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WHAT AND WHERE CAN YOU STUDY ABROAD?
We like to begin with the question, "What do you want to study?" Studying abroad is meant to complement to your studies. You can study just about anything you would study at KSU - and study it just about anywhere on the planet. In an ideal placement you will study something useful to your program of studies in a place that you will enjoy. So the first questions are yours to answer:
What do you want to learn about? What is your major and what would be the best kind of experience to help prepare you for the future, or build on what you have already learned? Have you studied a foreign language that you would like to practice in a country where they speak that language? How long do you want to study abroad? A month in the summer? A couple weeks in the winter? A whole semester, or even a full year?
As you can see, there is a lot to discuss. The best thing is to stop by OGEP and discuss this with a study abroad advisor.
In the meantime, below are some key links that can serve as starting points when trying to decide where you want to study abroad.
KSU PROGRAMS
AFFILIATED STUDY ABROAD PROVIDERS
The following organizations have a formally established relationship with KSU. This does not mean you have to use one of these, but we are very comfortable and familiar with these study abroad providers' services.
COOPERATIVE CENTER FOR STUDY ABROAD - CCSA
A regional consortium that mostly goes to English speaking countries. Drs. Ed Connor and Tamara Sluss are the CCSA contacts for KSU. Someone in OGEP can always help you, too.
KENTUCKY INSTITUTE FOR INTERNATIONAL STUDIES - KIIS is a regional consortium that mostly goes to non-English speaking countries. Drs. Chris Daniel is the KIIS contact for KSU.
KNOWLEDGE EXCHANGE INSTITUTE (KEI)
KEI is KSU's newest partner. They offer both study abroad and internship opportunities in Bulgaria, China, Ecuador, England, France, India, Ireland, Italy, Kenya, Russia, Spain, Tanzania, and Thailand. KEI prides itself on being affordable, as well as sensitive to minority and issues of diversity.
IFSA-Butler - This nationally respected non-profit organization is a collaboration between Butler University and the Institute for Study Abroad. IFSA-Butler currently operates programs in Argentina, Australia, Chile, China, Costa Rica, Egypt, England, India, Mexico, New Zealand, Northern Ireland, Peru, the Republic of Ireland, Scotland and Wales.
Semester at Sea - This program, operated by the University of Virginia, allows you to see the world while studying on board. Programs vary from full semester to short term. KSU has been given some generous scholarships, including one for the very affordable "Maymester" program. Be sure and check out the information on the Tom Joyner/SAS full scholarship program.
CIS Abroad - A large for-profit study abroad provider with a broad variety of programs of all lengths. Very strong partnerships with local universities and most credit comes from those foreign universities.
ISA - International Studies Abroad. A large for-profit study abroad provider with a broad variety of programs of all lengths. Very good variety of programs in Spanish speaking countries. Most credit comes from foreign universities.
CAPA International Education - A for-profit organization with programs in London, Florence, Sydney and Beijing. KSU students receive an automatic $600 scholarship from this organization, and they also have a special $5,000 "Access Scholarship" for under-represented students.
The University of Kentucky's study abroad office is another easy and affordable option for KSU students. Search their website offerings and pay special attention to their UK Sponsored "faculty led" programs. The credit easily transfers back to KSU.
OTHER STUDY ABROAD PROVIDERS
There are many other excellent study abroad providers beyond those affiliated with KSU. A few others you may want to check out are:
IIE PASSPORT
This is a great place to start. The Institute for International Education's "Passport" has all the options out there. Most of them are open to KSU students, so have fun and check it out!
DIVERSITY ABROAD - This site has a search engine that will link you with organizations committed to diversifying their study abroad participants.
COUNCIL ON INTERNATIONAL EDUCATIONAL EXCHANGE (CIEE)
CULTURAL EXPERIENCES ABROAD (CEA GLOBAL EDUCATION)
CENTER FOR STUDY ABROAD (CSA)
Study Abroad to Africa - A site dedicated only to going to Africa for study abroad.
EXCHANGE OPPORTUNITIES
Student exchanges are exactly what they sound like - an American student goes and studies at a foreign university, and a foreign student comes to study at KSU. Usually it is for a full semester or a full year, although some short-term options exist. Both students pay tuition at their "home" institution, but pay costs of room and board at the "host" institution (usually). KSU is developing new partnerships in Africa, Asia, Latin America and the Caribbean. Exchanges are for one or two semesters and can often end up costing less than studying at KSU.
KSU is now accepting applications to study at the following universities:
United States International University in Nairobi, Kenya
Universidad de La Salle, Bogota, Colombia
Hallym University, Korea
Myongji University, Korea
HOW DO YOU PAY FOR STUDY ABROAD?
Did you know you can apply your financial aid to studying abroad? You may also be entitled to internal KSU awards, or other external funds. Come to OGEP to discuss your particular case.
APPLYING FINANCIAL AID TO STUDY ABROAD
Students can, in most cases, use their financial aid (including federal aid, such as Pell Grants and loans) to study abroad. Students applying for such aid will follow the Financial Aid Office's normal procedures, but some of the OGEP forms will be needed to ensure that you are able to use those funds for studying abroad (see below). It is also important to note that financial aid is not released before studying abroad, so the student may need to work with OGEP to "front" you the funds if you or your family cannot find the funds. In such cases, a promissory note between you and OGEP may need to be completed.
Also study this pdf for full step-by-step procedures about how to apply to study abroad programs.
