Study Abroad: Best Practices in Advising

1. Study Abroad: Best Practices in Advising

2. Overview • Value of study abroad • Advising students on selection and budgeting • Strategies for selecting a study abroad program • Sample budgets • Tips on saving money abroad • Financial Aid applicability • Study abroad scholarships • Benjamin A. Gilman

3. By studying abroad, students can develop…. • an understanding of themselves culturally and the ability to use this knowledge to live and work effectively in diverse settings and with diverse individuals • the knowledge and skills associated with international, global, andinterculturalcontent areas such as language, geography, history; • a desire and ability to seek out and use diverse sources of information to inform their decision making; and • a desire and ability to engage in communities of practice as citizens and scholars.

4. Study Abroad: Best Practices in Advising Advising students on selection and budgeting

5. Selecting a Program • Consider different types of programs. • Semester v. Full Year v. Short-Term • Home-school program v. Affiliated/Third-Party v. Exchange • Internship • Look outside of Western Europe for less expensive options. • Consider what is included in the program costs. • Excursions? • Local transportation? • Insurance? • Visa processing? • Can you work in this country? • Comparison shop.

6. Budgets • Before you start… - Know your current comprehensive costs (tuition + room + board). - Understand your school’s study abroad costs. • Home-school tuition v program tuition? • Additional study abroad/application fee? • Can you use your financial aid? All, some, none? - Have a sense of what your current personal expenses are. - Have a sense of what your bottom line is.

7. Budgets

8. Budgets UW- Madison Sample Undergraduate Budgets

9. MSU Sample Exchange Budget

10. MSU Sample Direct Enrollment Budget

11. UW-Madison Sample Exchange Budget Sydney Australia, University of Sydney Exchange In State Resident Program Fee $6650.00 (fixed cost) Estimated Additional Expenses: Airfare $2200.00 Health Insurance $200.00 Books and Supplies $500.00 Housing $5000.00 Local Transportation $500.00 Meals $1650.00 Personal/Miscellaneous $1900.00 Visa $580.00 Total Cost of Attendance $19,180.00 Program Fee includes academic expenses, administrative costs, mandatory health insurance, orientation and internship placement.

12. UW-Madison Sample Direct Enrollment Budget Sydney, Australia, Macquarie University In State Resident Program Fee $11,700.00 (fixed cost) Estimated Additional Expenses: Airfare $2200.00 Health Insurance $300.00 Books and Supplies $400.00 Housing $4000.00 Local Transportation $800.00 Meals $1450.00 Personal/Miscellaneous $1500.00 Visa $580.00 Total Cost of Attendance $22,930.00 Program Fee includes academic expenses, administrative costs, mandatory health insurance, orientation.

13. Money Saving Tip Before you go… • Create a personal budget • Do your research • Travel guides, websites • Look for group or student fares • STA, Student Universe • Apply for discount cards, memberships • ISIC, IYH, YHA • Check your bank • Make sure you understand what fees you’ll be charged for using your ATM or credit card abroad; research fees with other banks.

14. Money Saving Tip While you are there… • Travel • Plan trips ahead of time. • Travel in chunks of time versus traveling every weekend. • Use hostels rather than hotels • Explore your host city. • Eating • Eat in by cooking instead of eating meals out. • Share meals. • Eat like a local: shop local markets, get staff suggestions for cafés. • Identify inexpensive places where domestic students eat. • Avoid tourist traps

15. Money Saving Tip • Communication • Use Skype and pre-paid calling cards. • Send old-fashioned letters and postcards. • Transportation • Use buses and metro rather than cabs; walk! • For trips, remember to compare train and air prices. • Think about overnight travel—save the cost of a room. • Shopping • Wait to buy! Especially for souvenirs, compare prices. • If bartering is part of the local custom, then barter. • Local Markets often less expensive than stores • Take a local friend with you to get a better deal.

16. Money Saving Tip • Money • Follow your budget! Keep track of what you spend. • Pay cash: it’s easy to overspend with credit cards. • Don’t carry lots of cash with you—less temptation to spend. • Use your discount cards (ISIC, IYH, university ID).

