There are more than 150,000 college students in the United States who study abroad each year. Only 5% of these students are African American. Studying abroad is something that every college student should get to experience. There are plenty of different countries to visit, connections to be made, and adventures that await.
Most students dream of being able to travel the world one day, but most of them do not have the necessary means to do so.
Most large colleges and universities offer study abroad options, but most students do not explore or are unaware of these opportunities.
Florida A&M University offers these options to students in over 60 countries, and 150 locations worldwide. Some of the notable countries include Australia, Italy and Spain. Traveling and studying abroad allows students to be exposed to new ideas, languages, histories, ways of life and much more.
Former FAMU student Niya Fryson said that “studying abroad was one of the best experiences” that she had in her college career. “I got the chance to learn about the Spanish language, history and culture while also making memories with great people.”
FAMU allows students to transition easily when studying abroad by allowing students to receive potential scholarships, and by allowing them to pay the same price as their tuition while studying abroad as the price on campus. Third party program partners like IES Abroad and the CAPA Global Education Network also help students by providing assistance through tuition, housing, international insurance, assistance with placement and academic processes, visa, onsite support, airport pickup, cultural activities and trips.
Studies show that students who study abroad have a 100% increase in their GPA as they approach graduation, along with having 90% of students being admitted into their first or second grad school of choice.
Current FAMU student Taylor Guy has an interest in studying abroad. “Studying abroad not only expands your education, but it gives you the opportunity to expand your self expression and finding who you are. In order to identify the do’s and dont’s in life you have to be willing to take risks, and the most successful people take risks,” Guy said.
Students who are interested in studying abroad should feel free to reach out to the education abroad office at FAMU. It is located in Room 302 in the Perry Paige building, or reach out to Emily Maurer via phone: (850)-412-7077 or email: emily.maurer@famu.edu.