The deadline for the summer study abroad scholarship is coming up soon.
The Office of Global Engagement Scholarship application and Student Study Abroad Budget form are due on Feb. 15. Students who are applying should email the completed forms to Elise Blalock, study abroad adviser, at ehblalock@okcu.edu.
This scholarship is through OCU and is for students applying for a summer study abroad program.
Mary Benner, director of global engagement, said:
The more we can financially help students, the better. We don’t want students to come back impoverished.”
The scholarship application asks questions about the program and includes short essays. Students are asked how their study abroad program will impact their major at OCU and career opportunities. The essays are especially helpful when students explain their passion or academic interest, said Benner.
Many factors are considered for the scholarships. These include GPA, financial need, length of program, the country being considered, whether the program fulfills a major or minor requirement, etc. None of the criterion outweigh the others. All factors are considered, said Benner.
“Students can travel almost anywhere in the world,” Benner said. “We have partner universities, but we also work with U.S. companies who then contract with universities all over the world.”
The cost of studying abroad really varies on which program you choose, as does the amount of individual scholarships given. During the semester, students can get up to $5,000. Since study abroad is more popular in the summer, amounts rewarded are significantly less— between $250-$1,000.
Anna Nguyen, Marketing Junior studied abroad in London last summer. She was able to afford it by stacking multiple scholarships.
“It’s a lot of paperwork, but it was really worth it,” said Nguyen. “Going out there makes you see that there are so many more opportunities than just what we have here in Oklahoma.”
There are many more scholarship opportunities other than Global Engagement. Many students apply to 4-5 of them. A company called “Go Abroad” is offering $15,000 scholarships for the fall semester, plus $4,000 in living expenses, and round trip airfare.
“We spend a lot of time figuring out the financial aspects of studying abroad,” said Benner. “It’s not just you come to us, we help you pick out a program, and then you’re on your own. There really are a lot of scholarships available. We make it work.”
Visit the website for more study abroad scholarships.
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