By Sarah Wood
While some college students choose to study abroad as a way to expose themselves to varying cultures and languages, others do so to build workforce skills or prepare for a potential international career after graduation.
But barriers such as cost, family concerns, limited course flexibility and lack of knowledge about available experiences prevent many students from going abroad in college. Students of color, in particular, are underrepresented in these programs: 70% of U.S. students who study abroad are white, according to the 2021 Open Doors report, which is annually produced by the Institute of International Education and the U.S. Department of State.
Many colleges and nonprofit organizations are looking to make study abroad programs more accessible by offering scholarship options, differing curricula and passport assistance.
“Every student has a different situation,” says Cheryl D. Young, associate vice president of global initiatives at Miami University—Oxford in Ohio. “So we need to understand those individual situations and roadblocks to studying abroad and help them think critically to overcome them and make this happen for them.”
Barriers to Study Abroad
Cost
The cost of study abroad programs varies per college, but expenses typically include tuition, program fees, housing, visas, insurance, airplane tickets and meals. Other factors such as program length, host country and excursions also affect the total price.
Fees can add up when students choose to sign up for tours or travel on weekends to different cities or countries.
“Students need to carefully budget for that weekend travel or incidentals, unexpected things they need,” Young says. “We always advise students to be aware that things could go wrong. The train could be not running from Paris to Luxembourg City, so be ready to spend the night in a hostel and have emergency funds available. If you plan ahead far enough and well enough and do your research, I think any student can study abroad.”
In addition to scholarships, a student’s financial aid package can often be applied to a study abroad program, experts note.
“Although cost is a critical factor … a student should consider the return on the investment as well when selecting a program,” Caroline Donovan White wrote in an email. She is senior director of education abroad services and volunteer engagement at NAFSA: Association of International Educators, a nonprofit professional organization.
Lack of Knowledge About Programs
Many students have never left the country or had family who participated in a study abroad program, so they may not be aware of the opportunities available at their institution.
“Colleges and universities can solve this by providing information and educating students early in their matriculation,” Jann H. Adams, associate vice president for leadership initiatives and lead director of the Andrew Young Center for Global Leadership at Morehouse College in Georgia, wrote in an email.
Family Concerns
Traveling to a new place, especially abroad, comes with safety concerns.
Families, especially of first-generation students, may also feel that their child “has already gone so far as to go to college, so why would they add yet another headache to their journey,” says Angela Schaffer, executive director of the Fund for Education Abroad, a nonprofit that provides study abroad scholarships to underrepresented students.
Limited Course Flexibility
Some academic programs require certain courses each semester or on-the-job experience. Education majors, for instance, need to complete student teaching hours before graduation. That often limits a student’s ability to travel abroad.
“It’s up to us as international education professionals to find those ways that students can stay in their time blocks or on their path to graduate on time” and still study abroad, Young says.
Efforts to Increase Access to Global Education
Russ Ganim, associate provost and dean of international programs at the University of Iowa, says in order to make study abroad more affordable, colleges must make it a fundraising priority.
UI offers merit- and need-based scholarships as well as a diversity ambassador scholarship to help fund students’ global education. Up to 10 $1,000 diversity ambassador scholarships are awarded for the fall and spring semesters to groups such as students of color, students with disabilities, first-generation students and LGBTQ+ students. The same number of scholarships and amounts are awarded for study abroad during winter and summer sessions.
“Although cost is a critical factor … a student should consider the return on the investment as well when selecting a program,” Caroline Donovan White wrote in an email. She is senior director of education abroad services and volunteer engagement at NAFSA: Association of International Educators, a nonprofit professional organization.
Lack of Knowledge About Programs
Many students have never left the country or had family who participated in a study abroad program, so they may not be aware of the opportunities available at their institution.
“Colleges and universities can solve this by providing information and educating students early in their matriculation,” Jann H. Adams, associate vice president for leadership initiatives and lead director of the Andrew Young Center for Global Leadership at Morehouse College in Georgia, wrote in an email.
Family Concerns
Traveling to a new place, especially abroad, comes with safety concerns.
Families, especially of first-generation students, may also feel that their child “has already gone so far as to go to college, so why would they add yet another headache to their journey,” says Angela Schaffer, executive director of the Fund for Education Abroad, a nonprofit that provides study abroad scholarships to underrepresented students.
Limited Course Flexibility
Some academic programs require certain courses each semester or on-the-job experience. Education majors, for instance, need to complete student teaching hours before graduation. That often limits a student’s ability to travel abroad.
Efforts to Increase Access to Global Education
Russ Ganim, associate provost and dean of international programs at the University of Iowa, says in order to make study abroad more affordable, colleges must make it a fundraising priority.
UI offers merit- and need-based scholarships as well as a diversity ambassador scholarship to help fund students’ global education. Up to 10 $1,000 diversity ambassador scholarships are awarded for the fall and spring semesters to groups such as students of color, students with disabilities, first-generation students and LGBTQ+ students. The same number of scholarships and amounts are awarded for study abroad during winter and summer sessions.
“Some students try to find programs on their own and they can certainly do that,” Ganim of UI says. “But the advisers really have the best information on not just pricing, but programs that will fit a particular student’s needs with respect to courses, internships, career goals and budget.”
