More green for globetrotters

By Jackie Womack
The Collegian

Students who want to travel but lack the funds may be helped by a new scholarship fund set up by Fresno State.

This month, Jeronima Echeverria, provost and vice president for academic affairs, announced that $100,000 has been set aside for 2006-07 study abroad scholarships for Fresno State students.

“Our university recognizes the importance of internationalizing the campus,” she said. “This new international scholarship fund is designed to encourage more of our students to take advantage of all the growing opportunities that exist in foreign study.”

Bill Erysian, Fresno State’s interim director of International Programs, said the money is an enormous help.

“This scholarship fund that the provost has established is a huge shot in the arm for the program,” he said.

“Cost is a primary concern for students.”

Erysian said since it’s a scholarship fund, money would be awarded based on financial need, the length and the relative cost of the program, as well as the strength of the student’s application.

Depending on where students choose to go, Erysian said, the cost may not be as high as students think.

“Most of the time, it costs about the same as it does to study here, aside from the cost of the plane ticket,” he said.

Jill Buettner, an English major who spent the summer in France, said cost was a consideration when she chose her study abroad program.

“The reason that I chose the program I chose was because it was relatively inexpensive compared to the others,” she said.

Last year International Programs sent over 200 students overseas, Erysian said.

“With the new funds, we hope to increase that number significantly this year,” he said. “[The new scholarship fund] is really part of the plan for excellence, a strategic plan for the university."

He said the plan emphasizes preparing students for the global economy and giving faculty and students a more global perspective.

Buettner said study abroad will help her with her future plans.

“I want to go to graduate school and many of them have tough foreign language requirements,” she said.

Though she had a “working knowledge” of French before she went, she said that staying in the small town of Pau forced her to become more fluent, since few of the townspeople spoke English.

“I think that study abroad — if a student can afford it -— is a wonderful opportunity for a student to take,” she said. “You almost become a part of it [the culture], even if only for a short time.”

For information about study abroad programs contact International Programs at 278-6452.

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