Regular Semester Financial Aid
Student wishing to study abroad for a full semester or year will go through the regular financial aid process (a FAFSA form is used). A full semester before studying abroad the student and OGEP should begin working on the necessary paperwork.
Summer Financial Aid
Students seeking financial aid for the purpose of studying abroad in the Summer months should complete the Summer Financial Aid Application to determine how much financial aid eligibilty remains in his/her account.
THE GLOBAL THOROBRED AWARD
KSU has a limited fund to assist students who want to study abroad. Known as the Global Thorobred Award (GTA), awards are granted on a combination of need and merit. An application for the Global Thorobred Award can be found here.
Before proceeding with the GTA application, check and see if you qualify for the Gilman Scholarship. If you do, you must apply for it (see below).
THE BENJAMIN A. GILMAN INTERNATIONAL SCHOLARSHIP
The Benjamin A. Gilman International Scholarship, commonly known as "the Gilman", is a large federal aid program that helps U.S. citizen undergraduate students study abroad. It is mandatory that qualifying KSU students apply for the Gilman before applying for the GTA. Some prerequisites are that the student be Pell Grant eligible, must be going to a country for more than 4 weeks, and must be going to only one country. Visit this page to see if you qualify.
From the Gilman website:
"Over 2,300 scholarships of up to $5,000 will be awarded this academic year for U.S. citizen undergraduates to study abroad. Award amounts will vary depending on the length of study and student need with the average award being approximately $4,000.
Students who apply for and receive the Benjamin A. Gilman International Scholarship to study abroad are then eligible to receive an additional $3,000 Critical Need Language Supplement from the Gilman Scholarship Program for a total possible award of up to $8,000. During the 2009-2010 academic year, 50 Critical Need Language Supplements were offered to Gilman Scholarship recipients."
Deadlines: Early October (for Spring programs) and Early March (for Summer and Fall programs).
OTHER FUNDING RESOURCES
International Education Financial Aid - The best search engine for study abroad funding opportunities.
Diversity Abroad Network Scholarship and Grant Resources - KSU is a member of this organization. Membership entitles KSU students to apply for these scholarships, plus there are links to other funding sources for under-represented groups in study abroad.
Fulbright Scholarships - Fulbright offers all kinds of programs to send Americans abroad, as well as to bring people from other countries to the U.S. Full information about 2012-13 programs that send U.S. students abroad can be found here.
Boren Scholarships for undergraduate students and Boren Fellowships for graduate students - Prestigious award for studying in places critical to U.S. interests. From the Boren website:
"Boren Scholarships and Fellowships provide unique funding opportunities for U.S. undergraduate and graduate students to add an important international and language component to their educations. We focus on geographic areas, languages, and fields of study that are critical to U.S. national security, broadly defined, and underrepresented in study abroad."
Deadlines: Early January for the next academic year (for both Scholars and Fellows).
The Critical Language Scholarship (CLS) Program is a fully-funded international study opportunity, sponsored by the U.S. Department of State. It offers intensive summer language institutes overseas in thirteen critical need foreign languages. All expenses - including tuition, housing, meals, airfare, and excursions - are covered. The program runs 7-10 weeks during the summer and is open to U.S. citizen undergraduate and graduate students.
The CLS Program is part of a U.S. government effort to expand dramatically the number of Americans studying and mastering critical need foreign languages. Students of diverse disciplines and majors are encouraged to apply and we are particularly interested in reaching out to students from regions of the U.S. that have been historically under-represented in education abroad.
The 2012 application is currently underway and the deadline is November 15, 2011. The application is available on our website and there are additional tools to help students navigate the application process and develop strong applications:
• CLS overview presentation: http://www.clscholarship.org/resources/2012-CLS-PowerPoint.htm
• Applicant information: http://www.clscholarship.org/applicants.htm
• Institute details: http://www.clscholarship.org/institutes.html
• Alumni Ambassadors: http://www.clscholarship.org/alumni/ambassadors/index.html
Contact:
Malaika Marable Serrano
Outreach and Alumni Officer
Critical Language Scholarship Program
Council of American Overseas Research Centers (CAORC)
serrano.malaika@caorc.org
CLScholarship.org | caorc.org | facebook.com/CLScholarship
Application for the 2012 CLS Program due November 15, 2011.
WHERE DO YOU BEGIN?
After you review the full step-by-step procedures for studying abroad, and after you have printed out the necessary study abroad forms, you will need to come in and visit the study abroad advisor in the Academic Services Building, Suite #303. You can arrange an appointment with Zelma Sharp.
Before you come in for the appointment, be sure and study the links above as much as possible. Try to narrow down what program best fits your academic needs, how long you'd like to be gone, what countries interest you, etc. And, again, study the full step-by-step procedures. If you have trouble doing that, don't worry. The study abroad advisor will help you through that process.
After you meet with a study abroad advisor you may have more information to go home and study, and/or to review with your family. Once we decide what, when and where your study abroad program will be we will begin completing the necessary study abroad forms.
Most study abroad organizations also have their own application procedures, so you may have to do two applications.
You will also discuss with a study abroad advisor how you will pay for the program, how you will get credit for it, where you will stay, how to buy your airline ticket, how you will get a visa to the country you want to go to (if applicable), etc. Health insurance will also be discussed (see the Study Abroad Forms link for more details about insurance).
If you are interested in a CCSA or KIIS program, you will also be put in contact with the KSU faculty who represent those programs as well (see CCSA and KIIS information above).
Soon you'll be ON YOUR WAY!!!