Elon University's budget for next year places particular emphasis on giving students with demonstrated financial need more opportunities to study abroad.

The university has an unprecedented commitment to 100 percent access to a global experience. The Isabella Cannon Global Education Center has continually been supporting this commitment by finding the resources to overcome the barriers that limit students from studying abroad—one of those barriers being cost.

The three-year commitment contributes $150,000 to a general access account, and will now allow for $450,000  in scholarship and financial aid packages for global study programs.

The money, which differs from endowed funds, will allow for greater flexibility in the size and number of financial aid awards to students with verified financial need. Because of the greater amount of resources and provisions in administrative policies, the office will also be providing aid for students applying to Study USA programs.

Scholarships paying out: 

According to Rhonda Waller, director of study abroad, awards that once ranged from a mere $200 — $1,000 will be increased to anywhere from $500  — $4,000 to $5,000.

“What’s exciting for us is that two years ago we would tell students that you might get an award but its going be relatively small,” she said. “Now, more students can get some sort of aid and it is likely to be relatively more substantial amount.”

Another difference for the next year is the change in name of the grants given to incoming Fellow students. In the past, Fellows were awarded “Experiential grants,"  a sum of money that could be used for any of Elon’s five Experiential Learning Requirements: Internships, Leadership, Service and Civic Engagement, Study Abroad and Undergraduate Research. According to Amanda Zamzes, the GEC’s Business and Data Manager, the grant’s name has been changed to “Global Engagement Grants” with the expectation that those funds, however much they happen to be, help students offset the costs for Study Abroad.

“We’re really encouraging students to use it for global experience,” she said.

According to Zamzes, approximately 180 students received financial aid for a study abroad program this year. With the expansion of the number of awards being given, Zamzes said the GEC would continue being deliberate about where resources are funneled.

“Our process of awarding a student with aid is very deliberate,” she said. “We certainly don’t have enough money to give anyone a full ride but we do our best to overcome as many barriers as possible and make a global study accessible to everyone.”

How it works: 

The process of awarding financial aid occurs in cycles of term — students applying to study abroad for a specific term are essentially competing for resources with other students planning to study abroad in the same term. Students are lined up depending on their varying needs as described by their FAFSA and Estimated Financial Contribution forms.

According to Waller, the emphasis on Study Abroad is rooted in Elon’s commitment for engaged learning.

“This is something Elon has kind of decided to find itself in and shape as part of its identity. The administration recognizes the exhaustive possibilities provided by global study programs ,” she said. “Sure there are other worthy pursuits at Elon but my perspective is that Elon is at the forefront of experiential education and is striving to ensure equal access to that.”

Waller said that she feels Elon supports other experiences such as undergraduate research and service learning opportunities just as much as it does Study Abroad.

“Elon is consistently named ‘Best Run’ and I understand that as it knows how to direct its resources to worthy pursuits.”