Why Study Abroad?

Study abroad is a great opportunity for students to gain new perspectives and unique experiences. An international education allows students to develop a deeper understanding of other cultures, increase their foreign language skills, and build maturity and self-confidence. Students can satisfy major requirements or earn elective credit while abroad.

Experience abroad not only enriches a student's undergraduate education, it can also make them more competitive for jobs after graduation. The benefits of international education are numerous, and are just as important for members of groups that are typically underrepresented in study abroad programs. TransitionsAbroad makes a great case for the importance of studying abroad  in this article produced by its Study Abroad Advisor program.

Reasons to Study Abroad lists some of the most compelling reasons Asian American/Pacific Islander students choose to study abroad, and addresses some of the challenges they may face.

Discrimination and Race Abroad

For students going abroad, it is important to research the history of the country where you will be living. Ideas of race vary from one country to the next, and are often affected by historical processes or events. It is likely that most people will view you as an American, rather than Asian American or Pacific Islander. In countries where most people are of the same skin color, people may be curious about your appearance. Questions and even staring are annoying, but are not likely to be the product of negative racial stereotypes.

AllAbroad's page "What About Discrimination" addresses the kind of discrimination Asian American and Pacific Islander students may face while abroad.

DiversityAbroad lists questions that a student should consider when researching discrimination in a potential study abroad location. This page also offers tips on dealing with possible negative situations.

Scholarships and Financial Resources

Students of all backgrounds and ethnicities cite money as an impediment to studying abroad. Geneseo works to help make travelling abroad an affordable and accessible opportunity for all students through numerous scholarships as well as financial advisement.

Once you have been accepted to a program you should research the program costs and schedule an appointment to discuss aid options. You should also peruse the  list of scholarships offered by Geneseo, as well as  this page of resources designed to help in your scholarship search. Specifically, Pell-eligible students should consider the  Benjamin A. Gilman International Scholarship Program, which is intended to increase socioeconomic diversity in students who go abroad.

The Boren Scholarships and Fellowships are intended to support students studying in places that are traditionally underrepresented and learning languages that are less commonly taught.

CollegeBoard has a  useful search engine that allows students to select various groups that they identify with, as well as their interests in order to find scholarships. Study Abroad is an option in the "Type of Award" portion of the search criteria.

DiversityAbroad has a wide array of resources and scholarships for students seeking to study abroad.

This list of scholarships contains resources beyond the ones described here that may be useful for students.