Find Money to Study Abroad

Sometime while in college it is not uncommon for students to suddenly get the impression that they are being confined, stifled, pigeonholed or just downright trapped where they are at. Maybe the problem is your school. Possibly the problem is with the city you are in. Maybe it is the state…

Or maybe the problem is the country you are studying in. As of yet, there is no university established in outer space, so studying in a different country is about as far away from your current situation as you can get. Studying abroad will certainly give you a new perspective on just about everything in life among other benefits which may include:

• Learning a new language
• Learning a new culture
• Developing your diplomacy & marketable skills
• Adding great polish to your resume
• Making friends and family jealous

But studying abroad is not inexpensive by any means. A single semester abroad can cost $5,000 or more beyond what you are already used to spending for a semester of school, and it is also unlikely - if you work - that you will be able to continue work in a foreign country as you pursue your degree. So how are you supposed to pay for these weeks, months (or even years) abroad as you continue your higher education?

First, start close to home

And by close to home, I mean your local financial aid office and the office for exchange students and study abroad that just about every campus has. Talk with the experts there who deal with wanderlust-infected students every month. They will point you in the right direction to start looking for funding, including special grants, scholarships and financial aid packages specifically for those who are studying abroad.

Then, expand your search

There is Federal money available to help you study abroad - especially if you are traveling to the right country are learning one of the critical need languages such as Arabic or Chinese. Also, there are plenty of national scholarships available to help students travel abroad. Before applying for most of these, make sure you do your homework (sorry) and find out how much it is going to cost you to study abroad in your country of choice including room, board, tuition and fees. You should have this basic information available for all your applications and when speaking to the various offices in your school.

Finally, Look to your destination

This is one place that few people think to look, and that is at the country or school that they want to study at. Some of them offer programs and money to help foreign students from other countries come to study at their campus.

Just because you find money from one of these sources, don’t stop looking — Some students manage to get money from several sources and finance their full ride abroad quite comfortably. With a little perseverance you could soon find yourself hopping on a plane and bidding the U.S. adieu, with a hearty au revoir, ciao, sayonara, ma salaama, Zaijian, auf Wiedersehen, dasvedanya, or just plain old, LATER!