Category Archives: Education Abroad

Deadlines, Education Abroad, Scholarships

Fund for Education Abroad 2021-2022 Scholarships

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The Summer, Fall, and Academic Year 2021-2022 Application is open! Deadline is January 20, 2021 at 12pm (noon) EST

The Fund for Education Abroad (FEA) invests in deserving U.S. undergraduates who are least likely to study abroad. More than 100 volunteer reviewers read applications each cycle. In partnership with them, FEA considers financial need, demographic factors, and academic plan and preparedness to decide scholarship recipients.

Financial Need is determined by the FEA Financial Aid Form we provide when you begin an application.

Demographic Factors that are considered include minority background, first-generation college student status, and community college experience.

Academic Plan and Preparedness is determined by your essays, unofficial transcript, and letter of recommendation.

Create an account and begin your application: APPLY NOW
For detailed instructions: APPLICATION INSTRUCTIONS

Eligibility Requirements

To be eligible for an FEA scholarship, you must be:

  • U.S. citizen or permanent resident
  • Currently enrolled as an undergraduate at a college or university in the U.S. (graduate students are not eligible)
  • Study abroad program must be eligible for credit at the student’s home institution
  • Study abroad program must be at least 4 weeks (28 days) in country/countries

What you’ll need

  1. Complete the application form online
  2. Print the Financial Aid Form and bring it to your university’s financial aid office. Someone from that office should complete the form and give it back to you for your to upload to your online application.
  3. Upload your unofficial transcript to your online application.
  4. Submit the name and email of your recommender. After your recommender submits your letter of recommendation, you must go back into the application to click submit.
  5. Make sure ALL application materials are uploaded and submitted before the deadline to be considered for an FEA scholarship.

If you have questions or need further support with this scholarship or have other study abroad related questions, please reach out to the Office of International Affairs at internationalaffairs@chatham.edu.

 

Announcement, Education Abroad, Opportunities, Scholarships

Apply for full scholarship to study abroad in summer 2021!

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Ready to change the world? Apply for the Frederick Douglass Global Fellowship, a full scholarship to study abroad with a cohort of student leaders from around the country.

The Frederick Douglass Global Fellowship was founded to empower students of color with a transformative experience abroad, much like Frederick Douglass was inspired by his travels. All program fees are covered, as well as airfare.

This year’s cohort is co-sponsored by the Irish Department of Foreign Affairs to commemorate the 175th anniversary of Douglass’s four-month journey around Ireland. You’ll be based in Dublin and visit other cities where Douglass campaigned, while meeting with government leaders and social justice activists.

The application is open to first-, second- and third-year students who have a GPA of 3.0 or higher and are from ethnic backgrounds typically underrepresented on study abroad programs.

This opportunity is offered by CIEE, a student exchange organization whom Chatham partners with. As a next step, start your application at www.CIEE.ORG/FDGF. (If you enter your name and email, you’ll receive updates before the February 14, 2021 deadline.) All eligible students who submit an application also qualify for a $1,500 scholarship towards any CIEE summer program.

Questions? Email FDGF@ciee.org 

Chatham’s Office of International Affairs (internationalaffairs@chatham.edu) is available to support students and answer questions related to this opportunity as well as other study abroad scholarships and post-graduation fellowships.

 

Education Abroad, Events

Virtual Study Abroad Fair – How to Participate!

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Image by Marina Stroganova from Pixabay

Thanks to the many students who have already signed up for this year’s Virtual Study Abroad Fair! For others who have not yet registered, here’s an easy guide:

How to Register

  1. Go to the Registration Page on LunaFairs.
  2. Create your account and select your study abroad preferences. Our program matching tool will help you refine your search and find the best program for you.
  3. Explore the site. “Favorite” programs for easy access to return to during the live sessions, and check out our University Booths for more information on Chatham’s Education Abroad programs and scholarship opportunities.

As a reminder, remaining fair open times are this week, Oct. 19-22 (11-4 pm)  and Nov. 16-19 (11-4 pm), but you can register and review provider and Chatham options anytime until November 20, 2020.

Happy exploring!  Questions about the fair or study abroad in general? Please contact the Office of International Affairs, internationalaffairs@chatham.edu.

