You may want to take a similar role in the selection of your student's study abroad program as you did with your son or daughter's selection of an appropriate U.S. college or university. To begin, we recommend that students read this Study Abroad Study Abroad Handbook independently. This can be the first step that helps him/her take charge of his/her own study abroad experience. However, accomplishing the many tasks involved with planning study abroad can be overwhelming. Your son or daughter will most likely need your assistance.
Using This Website
The content on this website is divided up into four sections: Choosing a Program, Practical Information, Health & Safety and Coming Home. We suggest that you read through the Study Abroad Handbook content, and then make sure your son or daughter has understood everything. Many of the items will require feedback from a study abroad program provider. Make sure to have a copy of the Emergency Card that your son or daughter also should carry in his/her wallet.
After your son or daughter has thoroughly reviewed the Handbook independently, and done some research, we encourage you to follow-up with his/her findings. At this time, we ideally hope that you would sit down with your son or daughter and go through the Handbook with him/her. You may be able to help him/her clear any doubts he/she might have.
One of the first things parents and students should do before traveling anywhere is to check with the U.S. Department of State's International Travel Information website. There you will find links to Consular Information Sheets and Country Background Notes, which provide important information about your child's host country. For some countries, there may be a travel warning in effect, so be sure to check the Department of State's current Travel Warnings as well. Travel warnings are issued when the Department of State decides, based on all relevant information to recommend that Americans avoid travel to a certain country. If you want to have a more comprehensive view of the situation in your child's host country, you may also want to cross-reference with other sources of information, such as the Australian Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade and their Country Information page, the Canadian Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade, and the U.K. Foreign Commonwealth Office.
We understand that your child's health and safety is important to you. We also know that your concerns for your child's health and safety increase with distance; the further away your child travels from home, the more important it is for him/her to have support services. In this time of an increased national focus on safety and security, you may feel strongly concerned about your child's wishes to study and travel abroad. We hope that by reading this Handbook your concerns will be addressed. You will be able to better assist your son or daughter with choosing a quality program, and with being prepared for health and safety challenges abroad. Study abroad could possibly be one of the best, most positive and rewarding experiences for your child.
Other Resources
GlobalScholar.us is the first national online curriculum to orient, train, and support students at any small or large U.S. university or community college before, during, and after they study abroad. For those students who study abroad, the experience is not only an academic highlight of their undergraduate or graduate studies but also a very marketable experience for their resume when applying for jobs, advanced degrees, scholarships, and fellowships. It is important for parents to be supportive of their child and to work together as they provide advice and guidance while the student investigates all of his/her options. With proper planning and support, all students can and should participate in a study abroad program.
We encourage parents to take an active role during the Before You Leave course, helping their child to choose the program that is right for them and making sure that they are prepared for their journey including health and safety information! In addition, parents are also encouraged to use the While Abroad course to learn about supporting student success while their child is overseas. We also encourage parents to go through parts of the Once You Return course with their child. The process of returning home often presents more of a challenge than going abroad did. Students at this stage often need a great deal of support from their family and friends.
AllAbroad.us is dedicated to mentors helping students from ALL backgrounds study abroad. AllAbroad offers students from diverse backgrounds, their parents and faculty and administrators a place to find answers to common study abroad questions and concerns such as what study abroad program length is best, how financial aid factors into paying for this opportunity, health and safety issues, diversity issues abroad, or availability of support services while abroad. Parents can:
- Learn why study abroad is so important for your child's education and their next stop after college.
- Hear from other parents about their questions and concerns when their children went abroad (also available in Spanish).
- Find resources and funding to help your child pay for their program.
Introduction
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Why Study Abroad?
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Why Learn Language?
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Advice For Parents
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FAQ
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