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Dear Study Abroad Students and Families,

Today’s business, governmental,  and academic sectors need university graduates with an international perspective, one guided by firsthand experience.  The college years are the best time to get that firsthand experience!  Students are well suited for extended stays abroad.   They are quick to learn and adapt, adventurous, open to new ideas, and they have fewer obligations than they will have later in life. 

Like you, the International Programs staff worries most about the rising costs in tuition and living expenses,  as well as the relative weakness of the U.S. dollar abroad.  These are trying times for many Americans.  Personal finances are stretched, and general fears of travel and the unrest in the world can lead people to put off, or at least modify, their travel plans.  We understand and sympathize with these feelings, but we also believe that it is vitally important for Americans, especially students, to go abroad.

We will continue to keep our study abroad opportunities as inclusive and academically rewarding as possible.   Financial aid award letters can be revised to provide students with more funds for study abroad, and we work hard each semester to keep funding for grants and scholarships available for all of our trips.

Be assured that we are aware of the risks of international travel, and we constantly monitor the situation for our students.  No one can guarantee absolute safety while abroad, but we work to make our study tours as safe as possible.  UWSP has an emergency plan to bring students home or move them to safety, if there are clear and present dangers.   The I.P.  staff continues to travel frequently.  We feel safe, and we want all our participants to feel safe.  The health and safety of students abroad are top priorities.

In the event of any emergency, the International Programs Office is in close contact with our partners abroad. Depending on the situation, our partners abroad will seek advice from local authorities and the U.S. Consulate or Embassy closest to the program.  We discuss specific safety precautions students should take while abroad at orientation and in the program-specific orientation guide.  We also register all students with the U.S. Embassy in the country where they will be studying.

The UW System has mandated that all students studying abroad be enrolled with the CISI insurance plan, regardless of current medical coverage the student or family may have. The cost of this insurance has been built into the program cost. The International Programs office will enroll each student in the CISI insurance plan and will issue an insurance card for each participant. You can read more about the insurance coverage by clicking here.    Some countries have additional insurance required for students; if this is the case for your chosen program, the International Programs Office will obtain the insurance for you.

At UWSP we believe in the power of study abroad.  It is a life changing experience.

Sincerely,

Dr. Eric Yonke
Director of International Programs