Study abroad on the rise despite tuition increase

The end of the spring semester at WSU marks the end of school and the beginning of summer. But for some students, opting to go to work to earn money for the next semester of increased tuition is not the first priority. With over 1,200 study abroad programs offered by the University, many students are looking to travel outside the US for their education.

Education Abroad Director Candace Chenoweth has seen a steady increase in numbers of students studying abroad since tuition increases.

“I think the students recognize that in this day in age it’s good to get a wider perspective of the world,” Chenoweth said.

In last decade, numbers of students studying abroad have gone up 157.4 percent at WSU, peaking in 2006 at 619 students studying outside the US.

Open Door 2009, a study abroad fact sheet from the Institution of International Education Network website showed figures resembling the climb at WSU. According to the latest report, Americans studying abroad rose 8.5 percent during the 2007-2008 academic year.

But how are those numbers increasing while tuition continues to climb? Chenowith said students are becoming interested in seeing themselves as global citizens more than ever, now, and the study abroad office is working harder than ever to help those students achieve that goal.

Chenowith listed off ways students can become globally oriented: Attending lectures covering international topics, interacting with international students and taking foreign language courses.
“So there’s a lot of ways students can do that—taking a foreign language, getting a global studies minor –whatever it is, but there really isn’t any replacement for being there,” she added.

She also attributed the steady increase in study abroad numbers to the narrowing gap between study abroad program costs and WSU tuition costs brought on by the 14 percent tuition increase set for the university in 2009.

An average of 575 students traveling outside of the US each year since the tuition increase, with numbers peaking in the 2006-2007 academic year.

She said many students determined to attend WSU are now seeing the $2,000 or $3,000 more that it may cost to study abroad over the rising tuition as being more feasible.

Chenowith said perspectives vary between potential study abroad students who each may have different socio-economic standing.

“We have students applying for every scholarship they can find, who are working extra jobs, who lived at home so they could save more money if they lived in Pullman, to take that money and use it for study abroad,” she said.

“We have other students for whom cost is not really an issue,” Chenowith said. “What we do find is that interest is stronger than ever,” she said.
Jimmy Drago, a freshman international business major at WSU, is a student looking to study in Spain during the 2011 summer.

Drago said he had not thought about cost but was determined to go.

“My parents are big supporters of it, so I think they really want me to do it,” Drago said. “They’ll probably support me financially,” he added.

Rylie Sedustine, a senior hospitality business management major, went on a five-week summer study abroad trip to Florence, Italy between her junior and senior years.

Sedustine said her interest in building educational experience abroad outweighed any hesitance from thinking about financing it.

“I funded my trip through study abroad scholarships and also using my rollover grants and scholarships that WSU gave me for previous semesters,” she said. “I also did a few fundraising events.”

“I didn’t mind spending a lot of money on study abroad because I knew it was an investment in myself and my future,” Sedustine added.

Chenowith said budgeting is an issue many students studying abroad face, but can be lessened by learning from students in the study abroad ambassador program who speak to students about their experiences on trips.

“You only have a certain amount of money in your bank account,” Chenowith said hypothetically. “How are you gonna make it? How are you gonna budget? I think that nowadays there is so much information available,” she said.

“There are two expensive things when you’re studying abroad: Drinking and traveling,” Chenowith said. “So if students cut down on the number of alcoholic beverages they consume, they’ll save money. And if they understand that they can travel locally rather than having to jet off to another place they’ll also be saving,” she added.

Chenowith expects numbers of students to continue increasing, as the WSU study abroad office is working to promote education outside the US through social media networks, like Facebook.com, and speaking to students at Alive! freshman orientation and Future Cougar days.

“Students, of course, are excited to have an adventure,” Chenowith said. “They tell us they want to meet people from around the world. They want to have fun, which are also valid,” she added.

“I think when they come back, they’ll tell you that the benefits were much deeper and more truly life altering, life changing than they expected it to be,” Chenowith said.


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