How many Euros will it take to get to Rome?
Study Abroad Coordinator Doug Eisner led a Study Abroad meeting meeting with great excitement Tuesday Sept. 30 to inform students about the Europe trip. He says the study abroad program is a great learning experience and a great way to get school credits all while traveling and seeing the world in a new lens.
The program fee is based on final enrollment and the housing options. Prices begin at $8,170 for 30 students enrolled, but can be brought down to $7,850 if 45 students register.
All while living out in the historic Rome after completing your classes for the day, students get to walk out into the beautiful scenery and explore. They can get together with roommates and walk around the museums and historic monuments. When night comes, they can also go out to the bars and discover the nightlife out in Rome. On the weekends they even have the option of jumping on a plane for as little as 13 euros and traveling to Munich, Ibiza, Paris, or Milan, to name a few possible destinations.
Matt Worthington, a former Cypress College student who attended the Spring 2013 Study Abroad program shared how much he spent out in Rome on entertainment such as soccer games, flights to Ibiza and miscellaneous things. He spent “at least $3,000.” Worthington chose a home-stay—$750 extra—so his meals were made for him everyday.
“The mom liked me so she packed me with a lunch to go when I would go on my adventures,” he said.
Jorge Martinez, 21, Business Major also joined the Spring 2013 Rome trip. He spent around $3,000 extra while being out in Rome.
“I was fortunate enough to go on this trip with the help of my parents and financial aid,” said Martinez. He said his parents were very eager to get him to go on this amazing trip and they were willing to help in anyway. “They wanted me to go.”
Some tips that the former study abroad students gave in the meeting was to “budget your money.” Students out there for the first few days can feel a rush of excitement and want to soak it all in in one shot. However, the students attending the upcoming Spring 2015 Rome trip have to take responsibility for themselves, with food and everyday necessities.
“About $2,500 is the average amount students should have when going on this trip,” said Eisner. He said students need to make their money stretch. Otherwise, “you’re not eating.”
So students’ number one concern is how they are going to get all this money. Turning to one’s parents in not the only option. Financial Aid, Scholarships or Pell Grants are available to some; All Financial Aid for the Study Abroad programs comes from Fullerton College. The Gilman Scholarship is also available to those who are Pell Grant Recipients, while Cypress College Scholarships are available to those who have completed 9 semester units and is currently enrolled in 6 units with a GPA of 2.5. A number of students do not know they can apply their current on-campus financial aid toward a study abroad program.
For more information on applying for financial aid for Study Abroad, contact Doug Einser at deisner@fullcoll.edu or Wendy Bailey, wbailey@fullcoll.edu.
Doug Eisner as well as the faculty leading this program do not want students to pass up this experience. If you have the money saved and need the courses, then jump on the plane and go for it. If the money is a problem don’t feel discouraged there are many ways of gathering up the money for this once in a life time trip. Coming back with the knowledge and experience that traveling gives to young adults is priceless.
One lasting piece of advice Martinez gave was, “If you want it bad enough you will find the money.”
