You may have heard from your professors, your family, your friends, and more that you should study abroad during college. But…they’re not telling you what it entails or how much it costs, and those are pretty important pieces of info! So here are five things that you should know about studying abroad at Framingham State.

1. Studying abroad is when you take classes at a college or university outside of the US. You can take classes for your major, minor, and gen eds, and you can also take classes for free elective credit. You can even do an internship abroad! As long as you get a C- or above in your classes, you can transfer the credit back to your degree plan at FSU.
2. You can study abroad for a short summer or winter term (3-8 weeks), a full semester, or even a full academic year! And you don’t have to figure out the best match all on your own – FSU has a list of partners and providers, and we can help you find the best one for your specific degree plan. 
3. You can use your financial aid! Here at FSU, we’re partnered with many study abroad programs that are equal to, or maybe even less than, the price of a resident student’s tuition. You are able to then use any of your financial aid (scholarships, grants, loans) to pay for studying abroad. There are also additional study abroad scholarships available!
4. It’s never too early to start the process. Some majors have a more difficult time fitting in an entire semester of study abroad, so talk to your academic advisor to work out your plan as soon as possible. If you decide not to go, that’s fine! But if you decide to go last-minute and all that’s left is your capstone and some super-specific FSU courses, it will be harder to find a good location for you, and you will most likely have to go for a J-term or summer program.
5. Studying abroad will change you. We won’t get into the little details just yet, but you’re living in another country and experiencing another culture for an extended period of time. You will come back different, whether you are more independent, more open-minded, or more appreciative of your home.

Did we cover your questions? If you have more, make an appointment with Joanne or Cecilia on Starfish. If we’ve convinced you that it’s time to start planning for your time abroad, then same deal – make an appointment on Starfish. 

Make sure to follow our office on Instagram @fsu_studyabroad to see what life is like for FSU students abroad!