17. Study Abroad: Best Practices in Advising Commonly Asked Questions • Can I use my financial aid to pay for my study abroad program? • Yes, generally students can apply their financial aid (including loans) to assist in covering the cost of studying abroad. • Can I use work study while studying abroad? • No. • What about my scholarships? • You will need to check with the donor of the scholarship to determine if it may be used for study abroad. • How can I apply for scholarships for study abroad? • Check with the college/department sponsoring your study abroad program as well as your home college/department. Your Study Abroad/International Engagement Office may also administer scholarships for study abroad. • I have been awarded my maximum amounts in FAFSA aid. What are my other options beyond scholarships? • Once you have exhausted your FAFSA eligibility for the year in addition to applying for scholarships, you may also be eligible to apply for a Parent PLUS or private student loan up to your cost of attendance(i.e. study abroad financial aid budget).

18. Study Abroad: Best Practices in Advising Commonly Asked Questions • How will my charges be paid? • If you are being billed through your home school’s Bursar’s Office, your financial aid will first be applied to your study abroad program fees. If a credit balance is created a refund check will be distributed to you. If your financial aid does not cover your charges in full you will be responsible for paying the difference by the due date. If you are not being billed by your home school’s Bursar’s Office your financial aid will be sent to you as a refund and you will be responsible for using the refund to pay your bill by the due date. • Where will my refund check be mailed? • Your refund check will be mailed to your current mailing address as listed with your home school. We encourage you to update your address to someone who can deposit the check for you as you will be traveling when the checks are mailed after disbursement takes place. • Can I pick up my refund check in person? • No, refund checks must be mailedor direct deposited into your checking or savings account.

19. Study Abroad: Best Practices in Advising Financial Aid Applicability

20. Financial Aid Applicability • Financial aid resources may be used for education abroad. • Higher Education Act: Allows students to use federal aid for education abroad if credit is approved by home institution • Consortium agreement with another institution • Federal aid follows the student, not institution

21. Financial Aid Applicability • File a Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA.gov) • Financial aid for education abroad usually comes in the form of federal grants and federal or private loans. • Scholarship money is critical.

22. Financial Aid Applicability Types of Aid Availability • Federal Grants • Federal Pell Grant • Federal Supplemental Educational Opportunities Grant (SEOG) • Federal Loans • Federal Direct Loans • Federal Perkins Loans • Federal Parent PLUS Loans for Undergraduate Students

23. Financial Aid Applicability Types of Aid Availability • Private Alternative Loans • Nonfederal educational loan issued by a private lender • State Aid • MCS, MET, MESP, WI State Grant • Institutional Aid • Some institutions may allow you to apply aid you would normally receive while on-campus • Study Abroad Scholarships • National, local and institutional

24. Delivering Aid • Develop special budgets for financial aid • E.g. Program fee, tuition and additional costs • Advise that costs are per program, not student • Federal funds cannot disburse until the 10th day before the first day of classes. • Direct Deposit refunds of excess financial aid • Options for advance costs such as airfare

25. Interfacing with the Study Abroad Office

26. Interfacing with the Study Abroad Office

27. Interfacing with the Study Abroad Office

28. Interfacing with the Study Abroad Office

29. Interfacing with the Study Abroad Office The Study Abroad Process • 1. Students are registered for the study abroad placeholder credits and are assigned the Off Campus Program checklist. • 2. I am sent the lists of participants with their program information and costs of attendance. UW-Madison offers study abroad programs through the following offices/departments: • International Academic Programs (IAP) • School of Business • College of Engineering • College of Agriculture and Life Sciences • School of Law • College of Human Ecology • Political Science Department • 3. I update the students’ costs of attendance to reflect the information provided and Award Reconciliation revises students’ financial aid awards as applicable. • 4. I complete the Off Campus Program checklist.

