April 15, 1998: Headlines: COS - Oman: University Education: International Education Programs: The Daily: The University of Washington tries to make studying abroad accessible to everyone, said Oman RPCV David Fenner, director of the school's Office of International Programs and Exchange

Peace Corps Online: Directory: Oman: The Peace Corps in Oman: April 15, 1998: Headlines: COS - Oman: University Education: International Education Programs: The Daily: The University of Washington tries to make studying abroad accessible to everyone, said Oman RPCV David Fenner, director of the school's Office of International Programs and Exchange

By Admin1 (admin) (pool-151-196-43-253.balt.east.verizon.net - 151.196.43.253) on Friday, December 24, 2004 - 4:49 pm: Edit Post

The University of Washington tries to make studying abroad accessible to everyone, said Oman RPCV David Fenner, director of the school's Office of International Programs and Exchange

The University of Washington tries to make studying abroad accessible to everyone, said Oman RPCV David Fenner, director of the school's Office of International Programs and Exchange

The University of Washington tries to make studying abroad accessible to everyone, said Oman RPCV David Fenner, director of the school's Office of International Programs and Exchange

Study Abroad Offers Education of a Lifetime

Rob Law
Contributing Reporter


Last year, 586 students escaped the tedium of the UW campus without putting their educations on hold.

These students studied at universities throughout the world, their length of stay ranging from one quarter to a year.

The UW tries to make studying abroad accessible to everyone, said David Fenner, director of the school's Office of International Programs and Exchanges.

“We want to offer as many options as possible. If a student cannot find the right program through the University of Washington, there are many other options to explore. There is no reason they cannot find the right program somewhere else,” Fenner said.

The Office of International Programs and Exchanges, located in Room 516 of Schmitz Hall, offers an extensive reference library for those who wish to learn more about studying abroad through the UW.

The library offers information about study and exchange programs available through the UW and other universities, student evaluations of all of these programs and information about financial aid and scholarships.

The student evaluations contain firsthand information about travel, accommodations, local culture and customs, and expenses straight from students who have recently returned from trips abroad.

Andrea Miller, a senior Spanish major, said in an evaluation that, during her stay in Chile, she gained a new perspective of the United States and still stays in touch with the surrogate family and friends she met there.

“Living in Chile was a beautiful experience ... I tried not to take any expectations with me so that I wasn't making useless comparisons, and took everything for what it was,” she said.

Bridget Norquist spent a year in Montpellier, France, and graduated last fall with a bachelor's degree in French.

“Spending time in another country changed my perspective on myself and the world. I would definitely recommend it, especially to someone who is open-minded and independent,” she said.

Norquist's sentiment that the student's personality has a tremendous impact on the experience was reiterated by Kelly Ashihara, who spent time at Keio University in Japan and graduated with a major in international studies and a minor in Japanese.

“My personal initiative in both seeking teaching jobs, auditing classes on a different campus and living with a family greatly enhanced my experience. Traveling is also important,” Ashihara said.

Financial considerations also weigh heavily on the accessibility of studying abroad.

Depending on the school of study, tuition is often set at the same rate paid at the UW. Financial aid is transferable, provided the program is affiliated with the UW. In some cases, financial aid grants are actually increased due to a rise in educational costs such as airfare and living expenses. Depending on the type of government in the country of study, a stipend may even be provided by that government.

Scholarships are also available specifically for students studying abroad.

If the program of foreign study is through an accredited school, most credit is transferable. Credit may be applied toward a major or fall into another category.

“The best way to look at it as the branch campus model. It is not UW-Bothell, but instead UW-Paris or UW-Rome. If it is through the University of Washington, we look at all credits with equal value,” Fenner said.

Checking with a counselor or with an individual department is the best way to learn how credits will transfer.





When this story was posted in December 2004, this was on the front page of PCOL:

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Story Source: The Daily

This story has been posted in the following forums: : Headlines; COS - Oman; University Education; International Education Programs

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