Sundae Stelts, Staff Writer 

Studying abroad is a dream of many students on the ASU campus, and through the Office of International Programs (OIP), this dream can be made a reality. 

OIP is offering 21 semester and year-long study abroad trips.  Additionally, the summer study abroad program also offers 23 study abroad opportunities. 

Semester and year-long  studies abroad are made up of programs with foreign universities in 14 different countries.  In addition to the regular programs, the OIP offers exchanges through the International Student Exchange Program. 

“Study abroad takes careful planning and paper work,”  stated  Coordinator for Education Abroad Nancy Wells. 

Interested students can take the first step to studying abroad by attending an informational meeting. 

A sign-up board on the second floor of I.G. Greer Hall posts fliers that indicate the dates and times of each  informational meeting. 
After attending informational meetings, the resource room is the next step. 

In the resource room are materials on all the programs. 

When further questions arise and more work needs to be done, sign-up books for Wells and Foreign Student Advisor Bob White are on the second floor of I.G. Greer. 

There are qualifications for many of the study abroad programs, such as language proficiencies. 

Some common qualifications decided by OIP are that students must have a G.P.A. of  3.0 or better and must have finished their freshman year. 

Not all of the study abroad programs require foreign language proficiencies. 

The OIP said that there are several such locations in European countries and other parts of the world. 

What concerns most students interested in foreign study is the threat of a hefty price tag. 

According to the OIP, study abroad programs are affordable.  Many cost the same as going to ASU. 

The one additional cost to all trips is the international airfare. 

“There are many scholarship opportunities,” said Wells. Students can use federal and state financial aid to pay for foreign study. 

ASU also provides financial aid through the OIP which is based on merit and need. 

Credit is available for students in their major, minor or core curriculum requirements according to the OIP. 

Summer study abroad is offering programs in over 18 different countries. 

“The programs are better spread out all over the world this year,” said the Coordinator of Summer Study Abroad Meg Marck-Kennedy. 

A special note: The bulletin mailed out about the summer study abroad opportunities left off a program. 

 Dr. Ramon Solis of the Foreign Language Department is taking a trip to Spain. 
 
Last summer, the summer study abroad program went on 19 different trips with 325 students.  “This year, 120 students have applied for summer study abroad programs,” remarked Marck-Kennedy. 

The summer trips are two to four weeks long and are offered through different departments and professors. 

Students who want to apply for these programs can contact the professor in charge or Marck-Kennedy. 

Cost on a summer trip includes airfare, insurance and housing. Tuition is not included, though it has been reduced for out-of-state students, said Marck-Kennedy. 

“Studying abroad is important for every student,” stated Wells.  Study abroad helps in the job market and in graduate school. 

Handouts on both semester and year study abroad programs and summer programs are available in  I.G. Greer. 

The Globe, a semester publication of OIP, and a quarterly newsletter from “Lonely Planet” are also available. 

Additionally, there is an informative web site online at www. OIP.appstate.edu.