30. Interfacing with the Study Abroad Office

31. Interfacing with the Study Abroad Office How can we best work together? • Funding is a crucial piece of the study abroad puzzle • Is there a financial aid advisor dedicated to education abroad students? • Communication and coordination are key to working with the Financial Aid Office

32. Study Abroad: Best Practices in Advising Scholarships for Education Abroad

33. Scholarships for Education Abroad • Study Abroad Office scholarships • Departmental scholarships for study abroad • Department scholarships or research grants which would be applicable to study abroad

34. Scholarships for Education Abroad • Affiliate Programs • SIT matches Pell grant awards on many programs • Many have partnered w/ DiversityAbroad.com • AIFS: $500 or $1000 • GlobaLinks: $1000 • Semester at Sea: 50% off the cost of the least expensive cabin  • Turkish Coalition of America: $2000, $1000, or $500 (UG or GR) • Phi Kappa Phi Study Abroad • Summer & fall study abroad scholarships ($1000) • 3.5 GPA • Rotary Ambassadorial Scholarships • $27,000/academic year (or equivalent in host country currency)

35. Scholarships for Education Abroad • Boren Scholarships – (undergraduate students) • Awards up to $8,000/summer • Special initiative for STEM students only; 8 weeks minimum • Awards up to $10,000 /semester • Awards up to $20,000/year • Goal: Promote long term linguistic and cultural immersion • Outside of Western Europe, Canada, Australia, or New Zealand • Requires 1 year of government service • Boren Fellowships – (graduate students) • Awards up to $24,000/year • Goal: To add important international & language component to grad. studies • Outside of Western Europe, Canada, Australia, or New Zealand • Minimum of 3 months and maximum of 1 year overseas • Priority given to programs 6 months or longer & STEM majors • Requires 1 year of government service

36. Scholarships for Education Abroad • The Language Flagship Fellowships • Graduate students (2 year commitment) • Goal: Overseas immersion program & attainment of master’s degree • Languages: Arabic, Chinese, Korean, or Persian • Scholarship includes the following expenses over 2 years: • Tuition • A modest stipend for living expenses • Support for travel costs • Health insurance coverage • Bridging Scholarship for Study in Japan • $2500/semester, $4000/academic year • Freeman Asia Scholarship • Asia or Southeast Asia • Awards up to $5000/semester or $3000/summer

37. Scholarships for Education Abroad • Online databases • DiversityAbroad.com • IEFA.org • InternationalScholarships.com • Scholarships.com • StudyAbroadFunding.org

38. Scholarships for Education Abroad Benjamin A. Gilman Scholarship • The program aims to diversify the kinds of students who study abroad and the countries and regions where they go by supporting undergraduates who might otherwise not participate due to financial constraints. • Funded through the US Department of State Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs

39. Scholarships for Education Abroad Benjamin A. Gilman Scholarship Eligibility Criteria • U.S. Citizen • Undergraduate student • Federal Pell Grant recipient • Receiving academic credit • Anywhere in the world not currently under a U.S. Department of State Travel Warning or Cuba • Minimum four weeks long in one location

40. Scholarships for Education Abroad Benjamin A. Gilman Scholarship Priority given to: • Diverse students • Ethnic background • Non-traditional students • First generation college students • Students with disabilities • Students in STEM majors • Community College and Minority Serving Institution • Diverse program types and locations • Non-traditional locations • Language based programs • Year-long or semester programs given priority

41. Scholarships for Education Abroad Benjamin A. Gilman Scholarship Tips for Writing a Competitive Essay: • Why you, why this program and why this location? • Be specific about diversity in your essay • The reader will not know your background unless you write about it • Talk about the challenges you have overcome • Make sure you “poofread” your essay “I am excited to study aboard and submerge myself in the Chinese culture.” • Talk to your Gilman advisor and writing center • Follow-on project should: • Give back and inspire others to go abroad • Be realistic and attainable • Partner with established organizations • You, too, can be a Gilman Panelist!

42. Study Abroad: Best Practices in Advising Questions

43. Study Abroad: Best Practices in Advising Thank you for attending! T Tyler Arens --Arenst@msu.edu Heidi Johnson – heidi.johnson@finaid.wisc.edu