Study Abroad Dollar Running Short
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University of St. Thomas study abroad students are finding lately that their dollar is not taking them very far.
As the dollar is weakening in traditional study abroad destinations such as England, France and Spain, more students are choosing to head south. However, like UST junior Zoe Lindberg, many students simply have more reason to travel to European destinations.
Lindberg is currently participating in a semester-long study abroad program in Austria, where she is focusing on improving her knowledge of the German language as well as German music.
When asked if she’s noticed any difference in the exchange rate for the U.S. dollar, and how this has affected her, Lindberg responded:
“Definitely! It’s already hard enough being a student, but to have to pay 4 euros or 6 dollars for a cup of coffee, or 5 euros for a bottle of water at a metro station has gotten really old, really fast. That has been one of the most difficult things to adjust to. Every time I buy something I have to multiply it by 1.45 to know what I’m really spending. I’m scared to look at my bank account!”
Despite the expense, Lindberg said she would recommend her program to other students interested in studying abroad.
“Absolutely!” she said. “This is a once in a lifetime experience, as there are so many great scholarships available to cut back on the costs. There is so much to learn [from studying abroad].”
According to Sarah Huesing, student adviser at the International Education Center, the cost of the study abroad programs may not be more than a semester here at St. Thomas, but the cost of living is dramatically higher than in St. Paul.
“For example, the British pound is currently equal to about 50 cents,” Huesing said. “If a student studying in London went to the local Starbucks for a coffee that costs £3.50, they are spending $7.00. As the dollar drops against various world currencies, it can affect a student’s ability to study abroad as the cost of living in those countries can be higher.”
Huesing said also that this makes study abroad students “more resourceful and budget conscious.”
“Many report that by spending time abroad, they truly learned what it means to budget,” Huesing said. “Studying abroad is about learning different ways of doing things and realizing that having a Starbucks every day isn’t truly a life necessity.”
The International Education Center reported a slight increase in the number of students traveling to southern destinations, such as Mexico, Latin America and South America. A spokesperson for the Center could not say, however, if this increase was due to the fluctuating exchange rate or simply because there has been an increase in the number of students participating in study abroad programs recently.
A record number of St. Thomas students (565) studied abroad during J-Term 2008.
Many students who choose South America as their destination are not only considering the finances. As reported in the University of Minnesota Daily, some students have found that South American countries are “less touristy and have more of a cultural aspect to them.” The Daily also reported that students traveling to South America feel like they are “required to speak more of the language because less people are fluent in English.”
Another reason, perhaps, for the number of students choosing South American/Latin America over Europe might be that the number of students studying Spanish is higher than the number of students studying any other language at campuses around the country.
So while the exchange rate may play a role in where students choose to study, there are many other factors to consider.
“It would be far too simplistic to suggest that increased enrollments in South America are directly a result of cost or the fluctuating dollar,” said Jodi Malmgren, assistant director of the Learning Abroad Center.