Commentary
Students are frequently encouraged by faculty and advisors to take advantage of study abroad opportunities available through the school. Deciding to go abroad is the easy part. The difficulties begin for many students when facing the question, “How am I going to pay for this?”
Students going abroad often take out large loans to cover their expenses. In some cases those loans are equivalent to an entire year of in-state tuition at N.C. State.
Applying for financial aid to study abroad can be very confusing. If finances are tight, the most important thing is to apply for as much financial assistance through as many avenues as possible. There are four primary ways to apply for study abroad funding at N.C. State.
The Study Abroad Office provides an average of $950 per student through their scholarship application process. Applying for multiple scholarships on the application increases a student’s chances of receiving financial help.
The Study Abroad Office doesn’t award applicants the scholarships until after down payments are due for study abroad programs, and those down payments are non-refundable. Consequently, if a student needs more than approximately $1000 of assistance, it is vital to apply for additional financial aid.
So what are some of the other avenues for financial help?
Student fellowships are an excellent source of additional financial aid. Applications are handled through the Fellowship Advising Office. These prestigious national fellowships award larger sums of money, and students can apply for them to fund many things, including study abroad.
For the past two years, Tiffany Kershner, a personal advisor for students at the Fellowship Advising Office, has worked to help as many undergraduate and graduate students as possible receive these national fellowships.
In the past, N.C. State averaged one or two Benjamin Gilman Scholarship winners per cycle. Last fall, Kershner assisted in obtaining ten of these fellowships for N.C. State students.
“We’ve seen a lot more diversity in the kinds of students applying for these,” Kershner said.
Fellowships like the Gilman have many individual requirements that students have to meet. Kershner does personal advising to help students know which fellowships they are eligible for. She also reviews students’ applications with them as much as necessary before the deadline.
“Having someone here fulltime to work with students is something that I think was very important,” Kershner said. “I want to meet with students individually to make sure that they’re really a good match for a particular fellowship program … and try to figure out which opportunities would be the best fit for them.”
She organizes mock-interviews with distinguished N.C. State alumni and administrators to prepare students for the national interview in the fellowship application process.
“There’s a lot of support from the administration because they see these opportunities as important ones for the students, but also for the University as a whole,” said Kershner.
The most competitive application time is the summer. Summer fellowships can provide up to $3000. Kershner mentioned that students who are more financially pressed could apply for spring fellowships. These provide up to $5000 and are less competitive because fewer students apply for them.
However, these fellowships are also awarded after the due date for study abroad down payments. Kershner advises students to start the fellowship application process very early so that she can work with them to produce the highest quality application possible.
“For a lot of these fellowships, it’s not easy, and sometimes impossible, to do it at the last minute,” Kershner said. “You want to put together a strong application for the campus committee because you want to be endorsed.”
Outside scholarships are another source of financial aid. These scholarships, as well as the student fellowships, are listed on the study abroad website.
For personal advising about applications and deadlines concerning outside scholarships and questions regarding international experience, one should visit the Study Abroad Office. Advisors will work one-on-one with students to answer questions and guide them through the application processes for all outside scholarships.
A final way for students to receive funding is through the Office of Financial Aid. After students have submitted their Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) in the spring, the loans that they receive may qualify to be used for study abroad.
When students accept financial aid awards, they should not decline any that they don’t intend to use for tuition in the fall semester — they may be applicable for study abroad later in the year, Kershner said.