Education Abroad

Q&A on Summer 2021 Field Experiences

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Does my Financial Aid apply to the summer programs?

Financial aid may apply, contact financialaid@chatham.edu for details on your aid toward a summer program and/or applying for additional loans.

If you are a Pell grant recipient, Pell funding may apply for 6+ credit programs (Cyprus & Taiwan)

What outside scholarships can I apply for?

Pell grant recipients can apply for Gilman scholarship funding (deadline will be in early March 2021), see https://www.gilmanscholarship.org/

Fund for Education Abroad (FEA) funds students with demonstrated financial need; encourages students underrepresented in study abroad (app opens in November for 2021-22 programs) https://fundforeducationabroad.org/apply/

For the Taiwan program, Freeman Awards for Study in Asia (Freeman-ASIA) provides scholarships for U.S. undergraduate students with demonstrated financial need to study abroad in East or Southeast Asia. The application opens in early 2021 https://www.iie.org/Programs/Freeman-ASIA/

What experiential learning scholarships can I apply for through Chatham?

Students may apply for Chatham experiential learning scholarships which offer summer funding (application deadline is 2/28/21). These awards are competitive as funding is limited.

There are two general awards toward summer study: Glenda Rich DeBroff ‘60 Scholarship and Sally Mercke Heym ‘63 Scholarship;  there are two awards toward environmental field work (Loren Maazel -Rachel Carson and Theo Colburn-Rachel Carson awards).

For more information and experiential learning scholarship application, please see https://chatham.edu/academics/international-programs/scholarships-and-vouchers.html 

 

Where can I learn more about course content?

Please contact the faculty leaders:

Costa Rica: Dr. Cunningham, h.Cunningham@chatham.edu; Dr. Bell, mbell@chatham.edu

Cyprus: Dr. Carrillo, acarrillo@chatham.edu; Dr. Rossbach, drossbach@chatham.edu

Taiwan: Dr. Kingsbury, kkingsbury@chatham.edu; Dr. Tippen, ctippen@chatham.edu

For Cyprus & Taiwan, see https://chatham.abroadoffice.net/ course descriptions for links to non-Chatham coursework

How do I apply?

Please use the links at https://chatham.edu/academics/international-programs/field-experiences.html or see https://chatham.abroadoffice.net/

You must create an abroadoffice user account and complete all required sections of the application.

The application deadline is 12/2/2020.

Is there any risk in applying for a field experience?

No. Chatham will announce if summer study abroad is permitted in January 2021. Participating students would not be asked for a deposit or any other commitment until after that announcement.

When will students be notified of acceptance to a field experience?

If a field experience receives enough applications to meet its minimum enrollment number prior to the 12/2/20 deadline, applications will be reviewed and accepted students will be conditionally accepted. Otherwise, students can expect to hear about the status of their application in mid-December.

All summer 2021 Chatham field experiences are conditionally approved at this time. A decision on summer 2021 study abroad will be announced in January 2021.

I am graduating in spring. Can I participate? 

Chatham field experiences are academic programs. Participants must be current undergraduate students taking the courses for credit. If you are graduating in spring, you may only participate if you need credits or need this specific course to fulfill your graduation requirements. Contact your academic advisor with questions about fulfillment of graduation requirements.

What’s included in the program fee? 

Specific inclusions vary by program. Please read the “What is Included” section of Chatham.abroadoffice.net for each field experience for information.

Generally included: RT airfare to/from Pittsburgh; housing; travel insurance; in-country transportation; activities and excursions that are part of program; some meals (varies)

Not included: personal expenses, passports, Chatham tuition + fees (Costa Rica)

When would I need to have a valid passport? 

For Taiwan, by December 15 for visa processing.

For Costa Rica and Cyprus, TBD, but plan on having your valid passport/ applying no later than January announcement.

Passports are good for 10 years. Apply/renew now!

Where do I apply for a passport? 

First time applicants must apply in person. https://travel.state.gov/content/travel/en/passports/how-apply/where-to-apply.html

In Pittsburgh, the Allegheny County Dept. of Court Records, 414 Grant Street, 412-350-6071, does not require appointments. Open 8:30-4:30 M,T,R,F; 8:30-7:30 W.

To renew your passport, you may be able to apply by mail.

