How I Studied Abroad for FREE

 

There is a common misconception that studying abroad is incredibly expensive. However, with scholarships, grants, and numerous study abroad programs to choose from, studying abroad doesn't necessarily have to break the budget.

There are lots of ways to make studying abroad cheap, and even free with enough effort. Here's how I did it:

First, I had to pick a program. It's best to research programs and see which give the most bang for the buck. Some programs might even be cheaper than your college tuition! 

Sol Education Abroad had amazingly cheap prices compared to other study abroad programs. Their program cost included everything from room and board to weekend excursions. Ultimately, I chose Sol Education Abroad's spring semester in Granada, Spain. The program cost was about $10,000, not including the plane ticket. A quick google search told me that tickets to Granada were about $1,300 round-trip. That means the whole semester would cost around $11,300. (My college tuition is $10,000 a semester, not including my scholarships).

Always check and see if the program you're applying for has its own scholarships available, most do offer at least some sort of scholarship. The first scholarships I received were from Sol Education Abroad. They gave me $100 for their affiliation with my university and another $500 from applying for their scholarships.  

Also, apply to every study abroad scholarship you can find, especially the ones from your own school since you will have less competition that way. Any financial aid or recurring scholarships you get from the government or your university might be eligible for your study abroad program, always double-check with your financial aid office. 

I got one study abroad scholarship from my honors society at my college and another from my college's study abroad office. My school's foreign language department also awarded me study abroad funds. I also learned that the Pell Grant that I get each year from the government, as well as a recurring scholarship I get for my GPA, could also be used towards my study abroad program. Ultimately, these added up to about $10, 628.

In the end, I got $10, 628 from my scholarships and financial aid to pay for my study abroad program. However, my program fee was only about $9,400 now because of my $600 Sol Education Abroad scholarships. 

$10, 628 - $9, 400 = $1,228

After a little bit of math, I realized that I had a little over a thousand dollars left over after the program price. This money was perfect to help buy my plane ticket to Spain. Ultimately, I ended up getting most of my plane ticket covered and not having to pay a single cent for my program.

Not everyone will be able to study abroad for free, but that doesn't mean it has to be expensive. Learn to take advantage of college scholarships, financial aid, and cheap tuition abroad to make your study abroad happen.