Dear families,
According to national data, only 1% of American college students study abroad. Your student has the chance to join an elite group of future leaders in our country by setting him/her a part with this once in a lifetime experience! Students who choose to study abroad show a commitment to global citizenship and this distinguishes them in the classroom and in the competitive job market. Education abroad is a unique academic experience full of fun, excitement, and learning. It takes a desire to go outside of your comfort zone and be challenged. Students who have studied abroad reflect on their experience as one where they have grown intellectually and personally. The Education Abroad office is dedicated to assisting students in their journey from selecting a program until their return to the United States. We are here to have conversations with your student about their goals for study abroad, getting appropriate course credit for their degree, seeking out financial aid and scholarships, and preparation for their journey. Begin the conversation early with your student about study abroad programs and the steps to take! Students at The University of Alabama have three primary options for study abroad: Exchange programs, Faculty-led programs, and affiliate programs/direct enroll (These program types are explained in detail later on). Feel free to check out our Program Search tool where you can navigate by discipline, region, and program type. Hopefully you will find many answers to your questions on this page, but feel free to reach out to our office with additional questions or concerns. We hope you will encourage your student to come visit us in 135 B.B. Comer. Our team is eager to support students and their families in their efforts to study abroad!
Your Role as a Support Person:
We understand that sending your student to a different country for a lengthy amount of time can be quite scary to think about. It is completely natural to want to help, assist, and fix everything for them in this often-complicated process. Your support and encouragement is vital in many instances with studying abroad. Students’ success abroad begins with good preparation at home. For us, this means them being involved in all steps of the process. It can be tempting to fix whatever problem they are having, but these can be great learning experiences using problem solving skills that will come in handy while abroad and when they return. Please encourage your student to use the resources available within our office, our campus partners, and with our affiliates in order to try to solve their current issue.
Student Confidentiality
UA respects the privacy of students who are of legal age when they sign the UA Program Participant Agreement. Except in those cases where a student cannot speak for themselves or gives UA permission to speak freely with a family member, information concerning a student’s housing, behavior, academic standing, health condition, or program location must be disseminated by the student. Please speak with your student about the importance of communication and how they will share information with you. FERPA is an acronym for the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (also referred to as the Buckley Amendment). This law protects the privacy of student education records for those students who are over the age of 18. FERPA establishes the right of students to inspect and review their education records. The law applies to all schools that receive funds under an applicable program of the U.S. Department of Education. This means the UA Study Abroad staff is prohibited from providing student information to anyone other than the student (unless a parents/guardian is listed in the FERPA section on myBama). Click here to learn more about how this applies to your student at The University of Alabama.
Weekly Workshops and Info Session at UA’s Education Abroad
Study Abroad 101: Want to study abroad but not sure where to get started? In Study Abroad 101 we will discuss a variety of topics including program searching on our website, dispelling myths about Education Abroad, and providing an overview of the process & timeline for you to better plan your international Education experience. We recommend that all students attend a Study Abroad 101 BEFORE seeing an Education Abroad Advisor. Study Abroad 101 is offered every day, at a set time, during the fall and spring semesters.
Visa Research Session: When a student is unsure about the visa process, this is where they can get a head start! The Education Abroad Advisors are here to help you research the next step in applying for a visa for the host country.We are NOT visa experts but are here to help research/point your students in the right direction. Visa Research Sessions are offered weekly in the fall and spring semesters.
Course Equivalency Workshop: Students who have been accepted into a study abroad program and need help/guidance through the course equivalency process are welcome to join! In the Course Equivalency Workshop, a Study Abroad Advisor will guide students through the electronic course equivalency process and answer any course equivalency questions you might have. Course Equivalency Workshops are offered weekly in the fall and spring semesters.
Money Matters Workshop: This workshop is meant to help address questions about financial aid, scholarships, and budgeting as they pertain to studying abroad. They are offered weekly.
Speed Advising: Speed Advising is offered every Friday from 9:00-11:00. These are walk-in 10 minute advising sessions that are good for quick questions (full 30 minute advising appointments are able to be booked through our website). Culverhouse has extra walk-in advising times, please check with the office to know what they are for the current semester.
Gilman Workshops: The Gilman Scholarship is a national study abroad scholarship for Federal Pell Grant students offering up to $8,000 for each semester or summer abroad. We encourage students to attend a weekly workshop where we help them through the application process. We also will advise them in the essay component to make sure they meet all necessary requirements before submission. The students must be dedicated to attending these workshops in order to receive the most help available.
Meet our Staff
| Carolina Robinson: Director | Chad Berry: Associate Director International Health, Safety & Risk Management | Sarah Kidwell: Assistant Director |
|---|---|---|
| Carolina works directly with faculty at UA to create and implement faculty-led programs. She is also the main manager for all study abroad programs. She is our spokesperson not only on campus but around the world to further our mission within Education Abroad. | Chad works to keep our students safe and informed both throughout the study abroad process. In the event of a crisis or emergency, he is here to coordinate a quick and appropriate response. | Sarah works directly with our exchange and affiliate partners to keep relationships strong. She is also the guru for all things in the application process. |
| Eve Machado: Advisor | Samantha Young: Advisor | Tristan Grammer: Advisor |
| Eve advises students in the Culverhouse College of Business. She answers questions about program types, scholarships, course equivalencies, and many of the different aspects of the application process. | Samantha advises students in the Colleges of Engineering, Human & Environmental Sciences, Communication & Information Sciences, Nursing, Social Work, Education, and Law. She answers questions about program types, scholarships, course equivalencies, and many of the different aspects of the application process. | Tristan advises students in the College of Arts and Sciences. He answers questions about program types, scholarships, course equivalencies, and many of the different aspects of the application process. |
| Kelsey Guy: Faculty Led Advisor | Cyrus Morgan: Program Assistant | Student Assistants |
| Kelsey assists with the full planning of our faculty-led programs for Summer. She meets with faculty to make sure that logistics, marketing, and academics are planned properly. She also helps manage and plan our large scale events. | Cyrus works primarily behind the scenes to make sure that a variety of processes and projects flow well. He is the first point of contact for students, Bama Bloggers, and general questions. He also assists with academic logistics for registration and management of all things applications. | Every year the Education Abroad Office employs undergraduate study abroad returnees and international education enthusiasts. Learn More Here! |