See https://travel.state.gov/content/travel/en/passports/

What do I need to apply for a passport? 

  1. Form DS-11 (complete online)

2. Citizenship evidence (US birth certificate or expired/unexpired passport)

3. Photocopy of citizenship evidence

4. ID (driver’s license or US passport)

5. Photo (must meet photo requirements)

6. Fees

See specifics of document requirements https://travel.state.gov/content/travel/en/passports/

How much is a U.S. passport?

Passport book is $110

Execution fee is $35

Expedite fee is $60 (if you need a passport in 4-6 weeks)

See https://travel.state.gov/content/travel/en/passports/

What will happen when programs are approved? 

When the university approves programs (January 2021), accepted students will be contacted and asked to make a $500 deposit and sign a Participation Agreement including Informed Consent regarding COVID-19.

Program leaders will announce pre-departure meetings and required pre-departure training for each field experience.

How do students get the $1200 voucher? 

Students do not need to file any additional paperwork for the $1200 one-time study abroad voucher. If you qualify (have 30 or more credits, 15 at Chatham) by start of program, voucher will be added to your aid for the term in which you study abroad, reducing the amount students pay by $1200.

Where can I learn more about the International Studies Certificates and the $1,800 International Studies Certificate voucher awarded to students who are in the process of completing their International Certificate?

International Studies Certificates are completed through the International Studies department. Please see certificate requirements at https://my.chatham.edu/tools/_departments/advising/checklists/list.cfm?CatalogID=15&CatID=4.  The coordinators for the certificates are Dr. Sene, Africa, Dr. Kingsbury, Asia, Dr. Rossbach, Europe and Middle East, and Dr. Martin, Latin America.

How do students demonstrate eligibility for the International Studies Certificate funding ($1800)?

Complete and have certificate advisor sign off on the Verification form. Please return scan or photo of completed form to internationalaffairs@chatham.edu.

When would I pay for a summer field experience? 

For programs that are moving forward, students would make a $500 deposit in January. As field experiences are summer programs, the balance of program fee + tuition would be billed by Student Accounts in March/April, due in May. Students may sign up for a summer payment plan through Student Accounts.

What if a program is interrupted/cancelled? 

While Chatham would make every effort to refund any fees that have not been allocated, there are hard costs to programs that may not be recoverable. Enrollment is not without risk (participating students agree to share this risk in the Participation Agreement with Informed Consent regarding COVID-19).

What does travel insurance cover?

Travel insurance is a supplemental insurance policy that covers you while you are abroad. Travel insurance is through iNext, https://www.inext.com/. Travel insurance for the program dates is included as part of your program fee:

iNext Comprehensive Basic Plan, $250,000 Medical / $500,000 Accident

Travel Delay (12 hours) (up to $250/Day) ………………………………. $2,500

Baggage and Personal Effects……………………………………………………. $2,000

Baggage Delay (24 hours) ………………………………………………………………. $200

Accidental Death & Dismemberment (24 hour)……………………. $20,000

Accident Medical Expense ……………………………………………………… $500,000

Sickness Medical Expense ……………………………………………………… $250,000

Emergency Medical Evacuation, Medical Repatriation and Return of Remains ………………………………………………………………………………….. $1,000,000  

Coverage includes a 24-hour emergency assistance line.

If participant contracts COVID during covered period (study abroad) it is considered a covered illness.

Does travel insurance cover trip cancellation?

No, it does not.  Individual participants can consider purchasing trip cancellation insurance, also known as a Cancel For Any Reason (CFAR) or Interrupt For Any Reason (IFAR) Policy. Policies will have varying coverage (typically up to a percentage of total cost of program).

The following sites are offered as information only (not endorsed)

https://www.culturalinsurance.com/

https://www.insubuy.com/

Please also see previous post https://blogs.chatham.edu/oia/2020/09/25/chatham-summer-2021-field-experiences/ for important field experience information.

Do you have a question that is not addressed here? Please reach out to internationalaffairs@chatham.edu.

Thank you!

