STUDY ABROAD SCHOLARSHIPS
With hundreds of thousands of American students already studying abroad there is no better time to catch the wave of study abroad scholarships.
The tide has definitely turned in favor of study abroad scholarships as the numbers of college students studying outside America is growing faster than at any time in history.
The Fulbright Scholarship is just one option for those seeking study abroad scholarships. Started by Senator William Fulbright in 1946 as a way to humanize international relations it has been helping pay for American students to study abroad ever since. This scholarship, mostly funded by an appropriation from the Congress of the United States, also pays for outstanding scholars to come study in America.
Many students will automatically dismiss the idea of studying overseas because they simply believe it is not feasible. Nothing could be further from the truth. Study abroad scholarships are doing their level best to overcome this misconception.
Many of the American students taking advantage of study abroad scholarships are foreign language students, but not as many as you would think. Most students actually go to countries where the native tongue is English, with England, Australia and Ireland being top destinations.
What other countries do American students like to visit? Italy, Spain, Germany and France always rank high on the list. Rounding out the group is Mexico, China and Costa Rica.
China returns the favor, sending tens of thousands of Chinese students to study in the United States every year. It is estimated that there are currently 128,000 Chinese students studying in America.
Thirty six percent of American students choose to study abroad during their junior year. This has been changing gradually as more students explore other options.
Who takes advantage of study abroad scholarships the most? It is women by an overwhelming margin. It is unclear why this is so, but women study in other countries about twice as often as men do.
How long does the average American student stay when they choose to study in another country? Most stay only eight weeks while others will stay for an entire quarter or semester. Those who choose the shorter stay often try to work in the eight-week stint over winter break or summer vacation.
Believe it or not students actually earn college credit for this studying abroad. What might seem like a vacation to some often involves a rigorous course of study, often times with the added stress of adjusting to a new culture and language. Of course, the positives must outweigh the stress as an increasing number of students are embellishing their educational resumes with studying in a foreign land.
Some of the stress and adjustment can be mitigated by study abroad scholarships. If you’re going on the adventure of a lifetime why not allow someone else to help pay for it? They may be a more willing accomplice than you think. Your first extended journey should be to the academic advisor at your college or university. There may even be an advisor who specializes in study abroad scholarships.