Short-term study abroad programs range from 2 ½ to 4 weeks in length. Instruction takes place several hours per day and includes visits to sites of historic and cultural interest which complement classroom learning. For example, participants on past programs visited the Roman site of Pompeii, (Italy) and early megaliths on Malta; fashion houses in Milan, (Italy); the burial place of Spanish royalty at El Escorial in Spain; and the ruins of Teotihuacan outside Mexico City.
Faculty who are interested in teaching their area of expertise abroad submit a program proposal for evaluation by a group of their peers. As a result, subjects taught on these programs can vary greatly. Classes are usually taught in English. The exception would be for an intensive language program when the classes would be taught in the host country language. Classes are held in classrooms that are used exclusively for our groups of students, sometimes at institutions that enroll other international or local students. Examples of classroom facilities used in past programs include universities, language schools, and hotel meeting rooms. Imagine studying fashion design in Italy and France, Spanish language in Spain or Mexico, or history of the ancient world in Italy and Malta, Filipino studies in the Philippines! There is no better way to make your learning experience more meaningful and to make your studies come alive than to participate in these programs! Field trips, excursions, and visits to sites of cultural and historical interest are also components of the program and will complement/supplement your classroom work. Classes taught abroad meet general education requirements and are transferable to CSU and/or UC. To be informed of upcoming short-term programs, consult with your Campus International Education Coordinator, look at the International Education advertisement of the schedule of classes every term, and/or access your college website.
Eligibility requirements to participate in study abroad programs include being 18 years of age or older by the date of departure, completing of 12 college-level units with a GPA of 2.0 or higher, being in good academic standing and makinsatisfactory progress, and a student conduct review. Program space is limited and spaces will be allotted on a first-come first-serve basis.
Housing options vary depending on the site abroad. One housing option is family homestays, in private or shared rooms, with two – three meals per day provided by the family. Living with a local family is probably the best way to familiarize yourself with the culture, make longstanding friends, and to improve your foreign language proficiency. Another housing option is student dormitories. This opportunity may enable you to meet students from the host country or other countries and to experience dorm life – a novelty for most community college students. Hotels have also been used to house program participants.
Costs for participating in study abroad programs are higher than studying on your home campus. The additional expense goes towards such items as purchase of round-trip airline tickets, ground transportation, room and board, field trips and excursions, insurance, and on-site staff assistance. As a result, program costs have varied from the low $2,000 range into the $3,000 range. Registration fees, books and supplies, personal expenses, airport departure taxes, and passport fee (if applicable), are not included in the program price.
Financial aid may be used to pay program expenses when received for the entire year and “banked” for use during the summer. No financial aid is available specifically for short-term programs which do not take place during the fall and spring semesters.
- LOANS:
- Check www.ed.gov for federal loans.
- FinAid (finaid.org) – renowned college financial aid site
- Go to www.myrichuncle.com.
- Student loan buying guide – (www.greentreegazette.com/StudentLoan/BG) - online resource for student loans.
- Go to www.Salliemae.com and www.plato.org
- FUNDRAISING:
- Check http://www.cylc.org/shared/fundraising_guide.pdf for information regarding how to fund raise.
- SCHOLARSHIPS:
- FOR AFRICAN-AMERICAN STUDENTS – Go to www.BlackExcel.org/link4.htm, ,
- ALPHA KAPPA ALPHA - Go to www.akaeaf.org
- ARTHUR H. GOODMAN MEMORIAL SCHOLARSHIP FUND – Awards scholarships ranging from $1,500-$3,000 to minority students and working women who better their community.
- www.cdcloans.com or call: 1-800-611-5170
- CALIFORNIA COLLEGES FOR INTERNATIONAL EDUCATION (CCIE): Go to www.ccieworld.org, click
- on “enter,” click on POCCSA grant activities. $250 - $1,500 scholarships are available. Deadline is November 15 for spring programs, May 15 for fall programs.
- Ask the Chamber of Commerce for names of American companies owned by foreign companies and approach these U.S. companies for money. Go to the website of these companies and look for foundation/scholarship information.
- FASTWEB.COM - American college scholarship database. Registration required (no fee)
- GILMAN – This is a scholarship program funded by the Department of State, Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs to enable students who would not normally be able to study abroad to do so. $3,000 - $5,000 scholarships are available. Deadlines are early to mid October for the following spring and early to mid April for the following fall. These scholarships are currently not available for the summer. Go to www.iie.org/gilman. City College students have been awarded this scholarship every semester! You can be awarded one, too!
