A program designed to give students a chance to study at another university has been on Eastern’s campus since 2007

The National Student Exchange gives options to 170 institutions across the U.S. for students to choose from. Taylor Opsahl, a senior biological scienes major, said she got the opportunity to study at the University of Arizona in Tucson fall semester of her junior year. She said leaving gave her a chance to experience an atmosphere beyond Eastern.

“The exchange program impacted me by allowing me to grow outside of my comfort zone,” Opsahl said. “It had allowed me to experience education in a different setting with even more opportunities than what I am given here.”

Opsahl said the program allowed her to network at a different university and see how far she has progressed academically. She said new scenery pushes a student to be even more independent than they are because Arizona is a long way from home for her.

At the University of Arizona, Opsahl said she experience a different class setting where in one class she found herself with 400 other students surrounding her. She said because of her familiarity with a small class size, the foreign environment was weird.

“It really wasn’t that bad but it did take some getting used too. Since there are so many kids in the class they were also an added distraction which makes class tough,” Opsahl said.

Opsahl said her most memorable moment was going to a football game while at the institution.

“My most memorable moment was definitely the first football game I went to,” Opsahl said. “The tailgating there is so much different than what we experience here at Eastern and it really gave off the vibe that I wanted in a college from the start.”

Tom Spencer, coordinator of the National Student Exchange at Eastern, said the program has two options for paying. The first option is where the student pays the other university’s tuition. Option two is when the student still pays Eastern’s tuition, which has their scholarships and grants inclusive to the price.

Spencer also said often times students go with Eastern’s tuition but there are times where the other university’s tuition is cheaper than Eastern.

Seven students are currently studying in Utah, South Carolina, Texas, California and Arizona. Spencer said students in the sciences usually sign up for the program.

Students need 2.5 GPA and to be in good standing at Eastern to be eligible for the exchange program.

The most the program has sent in a year was 10 to 12 students. This year three students will be coming to Eastern as their school to visit.

Application deadline for the program ends in February and the fee is $150.

“Probably the biggest financial bite for this program is generally the fee,” Spencer said. “The rest of it would be no different from what you are required to pay at Eastern.”

Students can apply for the exchange program at www.nse.org.

T’Nerra Butler can be reached at 581-2812 or tabutler@eiu.edu