According to goabroad.com, one of the main reasons that students don’t study abroad while in college is money. What they don’t realize is that there are more scholarships out there most people know. At Gannon University, each program has a different offering.
The faculty-led trips are one to three weeks and offer class credit. There are some courses that students can take in conjunction with the trip to fill liberal studies core requirements and others complete the leadership seminar.
There is a trip to Sweden that fills a computer/engineering credit. Also, a trip to India offers classes for occupational therapy and nursing students.
The G.I.F.T. program is brand new. This is where Gannon will be adding two new faculty-led trips each year and will continue to add two new places to go to every year.
Guaranteed scholarships are also available for everyone on these trips.
Up to $500 will be awarded to these travelers. The amount depends on how many people will be going.
Students are not limited to this money because everyone is able to apply for more.
They are eligible for up to another $500 through Gannon. The Honors Program also has funds for these trips if students apply for them.
Some of the trips are only about $1,000. Therefore, with the scholarships, trips could be almost free to students.
After a year of living with their best friends, students travel abroad together through the T.R.A.V.E.L. program.
They meet weekly, plan their trip, do research about the country and receive a scholarship because they lived on campus.
Also, they spend the year fundraising most of the money to make it as affordable as possible.
Ashley Goehring, a junior undeclared health science major and traveler for the Ireland trip, said that her group raised the most so far this year at about $3,000.
Although these trips are very educational and are made affordable, there is no academic credit awarded.
Longer trips, like semester or summer abroad, also have lots of offerings.
Students can go to Chile, Italy, Ireland, England, Germany, Australia, Jordan or India for a whole semester or year.
The summer exchange programs are in Italy, Chile, Germany and Australia and are four or eight weeks long.
Students who are going for these extended trips are eligible to apply for up to $1,500 in scholarships.
Meagan McHugh, associate director of learning abroad, said that the great thing about these programs is that you can pay your normal tuition right to Gannon. Because of agreements with the foreign schools, students pay their regular tuition to Gannon and their normal scholarships and financial aid apply. The only thing students have to worry about is room and board.
She also said that there are several ways to get scholarships. The Center for Social Concerns sometimes has money available for students who meet the requirements.
Other opportunities for help can come from the G.I.F.T. program, the Learning Abroad office with the guaranteed money and also the Honors Program scholarship.
If students are willing to write a blog about their experiences, they are able to receive up to $500.
There are also outside sources such as the Gilman’s scholarship. Financial aid and outside scholarships are available to go toward room and board while doing a semester or summer abroad. Travelers are encouraged to look online for different sources.
McHugh said that her office has been working hard to encourage studying abroad as well as help make it affordable.
“I truly believe that Gannon has made large strides in the kind of international opportunities offered to students,” McHugh said.
Peter Messina, a senior polital science major with a minor in international studies, went to Oxford last fall for a semester.
He said he received the $1,000 Christendon study abroad scholarship, $500 scholarship from the Honors Program and in total ended up with $2,300.
“My favorite thing about Oxford was that I was able to create a close bond with the other international students. It was as if I wasn’t just studying abroad in England but in a miniture globe. I was able to meet people from all over the world.”
KAT SHINDLEDECKER
