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Campus Internationalization: Funding Education Abroad
The cost of education abroad, either real or imagined, is one of the reasons students cite for not going abroad (only 1 percent of U.S. undergraduates study abroad, according to Open Doors. The key to making study abroad a viable alternative for students is to have ready access to a variety of tools for funding international education (federal and state aid, scholarships and grants, fundraising, and finding affordable programs).
The campus ethos of supporting students who are planning a study abroad experience (through partnership between offices that handle international education, financial aid, business affairs, registration, and enrollment) is also essential in creating an environment that leads students to seriously consider study abroad as a component of their undergraduate education.
The other cost of campus internationalization is the institutional investment required. Institutions must weigh institutional value against institutional investment in developing education abroad experiences to suit that particular institution.
A chart created by David Keitges, Director of International Education at Miami University (originally found in NAFSA's publication Abroad by Design), summarizes advantages and disadvantages and comparative costs for various models.
There are several excellent sources of information on campus internationalization. The American Council on Education has many resources available. A short search under International Initiatives takes you to sources of funding for both individual student study and campus internationalization.
NAFSA, through its program for the Senator Paul Simon Award for Campus Internationalization, has identified a number of institutions that have found a variety of ways to support funding for education abroad.
Many institutions around the world have formal exchange agreements with institutions in other countries. A student pays tuition (and sometimes room and board) to the home institution and exchanges places with a student at an exchange partner who has paid similar costs there.
The International Student Exchange Program coordinates a network of 265 schools in 38 countries for member institutions.
Many U.S. institutions have developed a combination of partnerships to make study abroad affordable, and have Web sites that show students how to balance the equation between finances and cost of programs.
The campus ethos of supporting students who are planning a study abroad experience (through partnership between offices that handle international education, financial aid, business affairs, registration, and enrollment) is also essential in creating an environment that leads students to seriously consider study abroad as a component of their undergraduate education.
The other cost of campus internationalization is the institutional investment required. Institutions must weigh institutional value against institutional investment in developing education abroad experiences to suit that particular institution.
A chart created by David Keitges, Director of International Education at Miami University (originally found in NAFSA's publication Abroad by Design), summarizes advantages and disadvantages and comparative costs for various models.
There are several excellent sources of information on campus internationalization. The American Council on Education has many resources available. A short search under International Initiatives takes you to sources of funding for both individual student study and campus internationalization.
NAFSA, through its program for the Senator Paul Simon Award for Campus Internationalization, has identified a number of institutions that have found a variety of ways to support funding for education abroad.
Many institutions around the world have formal exchange agreements with institutions in other countries. A student pays tuition (and sometimes room and board) to the home institution and exchanges places with a student at an exchange partner who has paid similar costs there.
The International Student Exchange Program coordinates a network of 265 schools in 38 countries for member institutions.
Many U.S. institutions have developed a combination of partnerships to make study abroad affordable, and have Web sites that show students how to balance the equation between finances and cost of programs.
