Florida universities should make study abroad more accessible

As an international studies major, the topic of foreign countries often comes up amongst my friends and I. Eventually, I bring up my upcoming plans to spend a semester abroad in Greece.

At first, everyone seemed to have the same response. Something along the lines of “Yeah, I’ve considered studying abroad.”

But the dream usually is not long-lived. None of them has actually gone through with it, or plans to anytime soon. The reason isn’t hard to grasp. Studying abroad is expensive. 

Only 10% of USF students got to study abroad in the 2023-24 school year, according to the USF Education Abroad Annual Report.

And to be honest, I don’t blame the roughly 90% of USF students who never end up participating. It’s not easy to ignore the reality of the expenses, travel costs and tuition rates.

Related: Why you should study abroad at USF

Studying abroad is not a “vacation.” It is a real, tangibly beneficial academic experience that deserves massive support from the powers that be. Support that is currently severely lacking.

Educators, alumni of study abroad programs and just about anyone who has experience in them will tell you that the experience is worthwhile. Being able to study abroad offers an invaluable personal, cultural and academic enrichment. 

It is known and proven that those who experience study abroad programs fare better academically and financially than those who don’t, according to a study from the University of California, Merced.

As such, I believe more should be done to make it accessible.

Scott Solomon, an associate professor at the School of Interdisciplinary Global Studies, has led the USF in London program since 2019 and was kind enough to provide me with some insight into the inner workings of the USF Study Abroad office.

Solomon said the office is doing the very best they can with very limited resources. 

“The cost of hosting, organizing, and enacting study abroad programs quickly adds up once all factors are accounted for, and naturally, this results in the fees that come with studying abroad,” Solomon said.

Solomon said USF Abroad works its “absolute hardest” to keep these costs as manageable as possible. But sadly, only so much can be done in the face of the reality of the costs of studying abroad. 

As Solomon explained, the Study Abroad office receives no funding from the state. I personally find this to be a failure on the part of Florida’s education policy.

The lack of state funding is what lies at the heart of study abroad’s inaccessibility. Scholarships and resources for students struggling with payment do exist, but they are funded entirely by fundraising, donations and outside entities. 

Related: OPINION: USF should make studying abroad a graduation requirement

It is also noted that these scholarships are meant to help students cover some costs of studying abroad, but they will not cover the expenses of a full program abroad. 

State funds do not contribute to these resources, thus keeping them from being as accessible as they could potentially be.

And with ongoing talks about cutting waste and saving money in the current political climate, I don’t think many people are opposed to saving money where it can be saved — as long as that money is put back into the institutions that the government serves to maintain. 

By expanding study abroad programs and creating new scholarships for international study, we can help negate the costs of such a grand experience. 

Florida schools should prioritize making their study abroad programs more accessible by adding new ways for students to pay off the expenses, because clearly, too many students are missing out on this life-changing experience. 

Making study abroad more attainable across Florida schools is not only warranted, but one of the best possible ways that we can make our universities stand out among others.  

It is important for students to be able to partake in spending a semester abroad, so USF can continue to facilitate impactful learning in a modern, globalized world.