Financial Aid and Study Abroad: What High School Counselors Need to Know

More and more, college-bound students believe education abroad is important, and they expect to pursue an overseas experience during their undergraduate careers. Yet data show only about three percent of U.S. undergraduate students study abroad. The biggest obstacle, both perceived and real, is the student's ability to finance a study- abroad experience. Often, the choice of college or university to attend can impact the financial aid option and the use of financial aid for study abroad. Increase your ability to counsel students about the reasons for planning well in advance. Discover the information students must have--and when--to effectively weigh the differences in campus financial aid policies related to study abroad. Learn how you can help students make the right choices so their dream study-abroad experience has a greater chance of becoming a reality.  This webinar is produced in partnership with The National Association for College Admission Counseling (NACAC).

Learning Objectives

• Describe the major categories of financial aid and how they are affected by study abroad.
• Explain to students the importance of and reasons for planning financial aid for study abroad when choosing a college or university to attend.
• Assist students in assessing their selected college/university options based on their level/type of financial need and study-abroad goals.

Presenter

Dru Simmons
Arcadia University
Dru Simmons is an assistant director at the Arcadia University Center for Education Abroad. An active member of NAFSA, he has served in a number of leadership roles including the Knowledge Community on Education Abroad Representative for NAFSA Region VI. He was a member of the design team that developed the curriculum for NAFSA’s Foundations of International Education: Education Abroad Advising workshop.

Contributor

Stacy Lombardi
Hatboro-Horsham High School
Stacy Lombardi is a guidance counselor in a suburban Philadelphia, comprehensive, public high school. With more than ten years of experience in international education in a variety of roles, she has served as coeditor of the NAFSA ePublication Financial Aid Resource for International Education: Financial Aid Basics for Advising Undergraduate Study Abroad Students.





This webinar is made possible through generous support from NAFSA Global Partners American Institute For Foreign Study, Inc. (AIFS) and Cultural Insurance Services International (CISI).