Major concerns about studying abroad can stem from how much the trip will cost.
“Many students have a fear of what they will pay,” said Rickford Grand, International Programs and Study Abroad adviser.
In most cases, financial aid can be applied to funding their study abroad opportunities.
“The financial aid that students have can be used to pay for some of their study abroad,” said Deana Brim, program assistant of International Programs.
Along with the current scholarships students may have, the Office of International Programs will assist students in finding alternative study abroad scholarship opportunities.
“International programs helped me find scholarships for my study abroad,” said Bridget Armstrong, junior English major and mass communications minor from Raleigh. Armstong was awarded financial aid and a scholarship to cover the costs of her educational experience abroad.
Some of the financial opportunities are the Marshall Scholarships and Freeman Asia scholarships.
With a Marshall Scholarship a student can study abroad for up to three years in the United Kingdom at any university; and the Freeman Asia scholarship a student can study in one of 15 Asian countries for a semester or a summer.
WSSU offers two scholarships, the WSSU International Education Scholarship and the WSSU Atkins, Gleason, Carew Fund for International Education. The Atkins, Gleason, Carew scholarships ranges in award amount from $1,000-$3,000. And the WSSU International Education Scholarship varies in amount.
Stacey Okonji, a junior exercise science major from Durham, has had a work study in OIP since December 2008.
“I never had an interest in study abroad, until I heard about the experiences other students had,” Okonji said.
Armstrong said she visited Ghana and Benin two summers ago and intends on going to the Netherlands this summer.
“My experience was powerful and moving,” Armstrong said.
“I got the chance to visit a slave castle and learn about African politics and history.”
Armstrong studied abroad with 14 other students, and their study abroad lasted five weeks.
Brim said that many students look for study abroad programs during the summer because it is a shorter length of time than a semester program and their credits will not be negatively affected.
“I want to study abroad in the summer because it will be cheaper and I can stay on course with my paradigm,” Okonji said.
Okonji is interested in studying abroad next summer in Australia as a part of a program through UNC- Wilmington that will allow her to study at an Australian university and still receive credits within her major.
This program is a part of a direct exchange agreement, in which the expenses that students pay at their current University transfers to the University where they will study abroad.
As a part of a direct exchange program both Universities must exchange an even amount of students.