Study abroad in the United States

Studying abroad is the act of a student pursuing educational opportunities in another country.

Length of study can range from one week, usually during a domestic break, to an academic year, encompassing a couple academic terms, to an entire degree program that spans several years. The most common are semester long programs that cover either the spring or fall semester. There are also winter and summer semester programs. The winter semester programs, for public, 4-year universities, are usually more focused on a specific area of the countries culture due to the shortened time students have in the country.

Some students choose to study abroad to learn a language from native speakers. Others may take classes in their academic major in a place that allows them to expand their hands-on experience (e.g. someone who’s studying marine biology studying abroad in Jamaica or a student of sustainable development living and studying in a remote village in Senegal). Other students may study abroad in order to get a credential within the framework of a different educational system (e.g. a student who goes to the United States to study medicine), or a university student from Albania who goes to Germany to study mechanical engineering.

History

In the USA, the act of studying abroad originated with faculty-led programs. One such pioneer was Professor David Starr Jordan (January 19, 1851 – September 19, 1931), who became president of Indiana University at age 34 . He started with short, domestic walking tours in Indiana and ended with international tours around the world. One of his tours included 250 miles of walking, plus additional travel by trains and boats, through Switzerland, Germany, Italy, France, and England.

There was a time when study abroad was seen as an option primarily for foreign language students. Recently this has changed, and the scope of study abroad programs has increased greatly. The majority of US students now choose short-term study abroad programs according to the most recent IIE Open Doors Reports. In the 2008-09 academic year, the five countries US students chose to study abroad in most were the United Kingdom, Italy, Spain, France, and China. The total number of US students studying abroad during 2008-09 was 262,416.

Types of programs

U.S. students can choose from a wide range of study abroad programs differentiated by mission, provider type, and degree of integration.

Universities may (a) own and operate their own programs, (b) rely on outside partners, and/or (c) allow students to select external programs of their choice (with approval). Either way, there are five common paths to studying abroad for credit.

Direct Exchanges - A reciprocal agreement in place between a U.S. university and a foreign institution that facilitates the transfer of academic credit and financial aid between the home university and host university.

Direct Enrollment - A student applies directly to the host institution (through its international student office), enrolls in courses available to international students, and makes his/her own travel arrangements.

Consortium - A shared group of programs that either (a) belong to different institutions and/or (b) are organized by way a group effort. There are usually financial or other benefits to membership, which may be open or closed.

Third-Party Provider - A private organization which coordinates logistics on-site (course enrollment, housing arrangements, orientation, etc.). Program models vary, but on-site resident staff and excursions are common.

Home-Owned and Operated - Either the home university owns overseas facilities and contracts all the staff OR it sends faculty leaders abroad with a group of students. The faculty-student group may travel about or stay put and is commonly known as a faculty-led program or travel-study course.

Program Providers

Program Providers are the organizations that run or support study abroad programs in some capacity. These include:

1. Colleges and universities
2. A non-degree-granting university (USA-only)
3. Consortium: Group of colleges and universities that work together.
4. Government-sponsored programs and centers, such as EducationUSA, ERASMUS programme (European Union), and Belgian American Educational Foundation (BAEF)
5. Third-party providers such as DIS - Danish Institute for Study Abroad, International Studies Abroad (ISA) interstudy, The School for Field Studies

Degree of integration

Study abroad programs have a spectrum of integration, from those that offer the greatest integration into host institutions to those offering the most assistance to students.

1. Integrated - Complete (or nearly complete) integration into the host academic programming; the director is often a citizen of the host country; students take regular university courses with locals. Examples include interstudy.
2. Peninsula - Mix of selected local resources and provider-managed resources. Some courses may only be available to program participants, others may be taught by local university faculty.
3. Island - Strong support services enhance the local experience and give it context. This allows an overseas experience without diverging from the home school's degree program.

Study Abroad Resources

There are a number of print editions compiling study abroad programs. These trade and special interest publications are frequently available at college study abroad offices. There are also several online directories with program information and student reviews. Some of the most popular directories include: studyabroad.com, goabroad.com, iiepassport.com, and abroadscout.com (which also includes student reviews).

In some countries, students wishing to study abroad seek help from study abroad recruiters. Study abroad recruiters have contracts with universities and colleges in different countries, and act as representatives of these institutions. Their role is to provide details about course, fee structures, fee payments procedures, scholarships options of intended institution, help students with application procedures. They also provide guidance on the visa processes of the host country.

Funding studies

Costs for a study abroad program include:

• Health insurance
• Living costs incurred during the program
• Passport and visa fees
• Round-trip transportation for the approved program
• Tuition and fees for the program

Students who wish to study abroad fund their studies through a variety of sources, including gifts or loans from family, grants from their home governments, grants from host nations or host universities, scholarships and bank loans.

Financial aid for U.S. students who wish to study abroad may include a combination of scholarships, government student loans, and private student loans.

Scholarships

Scholarships are offered by a many organizations and foundations. Scholarships are usually highly competitive, because there are far more students that apply for them than can be served.

Government student loans

In the USA, amendments made in 1992 to the Higher Education Act of 1965, TITLE VI, SEC. 601-604 in the U.S. ruled that students can receive financial aid for study abroad if they are enrolled in a program that is approved by their home institution and would be eligible to receive government funding without regard to whether the study abroad program is required as a part of the student's degree.

To get US government financial aid, students in the USA must complete the Federal Application for Student Aid (FAFSA). Funds are awarded by the United States Department of Education. As long as the issuing institution pre-approves the credit to be earned abroad, federal aid can be used toward study abroad programs. Forms of government aid include the PLUS Loan, Perkins Loan, Pell Grant, and Stafford Loan programs.

Private student loans

Private student loans for USA students are not guaranteed by a US government agency, but generally offer higher loan limits, grace period with no payments due until after graduation, and base availability on credit history vs. financial need.

Private loans are a good option:

• If a student is not currently enrolled in a U.S. college or university
• If a student is not eligible for federal financial aid
• If federal financial aid doesn't cover all study abroad tuition, living arrangements, and/or transportation costs

Outside the United States

In Denmark the minister of science has advocated that the students on higher education should be exiled abroad for six months so they could be force to adapt a more globalized view of the world . However the students are against the proposal as they state that a stay abroad must make academic sense. The Danish education system is often regarded as superior compared to others. Additionally several fears that it could have legal consequences for students to live abroad when they clash with the local culture

See also

• Student exchange program
• International students
• EducationUSA
• ERASMUS programme (European Union)
• Belgian American Educational Foundation (BAEF)
• AFS Intercultural Programs
• Fulbright Fellowship
• Harkness Fellowship
• ITT International Fellowship Program
• Monbukagakusho Scholarship
• Goodwill Scholarships
• International Council of Universities of Saint Thomas Aquinas

External links

• Annotated list of selected study abroad web sites from the University of Michigan
• Student Exchange Programs in India
• DIS - Danish Institute for Study Abroad website
• Institute of International Education
• Studying abroad at Curlie
• Study language abroad, information page for Danish youth considering studying abroad, Center Validering