Don't Miss the Study Abroad Deadline

Here's what you  need to know to travel the world By Adi ChavarriaDeadlines to study abroad for the spring 2016 semester are approaching. October 15^th is the last day to submit an application. Students can choose from Barcelona, Amsterdam, Rio de Janeiro, and more, depending on their field of study or interest.Madison Hoyos studied literature in Paris last semester. “I loved it,” said Hoyos, a junior majoring in communications. “I really enjoyed the class, the professor was great, and I had lots of free time to do things in Paris and to travel.” She added that she has already applied to go to London this spring semester.Like Hoyos, many students have a desire to learn and get out of their comfort zone. In Barcelona, for example, students can dive into architecture; others study entrepreneurship and global health in Israel.Unfortunately, not many students know about the programs the school offers or worry that studying abroad might be out of their budget. But according to Asal Khanbilvardi, an advisor of the Study Abroad and International Programs, “over 90% of study abroad students receive at least partial funding or scholarships for their study abroad trips.” If a student is granted financial aid for his or her home college, that same financial aid can cover an exchange program for a semester abroad.While some students take advantage of merit scholarships like Fulbright, and Gilman, others get more creative. Some “Students have set up GoFundMe and other crowd-funding accounts to raise money for study abroad,” says Khanbilvardi.The program costs about $6,000, which includes housing. The airfare varies depending on the destination of the student’s choosing, but it averages about $1,200 to London, Madrid, and Barcelona.Watson Li believes that the experience more than paid for itself. “It was great you get a wider view of the world,” said Li, a CCNY graduate who spent his last winter break in Argentina. “My host family was one of my favorite aspects of my experience.”For more information and to apply, visit the Study Abroad website.