Financial Planning
for Travel Study with Piedmont
Travel Abroad will never be as
cost-effective as it is during college!
Travel study is perceived as expensive, but the truth is that it is one of the greatest values of being a college student. A tour to Europe, for instance, can cost $3,000-$10,000 for two weeks if you plan it yourself or take a organized tour. At Piedmont, you get the benefit of expert faculty that you know guiding you AND you get 2 courses worth of academic credit during the same two weeks.
Piedmont Faculty-Led Courses
Cost is $500 more than taking the same classes on campus and includes flights, accommodations and excursions.
Piedmont Semester Abroad
Cost is the same as taking the same classes on campus. Tuition, room and board are covered at most locations and students are responsible for their own flight and living expenses.
Benefits of Travel Study
Not only is travel study with Piedmont cost-efficient, it offers a great value.
Knock out courses you'll need anyway.
If you have to take a course, why not take it with the Eiffel Tower as your backdrop? In most cases, you can take the same course you are required to take for your General Education or Major Field as a travel study course. With the faculty-led courses, you can even take those courses with your Piedmont professor!
Gain employable skills as you navigate another culture.
Ask an manager what they seek in an employee and you'll often hear they want a problem-solver - someone who can assess the situation, consider creative alternatives and act on the best solution. As you participate in a travel study experience, you will find yourself navigating situations daily that cultivate an advanced ability to problem-solve. Furthermore, you will learn how to understand and communicate with people from different backgrounds and cultures, which develops an ability to work as a team with a diverse group. Highlighting a travel study experience on your resume will separate you from other job-seekers.
According to The Institute of International Education:
https://www.iie.org/programs/generation-study-abroad/why-study-abroad/
- In a study of AIFS Foundation AYA alumni, more than 90% said that participating in a secondary education exchange program developed or improved key skills for post-secondary education and entry to a global workforce.
- A study by SIT of their program alumni found that a 72% reported that their study abroad experience significantly impacted their career choices and helped when applying for jobs.
- According to the World Economic Forum Future of Jobs Report (2020), employers rated critical thinking and analysis, problem-solving, and self-management as the most critical skills for the global workforce moving into 2025.
- AIM Overseas reported “61% of employers agree that an overseas study experience is [positive] on a resume. Additionally, 72% of employers agree that knowing a second language adds to the appeal of a prospective employee. The same study reported 95% of students found the exchange experience as useful with regard to their future career plans.
- Based on responses from 13,0000 hiring managers and CEOs, the 2020 QS Global employer survey found that 25% of respondents said that international experience was a recruitment priority.
- Study abroad alumni have better job prospects. Based on a survey conducted by IES Abroad, 67% of study abroad alumni found their first job within six months of graduation.
Make new friends around the world.
You may be nervous about embarking on an adventure without knowing anyone. Don't let that stop you! Travel study students often find themselves among a group of students who took the same risk and they leave with lifelong friendships.
Don't just travel, LEARN.
It's fun to sight-see and travel with friends. There's a whole deeper level to travel when you begin to meet locals, discuss academic concepts with experts and see how things got to be the way they are. For instance, watching a game of Gaelic Football in Ireland is fun. Understanding the deeper linguistic, political, religious and cultural legacy of the game that plays out in front of you is fascinating and even life-changing. Dive beneath the surface of "travel" by adding "study" to the experience.
Scholarship Resources
Below is a list of some potential external study abroad scholarship resources. All applications and information about these scholarships are available through the sponsoring organization.
Name | Deadline Amount | Notes |
January 4th / March 7th up to $5,000 | Open to students receiving Pell grants. | |
January 4th / March 7th up to $5,000 | Open to students with a spouse or parent in the military and students receiving Title IV Federal Aid. | |
February 7 varies | Mission is to support students of color, 1st generation students and LGBTQ students. | |
May 12th $1,000 | Supports Girl Scouts participating in study abroad. | |
November 15th $1,000 + a backpack | Open to all students. | |
Mid-May up to $10,000 | Computer science majors. | |
March 15th $1,500 | Open to all students. | |
$500 | GPA must be above 2.75. Mission is to support students who are economically disadvantaged, ethnically and racially diverse, 1st gen, LGBTQ, disabled and students of faith. |
The following databases may provide additional information about potential scholarships.
- GoAbroad.com
- GoOverseas.com
- International Financial Aid and College Scholarships
- International Scholarship search
- StudyAbroad.com
- StudyAbroadFunding.org
.
Talk to Financial Aid about how you can use your Financial Aid
or Scholarships to participate in a Travel Study opportunity.
Piedmont University Travel Study
Dr. Susanna Warnock, Director
1021 Central Avenue
Demorest, GA 30535
800-277-7020 x1317
swarnock@piedmont.edu