This past Tuesday, Oct. 14, 2019, the Center for International Studies hosted a financial workshop for students interested in studying abroad. The workshop held in the Center of Academic Success (CAS), Room 205 and was filled with a group of students eager to learn about how they could pursue their education in different countries.
The workshop was free to attend, led by CAPA: The Global Education Network and the Center of International Studies. Both organizations gave students a presentation containing information about scholarships, financial planning and aid for students interested in studying abroad.
CAPA: The Global Education Network is an organization located in Boston, Massachusetts. They have been working with higher educational institutions for 45 years by building programs to send students to study in eight different cities across the world. CAPA: The Global Education Network has programming for college students who want to either study or intern abroad during the fall, winter, spring and summer semesters. Students have the opportunity to do so in Hong Kong, London, Shanghai, Florence, Barcelona, Dublin, Sydney and Buenos Aires for six to eight weeks, almost up to an entire semester or academic year if that is what they choose. Additionally, it is possible for students to work abroad if their visa allows it.
There sometimes seems to be many obstacles preventing students from gaining this experience, cost being the main hindrance. Fortunately, it is possible to receive financial aid which could cover some of the costs. Students must file for the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) to determine their eligibility. It is possible to receive a loan to study abroad, but that loan may not be able to cover all the costs of studying overseas such as the costs of tuition, room and board and the experience itself.
A student could either take a federal or private student loan for coverage. It is best to sit down with a financial aid counselor to determine one's best options. Depending on the kind of program, loan options will be different. Unfortunately, state aid cannot be used to cover studying abroad expenses. Therefore, having money saved up is also an alternative for students to cover the costs of their program.
Another way to receive money for studying abroad is through scholarships. This is money that does not need to be paid back and could be kept once received. These are different scholarships students could apply for:
- Gilman Scholarship
- David L. Boren Undergraduate Scholarship
- Diversity Abroad Scholarship
- Foreign Language and Area Studies Fellowship
- Go Overseas Scholarships
- Kean University Academic Departmental Scholarships
Kean students who are looking into studying abroad can visit the Center for International Studies in CAS, Room 201 during open advising hours on Mondays, Tuesdays and Thursdays from 3:15 p.m. to 4:30 p.m. Appointments can be made by emailing cis@kean.edu.
