Amber Holt
Contributor
Traveling is a dream of many young adults. But, why not travel and get an education at the same time?
Study abroad abroad opportunities are now available and Lewis and Clark Community College.
“Two of the major requirements to study abroad are having a GPA of at least a 2.75 and being a student at Lewis and Clark Community College,” said L&C Coordinator of Diversity and Inclusion Adrienne Reed Oliver.
There are many ways for students to get assistance paying for their schooling and traveling. For example, if a student receives a Pell Grant, he or she could possibly get assistance through Financial Aid.
There are also a few different scholarships available for students who apply. The Gilman scholarship, according to the Benjamin A. Gilman International Scholarship website, is an undergraduate grant program for U.S. citizens of limited financial means to enable them to study abroad.
The Gilman International Scholarship is sponsored by the Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs of the U.S. Department of State. The Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs fosters mutual understanding between the United States and other countries.
Institutional scholarships, through the Illinois Consortium for International Studies and Programs Home, are offered as well. ICISP is a regional source of leadership and cooperation, which promotes international education and cultural diversity.
The specific courses targeted for this cooperative agreement are credit courses that are taught in a foreign country and normally offered during a time period of less than six weeks, Reed Oliver said.
Fall and spring semesters opportunities to study abroad will include Canterbury, England, at Canterbury Christ Church University; Carlow, Ireland, at Carlow College; Salzburg, Austria, at Salzburg College; Seville, Spain, at the International College of Seville; and Xi’an, China, Chinese at Xi’an International University (XAIU). The deadline to apply is March 15, 2017.
Study abroad opportunities for the summer will include Dijon, France, at the University of Burgundy; Salzburg, Austria, at Salzburg College; San José, Costa Rica, at Costa Rica Language Academy; and Carlow, Ireland, at Carlow College. The deadline for the 2017 summer opportunities has passed, but these opportunities could still be available in the summer of 2018.
There are travel opportunities inside the country, also, and students have the opportunity to meet other American and international students.
Students interested in heading to the airport must meet the minimum requirements: having at least a 2.75 GPA or higher, having twelve to fifteen earned college credit hours, having a “B” or better in Freshman Composition, submitting two letters of recommendation, completing an application and making a monetary deposit of $500.
If accepted, students can then decide where to go. There are different applications, requirements, and deadlines for each place. Students must also begin making arrangements for their trip, such as, getting a passport, attending orientations, arranging insurance, etc.
Interested in meeting new people and traveling while learning? Contact Reed Oliver for more details at ayreed@lc.edu.
amholt@lc.edu