Announcement, Deadlines, Education Abroad, Opportunities

Chatham Summer 2021 Field Experiences

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shows students on a Chatham field experience
Field experience students in Greece, 2019

Chatham Summer 2021 Field Experiences are now open for application! Program options are:

Costa Rica: Education and Social Work for Sustainability, Dr. Bell and Dr. Cunningham

Cyprus: Exploring Environmental Extremes, Dr. Carrillo

Cyprus: Special Topics – Politics of Cyprus, Dr. Rossbach

Taiwan: Fulbright Taiwan Tunghai Program, Dr. Kingsbury and Dr. Tippen

Please click on the above links for program and application information. The application deadline is 12/2/2020.

Important Notes:

  1. At this time, Summer 2021 field experiences are conditionally approved and will only run if health and safety conditions, including visa and entry restrictions, US Dept. of State Travel Advisory and CDC Travel Health Notice for each location, permit. Chatham does not approve study abroad to US Dept. of State locations with a Level 3 or Level 4 Travel Advisory; or to locations with a CDC Travel Health Notice of Level 3. Restrictions on entry, including quarantine and testing requirements, and other travel conditions may also affect Chatham’s ability to offer these field experiences.
  2. Chatham will announce a decision on if summer 2021 study abroad will be permitted in January 2021. There is no risk or cost to students in applying for a summer field experience. Deposits for students participating in these field experiences would not be due until after the January 2021 announcement.
  3. Due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, conditions may require changes to field experience programs, including program dates, cost, facilities, activities, transportation, and itinerary. Students considering participating in these field experiences will need to be flexible, understand the risks of participation, and will be required to agree to health and safety protocols and any restrictions put in place by Chatham, in-country partners, and country, regional and local agencies. Chatham is monitoring travel conditions and is working closely with in-country partners for updates on current protocols, restrictions and health and safety information. Chatham is committed to transparency in communicating information that may affect these field experience programs.
  4. Students may apply their $1,200 study abroad voucher toward any of these field experiences. This one-time voucher is available to each undergraduate student who has 30+ credits, at least 15 of which have been completed at Chatham. Students do not need to apply for the study abroad voucher; it is applied to your Chatham account for the term in which you study abroad, reducing the amount you pay by $1,200. For the Cyprus and Taiwan field experiences, students completing an International Studies Certificate may apply their $1,800 certificate funding toward the program cost. For more information the International Studies Certificates, please see the Certificate checklists at https://my.chatham.edu/tools/_departments/advising/checklists/
  5. Students may apply for Chatham experiential learning scholarships which offer summer funding (application deadline is 2/28/21). These awards are competitive as funding is limited. Please see https://chatham.edu/academics/international-programs/scholarships-and-vouchers.html
  6. Students who receive Federal Pell grants may be eligible to use Pell funding toward summer programs of 6 or more credits (please contact Office of Financial Aid for details of your award) and should consider applying for a Gilman Scholarship for additional funding (there are two application deadlines -10/6/20 and early March 2021 for summer 2021 study abroad).

Join the Zoom Q&A on Summer 2021 Chatham Field Experiences on Friday October 9, 12:30-1:30 pm. See https://my.chatham.edu/happenings/details.cfm?EventID=28393 to register for this Zoom meeting.

Questions? Please reach out to field experience faculty leaders and/ or internationalaffairs@chatham.edu

Announcement, Education Abroad, Opportunities

Virtual Study Abroad Fair

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Our study abroad fair is virtual this year! Learn about in-person and virtual study, internship and research programs, and plan for your international experience.

Drop in at your convenience to learn more about opportunities abroad through Chatham, partner institutions, and providers.

Find out more information about upcoming summer abroad opportunities and scholarships

 

Free to attend! Fair open times are: Sept 21-24 (11-4 pm) | Oct 19-22 (11-4 pm) | Nov 16-19 (11-4 pm)

Register at https://lunafairs.com/study-abroad/virtual-fair/?university=Chatham%20University

Questions? Reach out to internationalaffairs@chatham.edu

Education Abroad, Student experience

Meet the Study Abroad Ambassadors 2020-2021: Hanna

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Meet our Study Abroad Ambassadors for 2020-2021. These students are study abroad returnees who are available to answer questions and share their experience with interested students!

