Q: How can I get money to study abroad?

If you receive financial aid or FAFSA, it’s possible they will pay for part of your study abroad tuition. However, there are stipulations on where and how the money can be applied, including whether you study abroad through your home university or not. Federal and private loans can also be applied to study abroad tuition under certain circumstances. If that’s not an option for you, many universities and third party providers offer substantial study abroad scholarships that can pay for part of the tuition, or for the experience in full. And don’t forget that crowdsourcing or fundraising for your experience is an option. It’s more work, but the payoff is worth it!

Q: What are the best places to study abroad?

Where can you study abroad? Pretty much anywhere—even Antarctica! But when speaking in terms of the best places to study abroad, it all comes down to what you want out of your experience. If you want to study abroad in a more traditional way, European destinations like England, Spain, and France are study abroad staples. However, studying abroad in “non-traditional” locations, like India, Argentina, and South Africa is becoming more and more popular. Going off the beaten path means being a trailblazer, which isn’t always easy, but pays off handsomely in terms of personal growth and new skills.

Q: When to study abroad

There’s no wrong time to study abroad, but, for you, some options may be better than others. For many students, studying abroad during sophomore or junior year is common. However, depending on your courseload, going abroad for an entire semester or academic year may only be possible if your major is in a foreign language or international field. Otherwise, studying abroad during the summer or winter anytime during your academic career is totally plausible. Talking to your academic advisor can help a lot with deciding what time of year and during what point in your academic career is the right time to study abroad for you.

Question 1

intro

Accepted Answer

Study abroad is a quintessential college experience. Much like living in a dorm, rushing a Greek organization, or accidentally sleeping through an exam, studying abroad has come to be synonymous with higher education. However, that doesn&rsquo;t mean it&rsquo;s a straightforward experience! Many students with dreams of studying overseas have no idea where (or how) to begin their search for study abroad programs. Good news! Whether you want to eat pizza in Rome, hike El Camino de Santiago in Spain, climb the Eiffel Tower in Paris (or go completely off the beaten path in study abroad destinations like Ecuador, Morocco, India, and more!), GoAbroad can help you make your study abroad dreams a study abroad reality.

Question 2

How to study abroad

Accepted Answer

Knowing you want to study abroad is the easy part. Figuring out how to do it can be a little bit trickier&mdash;or at least feel that way. If you want to know how to study abroad, it&rsquo;s actually as simple as answering the following questions:
Where do you want to study abroad? This can be a tough question to answer! If you&rsquo;re an adventurer at heart, it can be difficult deciding between so many cool places to go, especially when study abroad is often a once-in-a-lifetime experience. However, the answer to this question is usually guided by your studies and career goals (or personal goals). Is there a language you want to learn? Credits to fulfill before graduation? A World Heritage Site you need to see with your own two eyes? Decide what you want out of your experience, and everything else will fall into place. You can read more below about the best places to study abroad.
Will you study abroad through your university or a third party? So...what is a third party study abroad provider? Many students don&rsquo;t know this, but there are hundreds of organizations that you can study abroad through&mdash;you don&rsquo;t have to go through your university! This is especially helpful for students who want a certain study abroad experience not offered by their home university. However, studying abroad through your university can make it easier to receive credits during your study abroad experience, or to apply financial aid or loans to cover tuition.
How will you save money for study abroad? How will you pay for it? More on this below, but it&rsquo;s important to consider whether you (or your parents/guardians) will be able to pay study abroad tuition out of pocket, if your loans or FAFSA will cover the experience, or if you&rsquo;ll need to apply for scholarships and grants to study abroad. (Pro tip: Don&rsquo;t let this question get you down! There are many opportunities for study abroad scholarships.) Additionally, you can save for study abroad through means like fundraising, or more creative tactics for saving for study abroad.

Question 3

How can I get money to study abroad?

Accepted Answer

If you receive financial aid or FAFSA, it&rsquo;s possible they will pay for part of your study abroad tuition. However, there are stipulations on where and how the money can be applied, including whether you study abroad through your home university or not. Federal and private loans can also be applied to study abroad tuition under certain circumstances.
If that&rsquo;s not an option for you, many universities and third party providers offer substantial study abroad scholarships that can pay for part of the tuition, or for the experience in full. And don&rsquo;t forget that crowdsourcing or fundraising for your experience is an option. It&rsquo;s more work, but the payoff is worth it!

Question 4

What are the requirements to study abroad?

Accepted Answer

The requirements to study abroad vary depending on your home university or the program you&rsquo;re applying to. Sometimes, intensive language programs may have a language requirement. However, generally speaking, the requirements to study abroad are:
Good academic standing with your university
Financial capability
A valid passport
Fulfilled prerequisite classes
Be sure to reach out to your study abroad office or program advisor for more information.

Question 5

Why should I study abroad?

Accepted Answer

There are so many great reasons to study abroad. At GoAbroad, our favorite benefit of studying abroad is the broadened horizons and gained global perspectives that you may not even realize you have until you get home! If you&rsquo;re asking why study abroad is important, it&rsquo;s simple: When done the right way, studying abroad combats stereotypes and fear about other people and cultures around the world.
Another reason why study abroad should be at the top of your to-do list is that it will push you out of your comfort zone&mdash;especially if it&rsquo;s your first time going abroad. If you want to grow on a personal level and help the world become just a little bit more connected, then you know why study abroad is right for you!

Question 6

What are the best places to study abroad?

Accepted Answer

Where can you study abroad? Pretty much anywhere&mdash;even Antarctica! But when speaking in terms of the best places to study abroad, it all comes down to what you want out of your experience. If you want to study abroad in a more traditional way, European destinations like England, Spain, and France are study abroad staples.
However, studying abroad in &ldquo;non-traditional&rdquo; locations, like India, Argentina, and South Africa is becoming more and more popular. Going off the beaten path means being a trailblazer, which isn&rsquo;t always easy, but pays off handsomely in terms of personal growth and new skills.

Question 7

What to study abroad

Accepted Answer

Again, you can study pretty much anything overseas. Do you want to stay in line with your major or minor? Taking your required classes at a university abroad is a fun and fulfilling way to knock out some credits.
Or do you want to learn something completely new that will benefit your future career and look great on a resume? Knowing what to study abroad all comes down to your goals. There really is no wrong answer!

Question 8

When to study abroad

Accepted Answer

There&rsquo;s no wrong time to study abroad, but, for you, some options may be better than others. For many students, studying abroad during sophomore or junior year is common. However, depending on your courseload, going abroad for an entire semester or academic year may only be possible if your major is in a foreign language or international field.
Otherwise, studying abroad during the summer or winter anytime during your academic career is totally plausible. Talking to your academic advisor can help a lot with deciding what time of year and during what point in your academic career is the right time to study abroad for you.