Study Abroad Policy Changes Are a Good First Step

Denise Miller of the Center for International Studies sent an e-mail to the Providence College community last Tuesday to outline changes to the current tuition and financial aid policy for students choosing to study abroad. According to Miller’s e-mail, “The aim of the new tuition and financial aid policy is to make study abroad accessible and affordable for all PC students.”
Accessibility to study abroad programs supports the mission of the College, which strives to provide its students with the tools necessary to live and work on a global scale. According to the Mission Statement, “Providence College prepares its students to be responsible and productive citizens to serve in their own society and the greater world community.”
This reflects a lofty ambition and a task that every liberal arts institution ought to take up. Until recently, however, students found difficulty in obtaining the exposure to the global community necessary to fulfill this goal. The changes made to the current study abroad policy are aimed at changing this.
By allowing students to apply their need and merit-based financial awards to study abroad programs, Providence College is acknowledging the need for and value to an education that extends beyond the gates of this campus. The changes in study abroad policies reflect a commitment to the educational needs of students and also indicate that dissatisfaction is heard and taken seriously.
The new policy is a strong first step in making study abroad a more viable option for students. It does not, however, solve all of the problems that exist in the system. There are still a great many hoops through which students spending a semester or year abroad must jump. These include securing on-campus housing, and difficulties in the transfer of academic credits.
Although there are changes still to be made, the campus community ought to welcome the amendments in policy implemented by the Center for International Studies. The benefits will be widespread, and continue to support the mission and breadth of a Providence College education. 

 –The Editors