This $2000 travel-study fellowship honors Professor Ronald W. Tobin, who served for forty-one years as a full professor of French at UC Santa Barbara and earned many of his profession's highest honors, including nomination to the French Order of the Palmes Académiques, where he attained the rank of Commandeur. 

The award is designed to provide financial support for UCSB undergraduates seeking to enroll in a year-long study-abroad program in France. Applicants must be declared French majors or minors taking upper-division courses in order to receive the award. (They are not, however, required to be French majors or minors at the time they apply.) 

The applicant will submit a 1-page Statement of Purpose together with an unofficial transcript and one letter of recommendation from a TA or faculty member. In the Statement of Purpose the student should explain what they expect to gain from a year in France. Awards will be determined based on a combination of academic achievement and financial need. (A minimum GPA of 3.0 is required to apply.) The selection committee will be composed of members of the French faculty. 

Successful applicants must agree to submit a 10-15 page, double-spaced memoir about their year experience, written in French, to the Coordinator of the French Language Program by May 15, 2023. 

The scholarship funds may be used for academic fees, travel costs, and other study-abroad related costs. (Other forms of financial aid are available through the EAP program.) The funds will be made in 2 payments.  The first $1,000 will be provided pre-departure and the second $1,000 will be provided only after the memoir has been submitted and approved by the French Department.

The deadline for applying for the Tobin fellowship is March 21, 2022. Applications, as well as any questions about the award, should be sent to Prof. Renan Larue (renanlarue@frit.ucsb.edu). The winner will be notified in April 2022.