A semester in Australia, Cyprus, Denmark, Germany, Japan, South Korea, Sweden or the United Kingdom can cost less than a semester at Eastern. This includes airfare, tuition, room and board, spending money, passport and visa fees.

Eastern students can enter an exchange program, which entails studying at a university abroad and paying Eastern’s tuition. Seven or eight students can study abroad tuition-free if they are awarded the tuition waiver scholarship.

Every year, Eastern awards about $100,000 for students to study abroad and offers program options in over fifty countries around the world. Eastern sends more students abroad than any other Master’s Public University in Illinois.

During the 2007-2008 school year, about 262,000 American students studied abroad, according to figures on Vistawide, a web source for foreign language-learners. That is about a 130 percent increase from the 114,000 students that studied abroad during the 1997-1998 school year.

The increase is believed to be the result of study-abroad programs becoming more accessible and students recognizing the importance of experiencing other cultures.

Josh Irons is a product development manager of Education Dynamics, which operates the website StudyAbroad.com.

“Most universities have study abroad programs, which offer a tremendous opportunity that young people should seize while they can,” said Irons.

Studying abroad allows students to experience social interaction that they would not get otherwise.

“The opportunity to meet foreigners that are actually living in their own country is an incredible experience. It’s the adventure of it all,” Irons said.

Madeline Trimble, a summer 2010 business study abroad participant, described studying abroad as an “invaluable experience to have when you are young and not tied down.” Trimble said she learned international business better than most because she got to experience it firsthand.

David Boggs, a professor from the School of Business, led the Business Study Abroad trip to Europe last summer. This coming summer Boggs is scheduled to teach the program in Europe again with Professor Patrick Lach. The program is planned for May 8, 2011 through June 7, 2011, and will be in held Maastricht, Netherlands, with course excursions in various European countries.

Boggs and Lach will be holding an informational meeting at 6 p.m. in Lumpkin Hall Room 2011 on Oct. 6 for anyone interested in the Business Study Abroad trip to Europe.

“I would encourage students to attend the meeting so that they can learn more about how to study abroad with EIU business professors, while getting credit that will apply to their EIU business degree,” said Boggs.

The meeting will address opportunities for financial aid and will also allow students to ask questions to the professors who will be leading the programs.

Boggs encourages anyone to attend the meeting. The courses are designed for business majors, but non-business majors are welcomed and have participated in the past.

“The benefits of studying abroad are great, many and long-lasting. They include developing knowledge, understanding and confidence useful for living domestically and abroad, learning to times be adaptable, receiving academic credit, forming new friendships, enhancing one’s professional qualifications or credentials and being able to demonstrate one’s adventurousness,” Boggs said.

Cassie Bartolucci can be reached at 581-7942

or < a href="mailto:ckbartolucci@eiu.edu">ckbartolucci@eiu.edu.