- HISPANIC COLLEGE FUND – Go to hispanicfund.org
- HISPANIC SCHOLARSHIP FUND – www.hsf.net
- INTERNATIONAL EDUCATION FINANCIAL AID – IEFA is the premier internet resource for financial aid information for students wishing to study in a foreign country. www.iefa.org
- INTERNATIONAL EDUCATION FINANCE CORPORATION – IEFC has developed a range of student loan programs for the growing population of students who want to study in another country. www.iefc.com
- NATIONAL ALLIANCE FOR EXCELLENCE – Go to www.excellence.org/programs.html
- NATIONAL SECURITY EDUCATION PROGRAM – NSEP offers scholarships to students wanting to study in developing countries. Go to www.ndu.edu/nsep.
- SAN DIEGO COUNTY HISPANIC CHAMBER OF COMMERCE – Call 619-702-0790 or go to www.sdchcc.com. This is a portal for sponsored links.
- *Be a savvy consumer with your personal information.
- SAN DIEGO FOUNDATION – Go to sdfoundation.org/scholarships. There are sometimes scholarships earmarked specifically to help City College students study abroad.
- Go to the Office of Student Affairs in D-106 to see what scholarships they are currently offering. They publish a pamphlet with a scholarship list in it in the middle of every fall semester. Other scholarship opportunities are publicized as they become available
- Go to www.fastweb.com, the internet’s largest free scholarship search.
- STUDENTAWARDS.COM – students can search from thousands of unique scholarships, bursaries, grants and other forms of financial assistance.
- STUDYABROAD.COM – financial aid advertising page.
- STUDYABROADFUNDING.ORG: The Institute for International Education (IIE) announces an online directory StudyAbroadFunding.org to help increase diversity in study abroad. In addition to the traditional country and field of study search options, award entries are now searchable by categories such as race and ethnicity, gender, and selections for student leaders and athletes, low-income students, students with disabilities and a variety of other designations. http://www.studyabroadfunding.org
Your safety and security are of primary importance to the San Diego Community College District. The District will make every effort to assure that you are safe while abroad. Of course part of the responsibility lies with you; if you are told not to go to certain locations at certain times of day, if you are warned to refrain from visiting specific places, if you are told not to participate in host country political demonstrations, and about the severity of host country laws related to certain behaviors, we must rely on your good sense to follow the warnings and directives given to you.
At the same time, the District monitors U.S. State Department travel warnings, has prepareits own emergency response plan, and oncontracts with logistical support providers who have a well developed emergency response plan. If a situation arises in the host country that would put your safety or security in jeopardy, we will cancel a program and/or arrange for your transportation back to the U.S.
In addition, study abroad program costs include medical insurance. After you review the provided medical insurance, you can decide if you wish to supplement it with additional coverage and/or with trip cancellation, baggage insurance, etc.
If you have more questions about safety and security regarding study abroad, please go to
www.studentsabroad.com/health.html
I. The first thing to do is to meet with the International Education Coordinator at the college that is sponsoring the program you would like to participate in. The San Diego Community College District International Education Coordinator for 2011 - 2012 is:
Leticia P. López, San Diego Mesa College, Room G-239
Tel: 619-388-2353, E-mail: llopez@sdccd.edu
Liaisons at City and Miramar Colleges are:
Marion Froehlich, San Diego City College, Room A-1-Q
Tel: 619-388-3652, E-mail: mfroehli@sdccd.edu
Judy Patacsil, San Diego Miramar College, Counseling Center
Tel: 619-388-7564, E-mail: jpatacsi@sdccd.net
The Campus Coordinator will give you a program brochure including enrollment form if yodo not already have one and discuss the details of the programwith you. He/she will also confirm that your GPA is at least2.0 and that you will have completed at least 12 units
if you have a passport
II. Submit the Student Conduct Release Form to the Dean of Student Affairs on your home campus. The Campus Coordinator will provide you with this form. The Dean will complete the form and then forward it to the Coordinator. If the Dean has noted something on this form, you will receive additional counseling
III. Meet with your counselor to discuss the class(es) you plan to take and how it/they fit into your educational plan.
IV. Meet with the financial aid technician if you would like to know if you have any unused financial aid monies that you could apply to the study abroad program.
V. Submit your enrollment form and deposit after you have determined that the academic program meets your needs, you will be able to finance the opportunity, and you are committed to participating in the program. The Coordinator will assist you with this stage of the process. The deposit is usually in the $400 - $500 range.
VI. Review the SDCCD Student Conduct Code provided by your Campus Coordinator and sign the accompanying agreement.
VII. Stay in touch with the Campus Coordinator to be apprised of upcoming events such as information meetings, pre-departure orientations, additional documents to complete, etc.