Kent State students aren’t just limited to regional campuses when it comes to locations to study.

Education Abroad at Kent State offers a variety of different programs in overmore than 50 different countries and allows students to tailor their study abroad experience to their coursework. Study abroad programs can last anywhere from two weeks to a full year in another country — or even in several different countries.

Amber Bollinger, an education abroad adviser in the Office of Global Education, said students looking to study abroad for a full semester or two can go to either of the two Kent State campuses located in Geneva, Switzerland, and Florence, Italy. Bollinger said that staying at the Geneva or Florence campus is virtually the same as going to a regional Kent State campus.

Students looking to spend a semester somewhere other than Geneva or Florence can participate in an exchange program, said Bollinger. She said students can pick a bilateral exchange program through a direct partnership Kent State has with another school or they can go through the International Student Exchange Programs (ISEP). Bollinger said ISEP is a network of about 300 institutions that exchanges students between its members.

“What makes these two different is that you pay everything up front at Kent, so you pay the exact equivalent of Kent State tuition, Kent State room and Kent State board to your bursars account so you can use your financial aid,” Bollinger said.

Bollinger said that students often think that they cannot study abroad because it’s too expensive. But that is not true.

“I always like to bring up cost because it’s a big myth about study abroad is that it’s super unaffordable, but we do have options out there that are the exact same as Kent State tuition,” Bollinger said.

Bollinger also said that students have more access to scholarships as study abroad students.

If going away for a semester isn’t an option, then students have the opportunity to take short courses instead. Short courses are faculty-led programs that go abroad for only one to five weeks rather than a full semester, Bollinger said.

Glenn Bolich, a Kent State alumnus, spent a semester at Kent State’s Florence campus and spent 10 days in Brazil with the International Storytelling class. Bolich has been to 13 countries and said everyone should get involved in study abroad while they’re in school.

“It is an incredible learning experience because not only do students get to learn, live and see another country and culture, but they get to meet new people while developing their own independence and views,” Bolich said. “I encourage everyone to study abroad, no matter the country or length of stay.”

For additional information on study abroad programs, go to the Office of Global Education located in Van Campen Hall on Loop Road. An updated list of all programs can be found at www.kent.edu/educationabroad.

Contact Jacqueline DeMate at [email protected].