How to prepare for 2025 study abroad trips | Culture

With the study abroad application process for the spring 2025 semester currently underway, there are many factors for students to consider when making travel plans.

Study abroad trips are offered to all majors at WVU, ranging across several countries and varying from one week to a year depending on the program. 

Currently, one national and 14 international trips are being offered for Spring Break 2025, visiting countries including Germany, Ireland, Italy, Ecuador and more. All Spring Break trip offerings can be found on WVU’s Education Abroad program search index, and students must apply by Nov. 1. 

“If students want to study abroad, then they should start looking at any trips that interest them, especially the Spring Break trips,” Vanessa Yerkovich, director of Education Abroad, said. 

Most trips require students to enroll in a corresponding course prior to the trip. Other trips, primarily health programs, have prerequisites for students to attend.

All trips require students to have a 2.5 GPA, but a higher GPA may be required for select programs. Students are required to work with both the Office of Global Affairs and their academic advisor to plan their trips. 

Students can apply to several scholarships to combat the total cost of trips. WVU provides numerous scholarships for education abroad, supported by both the Office of Global Affairs and individual colleges and schools. WVU also collaborates with students to pursue competitive national scholarships for studying abroad.

A list of all offered scholarships can be found on the scholarships page of the education abroad website. 

The website also offers in depth explanations and information on how students can pay for these trips under the ‘How Will I Pay?’ section. 

The Gilman International Scholarship is a competitive essay scholarship targeted towards Pell-eligible students. Students who receive the Gilman scholarship are awarded up to $5,000 to study or intern abroad.

Applicants who do not receive the Gilman Scholarship will have the opportunity to win $2,000 by attending a Gilman online workshop, sending their essay to the ASPIRE Office for review and feedback and incorporating said feedback into the essay. 

This is the first year the program is being offered to students, according to Yerkovich, who said it is a collaborative effort between the Office of Global Affairs and the ASPIRE Office. 

“If there’s a student that we feel like has a really good application and is a good fit for their program but they don’t win, we want the students at the University to feel like we want to support them,” Yerkovich said. 

Although trips can be expensive, some students say the experience is worth the cost. 

Rachel Earnhart, a junior advertising and public relations major, traveled to Spain this past summer for three weeks. 

“I’ve always wanted to go on a study abroad trip, even when I was in high school, especially to a country that spoke Spanish because I really wanted to improve my Spanish,” Earnhart said. “Once I heard about the trip it just seemed like the perfect opportunity for me to experience that.”

Earnhart said the trip allowed her to cultivate several important connections for her career. 

“I think it’s worth the price for what you get out of it, the moments and experiences,” Earnhart said. “After you graduate there isn’t a lot of time to take breaks and travel, especially to other countries. It’s a nice way for you to continue your education while doing something on your bucket list.” 

The Education Abroad Fair will be held Oct. 9 from 10 a.m.-4 p.m. in the Mountainlair for students to learn more about this year’s offered trips. 

For more information, students can visit educationabroad.wvu.edu or email [email protected].