By Cartney Sharp
SAN MARCOS, Texas— Various students at Texas State
University believe that information about the Study Abroad program on campus is
not accessible enough.
Students’ experiences with Study Abroad, Study-in-America,
and internships are burdened by a lack of information, time, and finances. Most
students are worried about the costs and don’t even know where to find
information about the programs.
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| Shayna Davis Photo By: Addison McKissak |
Freshman Shayna Davis has only received a few emails about meetings for studying abroad. She isn’t aware of how to become a part of a Study Abroad program.
“I want to get into it, but I don’t know how to start,” Davis
said.
Students who want to
find out more information about Study Abroad programs can visit the website for
the Texas
State Study Abroad Office. The
website features information on all of the different types of Study Abroad programs
available.
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| Hannah Chetwood Photo By: Tyler Fontaine |
Freshman Hannah Chetwood also wishes that there was more
information provided to students about the program and offered her own suggestions
for a more hands-on approach with students.
“It would be helpful if someone brought handouts to class,” Chetwood
said.
Texas State also provides a Study Abroad Fair as a way to
bring students together and hear from representatives of these different
programs provided. All students are welcome to take part in the fair and even
receive emails to remind them of the date and time of the event. The issue is
that many students can’t find time to attend.
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| Quinton Carter Photo By: Ashley Brown |
Quinton Carter, 18, got
emails about the Study Abroad Fair but mentioned the issues he has with time constraints.
“I know that they have a Study Abroad Fair today, but they
make it in the middle of the day, and most students have class during that
time,” Carter said.
Another major issue students have with Study Abroad programs
is the cost. Financial aid is offered through the school, but not all expenses,
such as travel and room and board are covered. The Texas State Study Abroad
Office even makes it known on their website that there is a possibility not all
expenses will be covered.
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| Amy Chirez Photo By: Dylan Bradley |
Senior Amy Chirez
thinks the programs are beneficial, but there are
definitely downsides. She
thinks having the time and finances to travel abroad are an issue for many
students.
“Time and the financial aspect of study abroad is what might
set me back,” said Chirez.
Students can contact the Texas State Office of Financial Aid
and Scholarships or visit their website
to receive information regarding financial aid for Study Abroad programs. The
website indicates the multiple ways to receive financial aid.
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| Santiago Marroquin Photo By: Cartney Sharp |
Santiago
Marroquin, a senior at Texas State, understands the ways that studying abroad positively
influence students, but like many others thinks they are too expensive for most
students.
“I know for a lot of them scholarships are already offered,
but offering a scholarship that would pay more than just what the tuition would
be, maybe offering students housing and a per diem, something that style, would
make it more accessible,” Marroquin said.
Students are aware that the Study Abroad program is
beneficial in the long run, but these setbacks are preventing them from gaining
this experience. In a study by IES Abroad, 97 percent of students who studied
abroad felt it helped with their maturity. Seventy-three percent of students
even said the experience continues to influence their life
today.
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| Jaswanath Pattipati Photo By: Jhazmine Billups |
Jaswanath Pattipati,
an international student from India, understands these programs can benefit
students. He believes they help students to gain new experiences in a
completely different environment.
“It might open their minds and enhance their knowledge…and
they get experience in different fields,” Pattipati said.
Students interested can also attend a General Information
Session. These sessions are held throughout the semester and offer information
on the different programs available, financial aid, and how the study abroad
process works. This is the first step in the process to study abroad and
students can RSVP to one of these sessions here.
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