To help students easily find study abroad programs and scholarships, Eastern and the office of study abroad launched a new website.

Kurt Olausen, director of study abroad, partnered with study abroad coordinator Evan Lohmann and a company called Terra Dotta to create the new website.

“It is a full software package,” Olausen said. “It is an online application as well as a database. It is the overall management system for our office and all of the programs”.

The new website was unveiled about a month ago.

The previous website was built in the 2007. Olausen said he has only been at Eastern for a little over a year. He said he began working on this project shortly after he arrived.

Olausen began planning this website in December 2014, although actual work on the website began in January.

Olausen said time management played a big role in the conversion from paper applications to the new online applications.

“Paper applications forced students and faculty members to do data entry,” Olausen said.

Olausen said paper applications had many mistakes due to illegible handwriting.

With the new system, students can now log in to insert all of their information from Banner into the application.  Olausen said this gives them more accurate information on the students.

“The new website has a much better search engine” said Olausen. “Finding programs is much easier and we have more programs listed because we were able to use a more national centralized programs.”

The new advanced search engine will give students more options. Olausen said the search engine will better help them narrow down their options, because students will now be able to search for programs by country, term and courses.

The homepage of the website now has filtered options for students’ ease of use.

These new programs give students the ability to access large amounts of information with minimum work, Olausen said.

“The new website makes it easier for students who want to study abroad because it eliminates paper. There are more tools at their fingertips, and the website is accessible 24 hours a day,” Olausen said.

Olausen said he still wants students to come to his office and ask questions, but the website is the place they will be doing the most work.

“With our old system, if you did not have a printer you would not be able to start the application,” Olausen said. “Now students can surf through programs and fill out an application in one spot.”

Scholarship applications are available on the website as well. Olausen said that many students do not take advantage of the scholarships available to them, such as the Benjamin A. Gilman International Scholarship.

This is a national scholarship funded through the US State Department. The scholarship is for any student who is eligible for or receives a Pell Grant.

Olausen said the goal of the scholarship is to diversify study abroad. He said they are looking for recipients who have majors that do not have many study abroad programs.

They are also looking for racial minorities and first generation students for this scholarship. Olausen said these scholarships could range from two to six thousand dollars.

The scholarship requires an application process including a qualifying essay. Olausen said once students begin the application process, they will receive access to scholarship applications as well.

When students begin the application for study abroad, they will not have to pay any application fees. Olausen said in the future there may possibly be an application fee.

Students have anywhere from 60 to 80 countries they can go to through study abroad. Olausen said students have the opportunity to travel anywhere as long as it is not at war or under a travel warning.

Olausen said Eastern students have been to places such as Japan, Korea, Costa Rica and Spain. Many of the programs Olausen works with are United States-based groups that offer programs around the world.

Olausen said that although the site went live just a month ago, several students have utilized the website without any assistance.

“This is the technology generation. Students are figuring out how to use the website” said Olausen.

Olausen said many things might hold students back from studying abroad or looking into studying abroad.

“Many students are afraid to do something different” Olausen said. “Money is also a factor, because students think they cannot afford the cost”.

Olausen said 170 students studied abroad in the 2014-2015 school year.

“Programs are open for students that will academically work for them as well as fit their needs” Olausen said.

Torri Griffith can be reached at 581-2812 or tlgriffith@eiu.edu