2008 Woodie Awards
Affording Study Abroad
Rebecca Kolberg
Issue date: 10/5/06 Section: Opinion
- Page 1 of 1
Studying abroad can be expensive. If you're interested in going abroad but think you can't afford it, reconsider your options:
1. Go through a Stevens exchange program or consortium agreement. Stevens offers three general alternatives. The student is responsible for room and board in each case but may be able to apply financial aid, depending on the program.
Exchange programs:
(Dundee University , Bogazici University, Bahcesehir University, and University College London.) Exchange programs require Stevens to host the same number of students sent abroad over a certain period of time. Participation may be limited by quota restrictions. Students pay Stevens tuition for the semester and retain any financial aid.
Consortium Agreements:
(University of Sydney, Saint Louis in Madrid, Limerick, and Queen Mary - University of London) If Stevens has a consortium agreement with another university, a student may choose to pay Stevens tuition for the semester and apply financial aid for that term (similar to an exchange program, above) Alternatively, if tuition at the host institution is significantly lower than Stevens, a student may choose to pay them directly. In this case, Stevens financial aid does not apply. Obviously, this decision should be made based on the difference between Stevens tuition cost and aid received. If it is less than the tuition of the host institution, it makes more sense to pay Stevens directly.
Other Universities:
Students may choose to go through study abroad programs of larger US universities. NYU, Rugers, Syracuse University, Michigan State University etc. have extensive programs. Kent State's "Geneva Semester" falls under this category as well. Students are responsible for all expenses- no Stevens aid applicable.
2. Outside Scholarships. Search online! There are many scholarships available but most have large pools of applicants. The website www.studyabroad.com has a list to start. Search "scholarships."
3. Give some thought to location. Living in London or a Scandinavian city is tough on a budget. Same with Geneva. Budapest is considerably better. Try to investigate cheaper cities, but don't make this the focus of your decision.
4. Co-op. For most students, coop pays enough to allow for some savings. If you are still putting away some co-op money after paying your semester expenses, three or four co-ops will significantly reduce the burden of studying abroad. It's also worth looking into paid internships/work experiences. The co-op office has been able to place students in Germany in the past, while others have interned in London and Dublin. Crystal Peyton ('08, ME) is currently working at Molibdenos y Metales S.A. in Santiago, Chile, immersing herself in Spanish.
1. Go through a Stevens exchange program or consortium agreement. Stevens offers three general alternatives. The student is responsible for room and board in each case but may be able to apply financial aid, depending on the program.
Exchange programs:
(Dundee University , Bogazici University, Bahcesehir University, and University College London.) Exchange programs require Stevens to host the same number of students sent abroad over a certain period of time. Participation may be limited by quota restrictions. Students pay Stevens tuition for the semester and retain any financial aid.
Consortium Agreements:
(University of Sydney, Saint Louis in Madrid, Limerick, and Queen Mary - University of London) If Stevens has a consortium agreement with another university, a student may choose to pay Stevens tuition for the semester and apply financial aid for that term (similar to an exchange program, above) Alternatively, if tuition at the host institution is significantly lower than Stevens, a student may choose to pay them directly. In this case, Stevens financial aid does not apply. Obviously, this decision should be made based on the difference between Stevens tuition cost and aid received. If it is less than the tuition of the host institution, it makes more sense to pay Stevens directly.
Other Universities:
Students may choose to go through study abroad programs of larger US universities. NYU, Rugers, Syracuse University, Michigan State University etc. have extensive programs. Kent State's "Geneva Semester" falls under this category as well. Students are responsible for all expenses- no Stevens aid applicable.
2. Outside Scholarships. Search online! There are many scholarships available but most have large pools of applicants. The website www.studyabroad.com has a list to start. Search "scholarships."
3. Give some thought to location. Living in London or a Scandinavian city is tough on a budget. Same with Geneva. Budapest is considerably better. Try to investigate cheaper cities, but don't make this the focus of your decision.
4. Co-op. For most students, coop pays enough to allow for some savings. If you are still putting away some co-op money after paying your semester expenses, three or four co-ops will significantly reduce the burden of studying abroad. It's also worth looking into paid internships/work experiences. The co-op office has been able to place students in Germany in the past, while others have interned in London and Dublin. Crystal Peyton ('08, ME) is currently working at Molibdenos y Metales S.A. in Santiago, Chile, immersing herself in Spanish.
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