This summer, students may come home from studying abroad with more money left in their pockets, now that program prices have been lowered from last year.Starting this year, the university will offset 25 percent of summer Study Abroad program fees.
In addition to cheaper fees, students will also have access to more financial aid, and the application deadline has been extended to Feb. 15.
Bonnie Melhart, the associate provost for academic affairs, started a task force last summer to investigate ways to create incentives for more students to study abroad, said Jane Kucko, director of the Center for International Studies: TCU Abroad.
Among several ideas brought up was discounting program fees, Kucko said.
Tracy Williams, associate director of TCU Abroad, said they worried original program fees discouraged students to apply.
The task force presented its investigations to the Provost’s Council, Kucko said.
“As a result of those discussions, some money became available,” Melhart said.
Provost Nowell Donovan spoke Tuesday at the Staff Assembly meeting about increasing the percentage of students with “international experience,” which he defined as students studying abroad or becoming more aware of different cultures through classes, from 21 percent to 100 percent by 2012.
Melhart, referring to the TCU mission statement, said a step toward producing “ethical leaders in a global community” would be internationalizing the campus by sending more students to study abroad.
Three days after the cost-reduction announcement Jan. 30, Williams said more students had applied and showed interest in the programs.
The increase may not be as significant as they hoped this summer because the deadline for applications is coming up, Williams said.
Typically, 200 students to 250 students participate in the summer programs, Williams said.
She said she expects about 300 people this year.
Michael Scott, the director of scholarships and student financial aid, was not available to give details regarding the additional financial aid.
Both Kucko and Melhart’s vision for TCU Abroad is simple: a higher attendance rate to Study Abroad programs, they said.
Richard Chabrier, a senior radio-TV-film major, said he had planned to study abroad in Japan last summer; however, the trip was cancelled due to the lack of student participation.
He said he hopes more students will sign up and make the trip a reality this year.
Kucko said she is pleased with the support the university has given to TCU Abroad.
