Though the high cost of studying abroad usually prevents students from pursuing it, financial aid and scholarships made it possible for Bestina Mounenalath, an economics major at Fresno State, to experience life in a new country.
“There does seem to be a bit of a myth that studying abroad is really, really expensive, which isn’t always the case,” said Marcia Romsa, adviser for the Study Abroad and International Exchange Office. “In some cases it can be less expensive than studying here at Fresno State. It all depends on the location you want to go to.”
Romsa also said that even if the tuition is more expensive, it’s usually not by very much.
Many students don’t realize that financial aid helps them with finances when they study abroad as if they were attending Fresno State itself, so whatever financial aid the student currently receives can be applied toward studying abroad.
Financial help also comes in the form of scholarships. The Gilman Scholarship offers awards for undergraduate studies abroad, which can provide up to $5,000 for a student.
“This tremendous scholarship fits many of our Fresno State students,” said Romsa. “It’s geared toward first generation college students, students who receive financial aid, and students that are or will be receiving a Federal Pell Grant. They also award students who are learning a critical-need language, such as Arabic, Chinese, Korean, Russian or another language that is beneficial to the country as a whole.”
Mounenalath said that she was very happy after receiving $3,000 in scholarship funds.
“[The scholarship] allowed me to focus on my studies,” said Mounenalath. “I did not have to worry about money.”
In some cases, students have been able to get additional funding from loans.
Fresno State business major Kyle Long, who took out $8,000 in student loans, explained that it was worth it for him.
“I feel that the loans helped me tremendously,” Long said. “I wouldn’t have been able to do it without the loans.”
The cost of studying abroad might seem a little daunting at first, but when it’s broken down it becomes less intimidating and more realistic.
“Students usually just look at the state university fee, but they never calculate their food and housing,” said Romsa. “Food and housing for a California State University student is a lot more expensive than room and board for someone studying in Taiwan [for an academic year].”
Other locations that are less expensive than at CSU campuses are Mexico, Ghana, Chile and China.
Transportation is another thing that students have to take into consideration. An average Fresno State student doesn’t think about insurance, gas and car maintenance that accumulates during each semester. Paying for airfare to study abroad isn’t always that different in price.
“We are fortunate here at Fresno State to work with a highly student-oriented staff at financial aid,” said Romsa. “They work with the students and get the maximum help for them.”