A new grant for Syracuse University students is hoping to attract students to smaller programs within SU Abroad.

A $1,000 grant will now be available for students who will be studying abroad in the SU Beijing Center, SU Santiago Center and “The Culture and Politics of Reconciliation” program in Wroclaw, Poland in the fall.

Margaret Himley, associate provost of International Education and Engagement at SU, said in an email that the new grant will allow potential study abroad students to be interested in applying to those programs. The SU Abroad office hopes the grants bring students’ attention to smaller programs within SU Abroad, such as Beijing, Santiago and Central Europe, Himley said.

“If an extra $1,000 is enough to sway an undecided student and make him or her consider a semester in Santiago (or Beijing or Wroclaw), then these grants have achieved their purpose,” she said.

The $1,000 grant will be automatically added to the financial package of any student studying at the three locations. Students without the financial aid will also be eligible to receive the money.

Jennifer Horvath, SU Abroad marketing and communications manager, said she hopes the grant will encourage students to study abroad.

“We want every SU student to go abroad so I am just hopeful that this grant could be the deciding factor,” Horvath said.

She added that the new grant will hopefully help sway students who may be unsure if they can afford to go abroad.

“If somebody is considering one of those programs and maybe they are not sure quite when they want to go abroad or if they are on the fence about going abroad because they are worried about finances, I feel like this is something that maybe put them on the edge and push to going abroad,” Horvath said.

Kathryn Clinton, an interim assistant of Spanish language coordinator at the College of Arts and Sciences, said the grant will give an incentive to make students interested in applying study abroad programs.

“I think it is an exciting way to draw students into the phenomenal program,” Clinton said.

“I am a huge advocate for studying abroad, so whatever we can do to get more students to do that I think it is great.”

Clinton said some students were excited and considering the program, but she is not sure whether the students have actually applied.

Horvath said the Santiago program has not been the recipient of the grant the last few semesters, while the Beijing program got a grant for this spring and the Wroclaw program previously received a grant for fall 2014.

Himley said in the email that programs such as in Santiago and in Central Europe are relatively smaller programs, and the office was concerned that students might not have heard about them.

“These grants are offered occasionally, usually to bring attention to a smaller program that we think deserves student attention,” she said.

The application deadline for the fall is March 20.

Published on February 23, 2015 at 12:01 am

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