Student Concerns About Study Abroad Safety Issues Have Decreased
Academic Credit and Cost Most Important Factors When Choosing a Program
CHESTER, PA, August 20, 2003 -
Students stating that safety is very important have declined from fifty-four percent of students in 2001 to forty-seven percent of students in 2003 according to a recent survey conducted by AHA International and StudyAbroad.com. Simultaneously, sixty-eight percent of respondents state that the cost of a program is very important to them and sixty-five percent say receiving academic credit for their program is very important.
As safety concerns are declining, students are more comfortable with venturing outside the United States. "It is also clear from the survey that students are not only viewing their study abroad experience as a reason to travel, but they are serious minded about their program selection," says Mark Shay, president and CEO of Educational Directories Unlimited, Inc., the parent company of StudyAbroad.com. "They are looking to become fully immersed in another culture and truly expand the scope of their education."
AHA International, which operates study abroad programs in 14 countries, collected data from 2,065 prospective study abroad students over a thirty-month period from its web site. The survey asked students to state whether they felt certain factors were very important, somewhat important, or not at all important when choosing a study abroad program.
Isabelle Bridge of AHA International states that, "According to our survey results, it is apparent that students are very concerned about obtaining academic credit for their study abroad courses." In order to address this concern, study abroad advisors are encouraging students to check with the school's policies prior to enrolling in a program to ensure that their institution will recognize their program of choice.
Says Alice Sayegh, Director of International Studies at St. Bonaventure University in New York, "We encourage students to secure approval from their home institutions about their program selections. Our university also works with the students in securing approvals."
Students also appear to be more frugal than ever when selecting study abroad programs. According to the survey, 68% of respondents state that the cost of the program is very important and 56% state that financial aid is very important.
The survey also inquired about the importance of other common factors when choosing a study abroad program. Sixty-four percent of respondents stated that the courses offered are very important and forty-six percent of respondents stated that language skills are very important. Only thirty-eight percent said that relevance to their future career is very important while twenty-eight percent say that recommendation by an advisor is very important when choosing a study abroad program.
About AHA International
AHA International's recent merger with the University of Oregon, will enhance and strengthen a vibrant component of the university commitment to Internationalization, making it a key player in the International Study Abroad field.
AHA International, formally known as American Heritage Association, a private, nonprofit 503 (c)(3), educational organization founded in 1957 has for 46 years provided high quality programs for students through study and travel abroad. More than 47,000 students have benefited from study-abroad programs, which promote an educational experience that encourages an understanding and appreciation of one's own heritage and culture as well as that of others.
AHA operates 15 centers abroad in Austria, Argentina, Chile, England, France, Greece, Ireland, Mexico including two in Italy and Germany, and three in Spain. Direct enroll options are available with universities in Australia, Ghana and New Zealand.
AHA administers academic programs abroad for four consortia of 32 colleges and universities in the Northwest: NCSA (Northwest Council for Study Abroad) consisting of eleven public universities in Oregon, Washington and Alaska; ILACA (Independent Liberal Arts Colleges Abroad) with five private universities in Oregon and Washington; MCSA (Midwest Consortia for Study Abroad) with nine public and private universities in Indiana, Michigan, Ohio and West Virginia; and PCIC (Pennsylvania Colleges in Cologne) supported by three colleges.
About StudyAbroad.com
StudyAbroad.com is the Internet's leading source of international education information. It contains directories of study abroad and intensive language programs that are organized by both subject and destination. StudyAbroad.com also includes the Destination Portal Pages, the popular "StudyAbroad.com Handbook: A Guide to Traveling Abroad," discussion boards, financial aid information and much, much more. StudyAbroad.com is a service of Educational Directories Unlimited, Inc. (www.edudirectories.com).