February 18, 2020
The flexibility of the EAP allows students from various fields of study to participate. Students become culturally diversified and set themselves apart from others who may not have had that level of foreign experience.
The scholarship deadline for the 2020-2021 academic year is on March 1 for students seeking scholarships to study with the Education Abroad Program (EAP).
UCCS students have the opportunity to immerse themselves in their studies in a foreign environment through the program. Students can travel around the world to locations like England, Ireland, South America and Japan while earning credits for their degree.
Rebecca Posusta, an instructor in the English department, plays a role in the faculty-led short-term study abroad program.
According to Posusta, the Pay it Forward Scholarship and the Zwirlein Scholarship Fund are geared towards students who might need some help taking their studies abroad.
“I was actually able to take a couple of my classes to England in 2018, which focused on Jane Austen,” Posusta said. “We visited locations associated with Austen, her history and the culture from her time period. We even had the chance to visit her home. That’s why I love doing these kinds of things — it gives the student a chance to go out into the real world and experience the things that they learn in the classroom.”
The EAP is open to all majors assuming the classes offered as part of the program fulfill the requirements of their degree plan.
“The students not only do the work for that class and earn their credits for the course abroad, but they also see, hear, and feel the things that they are studying and come back with such a life-altering experience that can be carried into their other studies as well,” said Posusta.
Participants in the program must be in good academic standing before applying and scholarships have academic standing requirements as well.
The classes offered within the program are 3000 level or above courses.
“It is important for us to consider if the student is a freshman or senior and can handle the workload of the course they signed up for,” said Posusta.
The flexibility of the EAP allows students from various fields of study to participate. Students become culturally diversified and set themselves apart from others who may not have had that level of foreign experience.
“We’ve taken students from all walks of life,” said Posusta. “Students with history, communication and even biology majors have all been able to go on trips with us.”
Participants can participate in a short-term trip of several weeks, or they can do a full academic semester or year for a long-term experience. The shorter trips offer compatible classes abroad that can be applied to credit hours.
“Usually, it’s the semester and yearlong programs that grant the most aid for the student’s trip,” said Posusta. “Unfortunately, the smaller and shorter faculty-led trips like what I lead don’t have as many options for financial aid.”
Financial aid may still cover the cost of the classes, but they likely will not cover the cost of the trip itself.
The cost of study abroad is factored mainly by location and duration, but the cost is higher than the standard university rate due to the addition of flights and accommodations. The short-term abroad trips have ranged from $4,000 to $5,000, including the base cost of tuition students pay for their classes without going abroad.
