6 Common Misconceptions About Study Abroad Programs
By Lee Frankel, Sat Dec 10th

With over 100,000 college students studying abroad every year,there's bound to be all kinds of tall tales, urban legends, andmisinformation swirling around. While there may be grains oftruth in some of these stories, below are some commonmisconceptions about study abroad.

Misconception #1: Studying abroad is very expensive.

Truth: In most cases, it is actually cheaper to study abroad.Let's say the tuition at your school is $5,000 per semester androom and board is another $4,000. Now add in the additional feesyou have such as health insurance, books, and laundry. You arenow well over $10,000 for the semester. Well, all but one of ourprograms in Spain is under $10,000 per semester and thatincludes everything except your airfare and spending money.

Misconception #2: I can't use my financial aid to study abroad.

Truth: In almost all cases, your federal aid (Stafford loans,Pell grants, etc.) can be used to study abroad and in somestates, you can use your state aid as well. It is also notuncommon for your federal aid to increase when you study abroadsince some of your school scholarships may not transfer.

Misconception #3: Host families are all poor and just do it forthe money.

Truth: The last thing any study abroad company wants to do ishave an unhappy student on their program. The goal is for thestudents to be happy so that they will tell their friends what agreat time they had. If we were putting students in badfamilies, in dangerous neighborhoods, then no one would everrecommend us to their friends. Since the number of universitiesthat endorse our program doubled over the last year, it's apretty sure bet that students are happy with our choice offamilies.

Misconception #4: I'll be so busy with schoolwork that I won'tget time to see the country I'm in.

Truth: This one is hysterically funny since your average studyabroad student comes home with about 400+ photos from a longlist of countries. Students have plenty of opportunities totravel and we even take our students on trips to give them abetter feel for the country they are in.

Misconception #5: I might not graduate on time if I go abroad.

Truth: If you have already used up all of your elective orgeneral education courses, then it's true that you might need tobulk up on courses before or after you go abroad. If you planahead, however, and leave some electives open to you, then youshould

be fine. The clear majority of students who study abroadstill graduate in four years, despite being away from their homecampus for a semester or two.

Misconception #6: Most of the world hates Americans, so I won'tbe safe.

Truth: There's no doubt that there are a lot of people who don'tlike the American government, but that has nothing to do withthe American people. If you compare the violent crime rate inthe United States to that of European, Australian, or Asiancountries, you will see that the United States is actually farmore dangerous. There are some areas of South America and Africathat are not especially safe, but there are also many countrieson those continents that are incredibly safe. Go to the U.S.State Department website and check out the crime statistics onthe country you are interested in to see how safe it is.

Studying abroad is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity that everycollege student should take advantage of. Before dismissing itdue to the bad experience of one friend or rumors you have hadheard, speak with your study abroad advisor and get the facts. Iguarantee that once you look at all that studying abroad canoffer you, you'll be hopping the first flight abroad.

One organization that help ensure that you have safest,unforgettable yet affordable study abroadexperience is Academic Studies Abroad. Here are some of our verypopular study abroadprograms in the following countries:

-Study AbroadSpain - Academic Studies offers study abroad programs inBarcelona, Madrid, Salamanca and Sevilla.

-StudyAbroad England- Academic Studies offers study abroadprograms in London.

-StudyAbroad Italy - Academic Studies offers study abroad programsin Florence.

-StudyAbroad France - Academic Studies offer study abroad programsin Aix-en-Provence and Avignon.

-StudyAbroad Ireland - Academic Studies offers study abroadprograms in Dublin. Interested in going to Ireland?

About the author:If you are considering going abroad make sure you read about the6 common misconceptions about study abroad programs. Learn whystudying abroad can be one of the best decisions you could makein a lifetime.