Global Learning opportunities may provide students with professional advantages, which may include valuable practical experience, professional skills, a stronger resume, and preparation for future career choices. A study abroad experience may also improve your competitiveness for jobs or graduate school by making you stand out from other candidates.
You might be concerned about how much it will cost to study abroad. If your family has not traveled out of the country much, let alone studied abroad for an extended period of time, your loved ones might not understand why you would want to leave the country, provide guidance or advice to guide you through this experience or help you financially.
This section will help get you on the right track to learn about how to go about applying to study abroad and guide you toward resources that will help with that process.
Academic Planning
To get started, all students should make an academic plan that matches their academic goals. Find out what classes are required to complete your degree, when they have to be taken, how long it will take to execute this plan, and where you can fit study abroad or away into all of this. On a Global Learning program, there are options where you can receive major, minor, GE, or elective credit – it really is up to you what you want to get out of the program and do with your time away.
Next, start exploring the different program types on the UCSC Global Learning website. Look for a program that matches your academic, personal, and professional goals. Does the program offer coursework in your major if you need upper-division elective major credit? Does it offer internship or research opportunities if that’s what you’re looking for? What about an opportunity to practice your language skills? Or coursework that will count toward GE credit?
Financial Planning
Your financial aid package can be used for most study abroad and away experiences. This means your aid package will be adjusted according to the cost of your program, regardless of where you go in the world. You can request an estimate for a financial aid package designed for a study abroad or away program. Once you receive an estimate, you can make a program budget sheet to determine out-of-pocket costs and plan accordingly.
Student Perspectives
- If you are participating in a UCSC Partner Program with API, see information about the API First Generation Scholarship for students who are the first in their families to attend a U.S. college or university. The award ranges from $250 to $750.
- First Generation Students Traveling Abroad
- My Study Abroad Experience As A First-Gen College Student
- Study Abroad for First-Generation Students, produced by UC Santa Barbara.
- First but Not Last: Study Abroad for First-Generation Students (2023)
- Navigating Scholarships to Study Abroad- A First Gen Student’s Roadmap