Welcome to the website for Non-traditional students. On the following pages, a number of questions and issues specific to non-traditional students are addressed to help explain the process. These pages should help non-traditional students decide whether study abroad is right for them, understand the benefits of study abroad, what steps to take once they have decided to participate, how to manage issues that are specific to non-traditional students, and how to market their study abroad experience once students have returned from their programs. There is also a resource that explains tuition remission policies as well as provides student testimonials and travel tips from non-traditional students who have studied abroad.

Okay, so you have dreamt of studying abroad, but you aren’t sure it’s right for you and you feel it’s a little out of your reach.  You have heard of younger students who have studied for a semester in England or India, or sailed around the world on Semester-at-Sea, and you feel there isn’t any way you can be away that long from your responsibilities.  You assume the cost is too much and you’ll never be able to afford it.  So you let your dream slip away…

Not so – STUDY ABROAD IS FOR EVERYONE!  There are short-term programs, such 3-week summer courses in Ireland or Athens, or 5-week programs in Spain or South Africa.  You can study almost anywhere from 3 weeks to an entire year, depending on your time and financial constraints.  Short-term study abroad fits easily into a busy schedule and is less expensive than a full semester abroad.  Federal, state, and campus-based financial aid, with the exception of Federal Work-Study, will apply to study abroad, and you can also fill out a Cost of Increase for Study Abroad form for additional financial assistance.  Also, CGS Student Government (for CGS students) and the Study Abroad Office offers scholarships.  Visit the Finances pages to view some options for funding study abroad programs.

If you are a UPMC or Pitt employee, see the list of programs that are eligible for tuition benefits.

It’s still a big commitment – how can studying abroad add to me life?

Academically:  You’ll receive credit for an international learning experience and a chance to study your chosen subject in a different academic setting. 
You will gain:

• a feeling that your are a part of a greater global community
• a broader awareness of world affairs, international and intercultural issues
• an addition to your resume that will allow you stand out

Personally:
You will gain:

• an understanding of another culture
• a greater sense of self-awareness, self confidence, and independence
• an experience of a lifetime!
  

Professionally:  An international learning experience can improve your professional potential.
You will gain:

• a global, competitive edge over others in your field
• an understanding of the United States’ ability to complete in the global arena.

The following is an excerpt from “Global Competence & National Needs”, a visionary report from the Commission of the Abraham Lincoln Study Abroad Fellowship Program, illustrating the importance of an international study experience:     

“American corporations understand the importance of these issues [Globalization and Economic Competitiveness].  Increasingly, business leaders recognize that they must be able to draw on people with global skills if their corporations are to succeed:

• Fully one in six American jobs is now tied to international trade.
• Corporate leaders rank international curricula high on their priority list of what’s important in American higher education.
• Texas recently reported a nearly sixfold increase during the 1990s in specification of international experience as part of the skill set for senior-level positions—from a requirement for 4 percent of senior positions to 28 percent.
• There is near unanimity among American personnel officers that job applicants with international experience are likely to possess desirable skills in cross-cultural communication, cultural awareness, leadership, and independence, according to a 2004 survey completed by the German Academic Exchange Service (DAAD).”

from The Commission of the Abraham Lincoln Study Abroad Fellowship Program, November 2005

Next: The Study Abroad Process for Non-traditional Students