For some students, studying abroad is the experience of a lifetime, but many do not realize the financial implications or aid available to them through the University.
Skip Langley, study abroad advisor at the Office of Global Engagement, said the University sends around 75-100 students abroad during fall semester and about 150 students in the spring.
Many students do not consider studying in other countries, however, because they fear it will cost too much and that they will not have the finances to cover expenses like tuition, flights, boarding and spending money.
“If a student goes abroad for a semester on an exchange program, they’ll pay the same base tuition as they do here at UM,” Langley said. “The cost of living adjustment can be a little higher in some locations, like the United Kingdom, due to the exchange rate between the British pound sterling and the U.S. dollar. However, the base cost of tuition remains the same to study in Edinburgh, Scotland as it does in Oxford.”
Maddie Hall, sophomore recreation administration major, had just that problem with the cost of living exchange rate.
Hall had planned to live in Brisbane, Australia for the spring semester until she recently discovered the trip was going to cost more than she had previously understood.
Hall said the housing in Australia was estimated to be about $450-$500 a month, which was very similar to the rent she pays in Oxford, but was informed at the last minute that rent would be about $800 per month.
“There was a miscommunication about the prices of the housing in Australia, and so I came to the decision that it was going to be too costly,” Hall said. “This was very difficult because I did not realize this until after most other students had already registered [for spring classes], so I had to quickly try to make a schedule for spring. Many classes were already full so this was really hard to do, but after several meetings with teachers I ended up with a full schedule.”
Hall said she did not receive any scholarships, but wishes that she would have researched and applied for more in order to help with the higher costs of the trip.
Sofia Thomas, a senior English major, was able to study at the University of Edinburgh in Scotland with relatively little cost to her with the help of Ole Miss scholarships.
“I got incredibly lucky and got to spend a semester at a top-tier university at a really low cost to me,” Thomas said.
Thomas said she believes cost is probably a reason why more students don’t study abroad.
Langley said many on-campus organizations, like the Honors College and some Greek chapters, provide scholarships for traveling if students apply for them, and there are many third-party scholarships available to students through various organizations.
“There are need-based scholarships for those who may receive the Pell Grant,” Langley said. “There are access scholarships for, say, first generation college students, minority or LGBT students. There are also merit-based scholarships for those who excel in the classroom.”
Langley said he encourages students who are interested in studying abroad to apply for any and all scholarships that are available, because it is guaranteed that students will not receive scholarships if they do not apply for them.
“I feel that if students would take time to come into our office and get some information from the advisors, they’ll realize that studying abroad is something they can fit into their college career.”
