Above, Abroad & Beyond
A collegian’s on-a-dime
guide to travel abroad By: Jordon Frauen
Distant Destinations...
L
ooking for a change in your life? If you’ve ever dreamed of experiencing life abroad in exotic overseas countries, or delighting your palette to the delectable cuisines of distant sub-tropic lands, and don’t want to wait forever to do it—then don’t. We’ll help give you the inside scoop on student travel abroad opportunities you may have never thought were possibilities until now.
Pre-Trip Prep There are a number of study abroad programs out there ranging in price and duration. A good first step is to check with your college or university’s student resources or foreign affairs department to see which programs your school works with. Most study abroad programs have different academic requirements and qualifications; however, it’s always a good rule of thumb to be prepared. Meet or exceed the academic requirements, and consider beefing up your foreign brogue with a few extra language courses. Try checking with your local junior college to see if they offer conversational foreign language courses that are more affordable.
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Slating Your Dates Decide where you want to go, and for how long. Also choose a program that offers the accommodations you’ll need to feel comfortable during your travels. Intrax, for example, offers a 1-month program spanning over London, Paris and Barcelona for $6,850. Everything from airfare, room and board, and language lessons are covered in Intrax’s price. If you want to make your time abroad stretch for a longer period of time, try staying put in just one country, cut back on some of the amenities, and opt to live with host families as opposed to dorms. The Council on International Educational Exchange (CIEE) offers five and ten-month programs with host families starting at $6,755 for the half year and $7,155 for the full academic year.
The Number of U. S . Students “Studying Abroad Tops 200,000”
For available destinations and program prices, check out: - intraxstudyabroad.com - ciee.org - acis.com
Ways To Pay Shelling out-of-pocket to put your trip in motion may end up busting your bank more than you originally planned. Try checking out scholarship and financial aid opportunities to help cover the costs. Study abroad scholarships and grants vary in award amount and are highly competitive. Visit fastweb.com for a comprehensive, daily updated list of over a million available study abroad scholarships. Also try checking with the organization providing your study abroad program to compare additional scholarship opportunities and eligibility. Financial Aid can also prove to be a helpful resource. Though sometimes overlooked as an available resource for student study abroad, financial aid offered through your school—and especially federal financial aid—can be used toward your study abroad venture.
Cash In For Credit
You’ll want to take advantage of any academic credit you’re eligible for. Not all study abroad programs offer academic credits accepted for graduation require-
ments. Many study abroad programs’ academic accreditation also varies widely from school to school. So make sure you’ve done your home work, and note that your experience abroad is also excellent to include on your resume. It may even be a foot in the door when you’re looking for your first job.
Teach Abroad If you’re interested in spending your time overseas working as opposed to studying, try teaching English abroad. Global Routes, an organization specializing in voluntary overseas work, offers reasonable rates and a variety of destination options.
destinations:
·Cost: Program fees are $4950 for the summer sessions (8 weeks) and $5950 for the fall and spring sessions (12 weeks).
-Requirements: There’s no language or teaching requirement for the nonSpanish-speaking programs. Check out teachabroad.com.
Bottom Line:
- Costa Rica - Ghana - Kenya - Ecquador - India - Thailand
More than 200,000 students nationwide participated in either semester or full-academic year study abroad programs in 2006. With the increasing number of U.S. students studying abroad, more program options and more resources, the only question left is—what are you waiting for?
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