Study abroad: there's no reason not to!

Director of the Writing Center Vicky Westacott, who taught the study abroad class during this past fall semester, would like to dispel the two most common myths about studying abroad: that it is too expensive and that you won’t be able to graduate on time.

“Your study abroad is just like a semester here,” Westacott said.

Courses students take at foreign institutions are pre-approved at AU so the students don’t have to worry about whether their credits will transfer back to AU. Since there are such a variety of options for foreign study, students can also find programs that fit their majors and will allow them to graduate on time.

Westacott emphasized that one of the biggest reasons more students don’t study abroad is because they assume it’s prohibitively expensive. However, this need not be the case.

When a student studies abroad through an exchange program, the normal tuition is paid to AU, and room and board is paid at the foreign university. Often students end up paying roughly the same amount for a semester abroad as they would for a semester at AU. Most financial aid applies to the study abroad as well.

“What you should do is compare your cost of tuition and room and board to the cost of studying abroad—sometimes it’s even cheaper,” Westacott said.

Roughly 20-30 AU students study abroad each year, most through the top five affiliated providers: The American Institute for Foreign Study (AIFS), Butler University, Australearn, Studio Arts Center International (SACI) and the School for International Training.

Senior comparative cultures and Spanish major Morgan Seeley spent the spring semester of 2009 in Mendoza, Argentina through IFSA-Butler.

"The payment option I chose made it so that I paid a whole lot less than a semester at Alfred usually cost me," Seeley said, "and money aside, going abroad was one of the best decisions I could have made for myself."

21 students are currently studying abroad—17 for the spring semester and four for the entire year.

Junior global studies major Kimi Cook spent the fall semester 2009 in Denmark.

"I am more homesick for Denmark than I ever was for home when I was there," Cook said.

Seeley said of her experience, "I learned about a whole new culture, gained a new family--as I stayed with a host family--and had experiences that have forever changed me as a person. I can only hope that others may experience what I did."

The annual Study Abroad Fair will be held Thursday, Feb. 4 from 11-2 p.m. Stop by to pick up information and ask questions of the many program representatives.

You can also visit www.alfred.edu/studyabroad, or the International Programs Office, located on the first floor of Perlman Hall, for more information.

Thomas Fleming contributed to this article.