Hanna Theile

Major: Political Science

Program: Spain

“The classes that I took in Spain had a heavy focus on the European Union and foreign policy. It was so powerful to see how a different form of government worked and to be living there at the same time.
When I returned to the US, I began to speak more Spanish to the Latinx community in my hometown. Also, I felt that I really saw globally how the world was coming together from COVID-19. “

Students can reach out to Hanna via email at:

hanna.theile@chatham.edu

Education Abroad, Student experience

Meet the Study Abroad Ambassadors 2020-2021: Rachel

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Meet our Study Abroad Ambassadors for 2020-2021. These students are study abroad returnees who are available to answer questions and share their experience with interested students!

Rachel Larson

Major: History major, Creative Writing minor

Program: South Korea

“All of the classes I took were regionally based, but that was from my own choosing. At Korea University, you register for classes right before the semester so that itself was an interesting experience. I took a language class and a history and culture course relevant to Korea, as well as other international affairs and history courses. Although I tailored mine to fit my major, there was a lot of variety in the classes available for international students.

I was lucky to be able to travel outside of the city I studied in, but even if I hadn’t there was always so much to do in Seoul! In a typical day, I would have one or two classes and in the time not spent studying with friends or in one of the many cafes, I would go out and explore the city! The most important thing I learned while studying abroad was to take chances and get comfortable going places by myself. South Korea was a great place to exercise my adventurous side since most places I traveled were easily accessible by train and affordable on a student budget.

Although I had been living away from my family for some time, my study abroad experiences definitely built up my independence. When living in another country across the world, the only person I had to rely on completely was myself. While this could be scary, it taught me to be more confident in my decisions and be more easy on my mistakes. In addition to learning a lot about Korean language, culture, and history, these lessons in independence were definitely worthwhile.

Students can reach out to Rachel via email at:

Rachel.Larson@Chatham.edu

Announcement, Deadlines, Education Abroad, Scholarships

Scholarship opportunities for international experiences!

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Image from Pixabay

Looking for a funded experience abroad or for funding towards an international experience? Check out these opportunities with deadlines approaching!

Gilman International Scholarship, deadline October 6, 11:59 PM, PT. The Gilman International Scholarship is a program of the US Department of State for US citizens who are Federal Pell Grant recipients to enable them to study or intern abroad. The program provides awards of up to $5,000 for participation in in-person or virtual international programs. This cycle is for in person or virtual programs that are at least 21 days in length, with a start date between January 1, 2021 and December 31, 2021.

Vira I. Heinz (VIH) Program for Women in Global Leadership, deadline November 1 at 4:00 PM ET . The VIH program prepares scholars for tomorrow’s global challenges by offering a unique opportunity for international experiences, leadership development, and community service. Three first-time woman travelers from each member institution, including Chatham, are admitted into the program and receive a scholarship of at least $5,000 to put toward the cost of an international experience of their choosing.

Critical Language Scholarship (CLS), deadline November 17, 8:00 PM ET. CLS, a program of the US Department of State, is an intensive overseas language and cultural immersion program for American students enrolled at U.S. colleges and universities. Students spend eight to ten weeks abroad studying one of 15 critical languages. The program is fully funded and includes intensive language instruction and structured cultural enrichment experiences designed to promote rapid language gains.

If you have any questions, or need support with your application, please reach out to internationalaffairs@chatham.edu.

 

 

 

Education Abroad, Student experience

Meet the Study Abroad Ambassadors 2020-2021: Jay

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Meet our Study Abroad Ambassadors for 2020-2021. These students are study abroad returnees who are available to answer questions and share their experience with interested students!

Jishnu Jayathilak (Jay)

Major: Communications with a concentration in Public Relations

Program: Cyprus

“I took classes closely related to my major such as Media Ethics & Law and Principles of Public Relations along with a work placement as a Public Relations Intern for a Sports Agency. The classes were typically larger in size when compared to Chatham and some professors had the habit of reverting to Greek when necessary for local students. All in all, professors were helpful and open to feedback even though classes were heavily focused on examinations rather than assignments and projects.

Already being an international student in the US, I felt that the experience abroad in Cyprus showed how American students are commonly percieved by Europeans. I learnt that my assimilation into American culture was not always the best thing in certain situations.”

Students can reach out to Jay via email at: jishnu.jayathilak@chatham.edu or through instagram: jay_jish.