Thandie Brown
Staff Writer
Studying abroad is one the most exciting things you can do in college outside of starting your own club and finishing your degree on time.
Broward College’s Study Abroad homepage defines study abroad as, “an academic program which provides students with the opportunity to travel the world while earning credit toward their degree.” Students have the chance to choose between two routes to study abroad in almost 30 countries, so when studying abroad is a gateway to travel internationally and learn for your degree, the next question to ask is, “How do I apply?”
Broward.edu/studyabroad is the school’s URL for the program that includes the College Consortium for International Studies (CCIS) Study Abroad and Faculty-Led Study Abroad, student stories and a contact link for any questions you may have. The subsection has a link available to apply that allows you, as the student, to decide whether you want to choose a CCIS program for 1-6 months of study or Faculty-Led Study Abroad for 1-3 weeks of study.
The College’s Program Coordinator, Violeta Rivera, was a recipient of the Benjamin A. Gilman International Scholarship and traveled to Argentina for her study abroad courses as a Broward College student as well. Her wisdom on the application process and options for specific desires of students aren’t from an inexperienced mind. Any questions about which grants and scholarships to apply for are available for contact at vrivera@broward.edu.
Outside of school officials for the scholarship/grant process, Rivera encourages students to have, “strong support,” including staff members, family members, mentors, old/current professors and even friends.
From her specific scholarship, Rivera said that “I had to actively seek them,” – them being her courses, housing, transportation, classmates and even an unpaid internship while abroad in Argentina, but her initiative-based experience isn’t the blueprint for study abroad opportunities.
Study abroad is also an option for students who don’t have a set degree where the better option for them would be to apply for Faculty-Led Study Abroad Programs where they can contact the professors chaperoning those events.
Eva Colon, a former Broward College student who studied abroad once as a Broward College student, and again as an International Relations student for FIU is very supportive of study abroad.
“I would go on another one if I could,” said Colon.
Colon’s experience studying abroad with the Gilman scholarship was similar to Rivera’s where both women had to know what they wanted before they arrived in foreign territory. Colon and Rivera agreed that the connections they made during their visits were worthwhile and long-lasting especially in terms of connections made at their University.
“The communication is an effort on your part,” said Rivera.
According to BC’s website, students have three scholarships offered by the college including the William E. Greene Scholarship, Faculty-Led program travel grant and the Honors Grant for Study Abroad. Each have different requirements and deadlines that vary within semesters as well.
Some applications require essays, letters of recommendation and other forms of documents that demonstrate the will and desire to be a recipient of a Study Abroad award. Rivera emphasizes working diligently to meet the deadlines and fully complete applications as clearly and concisely as possible using the College’s resources like the ASC and professor office hours.
Along with the three internal awards offered by the college, the website displays 13 other outside scholarships to study abroad and Rivera notes that it is possible to combine an outside scholarship with a Broward College scholarship, but not a BC scholarship with another BC scholarship.
Keep in mind that no scholarship will cover all the costs for the experience and the outside awards also mean outside competition across the nation.
“It is an expensive thing, but an absolute investment,” said Rivera, so she encourages students to apply for the International Benjamin A. Gilman Scholarship before its March 5, 2019 due date as well as BC’s William E. Greene Scholarship before its April 18, 2019 deadline.
The chance to go outside of what we know here regionally on campus can
drastically change studying abroad and the only thing students have to
is apply.
browt175@mail.broward.edu
Photo: A student who studied abroad in Italy. Photo courtesy of Broward College