel Stipends Available at SLU-Madrid

A generous benefactor helps SLU-Madrid maximize the study-abroad experience for SLU students by making additional travel more accessible for those who want to explore Europe and beyond during their studies.

SLU Basketball fan – and Billiken Hall of Famer – Linda Vogt has founded a new scholarship to enhance the experience SLU-Madrid offers its students. This need-based scholarship funds travel (airplane, train or bus tickets), hotel bills, meals, entrance fees to museums and more.

 

"So many cultures and influences intersect in Madrid, not to mention the whole continent that lies just a train ride away," Vogt said. "Students at SLU-Madrid have the chance to immerse themselves in those cultures and see history firsthand. With this scholarship, I want our students to seize that opportunity and become a part of the world that lies just outside their door."

With the dollar's current strong exchange rate to the euro, traveling in Spain and across Europe will be more affordable for U.S. students, at least at the start of the Fall 2022 semester. Nonetheless, for many students every penny counts. Additional financial support can mean unimagined new experiences. 

Vogt's gift aims to make sure that SLU students in Madrid, including those on the tightest budget, can fulfill at least one of their travel dreams: be it Florence’s Uffizi Gallery one room at a time, orchestra seats in London's West End or a stretch of northern Spain's Camino de Santiago pilgrimage route over Easter Break. 

"My husband and I have had the good fortune to travel to over 75 countries," Vogt said. "What we have seen and experienced are amazing. May this scholarship offer a small opportunity for students to create their own lifelong memories, to enjoy all SLU-Madrid offers them, and hopefully, have fun along the way! Enjoy your journey!"

In 2021, Saint Louis University awarded Linda and Alan Vogt honorary degrees for their longtime support of Billiken athletics and student-athletes. Over the past 25 years, the couple has made significant contributions that provided essential resources to all student-athletes at SLU, including academic-support services, nutrition programs and campus-life activities. In 2017, they received SLU's Bauman Sportsmanship Award and were inducted into the Billiken Hall of Fame.

The Linda Vogt Cultural Exploration Scholarship extends the Vogts' generosity by encouraging students to make the most of their time at SLU-Madrid. This scholarship opportunity is available to degree-seeking SLU students. Applications for Fall 2022 semester are currently under review through September 11; for Spring 2023, through January 22.

Find out more about the Linda Vogt Cultural Exploration Scholarship at SLU-Madrid's Scholarships and Financial Aid webpage.