Change is coming to Whitman’s Off-Campus Studies program, at least where the class of 2015 is concerned. The new model, which is to be implemented in the 2013 fall semester, will expand the college’s list of partner programs and charge Whitman tuition for all offered programs.
“We realized that it wasn’t really financially sustainable for us to continue to allow aid to go off-campus and not have some actual revenue coming back to the college. Like many colleges, in order to continue to have financial aid be able to be applied to study abroad, we’re going to be charging Whitman tuition,” explained Director of Off-Campus Studies Susan Brick.
Students currently have the option to participate in approved programs, which are run through separate institutions and have their own separate tuitions. Whitman financial aid doesn’t apply to these programs. After the change, some of these approved programs will become partner programs, expanding the partner program list from around 45 options to over 70, and students who elect to take a semester abroad through a partner program will pay what they would normally pay for a semester at Whitman plus the cost of room and board.
Brick said that this new model ensures that students with financial aid are able to choose from a variety of programs if they opt to study abroad. It will also allow the Financial Aid office to package a student’s on-campus aid with the cost of going abroad, lightening the financial burden of traveling to more expensive destinations.
“The main principle is that we want students to be able to go abroad regardless of their financial need,” she said.
The change is also designed to more closely align off-campus programs with the academic goals and curriculum of Whitman.
“We’re meeting with each department and asking them what kind of programming would really help students in their major: for their intellectual development, for their careers, for their global awareness,” said Brick.
Studying abroad is generally a popular option for Whitman students, but recently there has been a downturn in the percentage of the student body choosing to take a semester abroad. Approximately 37 percent of this year’s junior class is going abroad, compared to last year’s 49 percent. Brick said the administration is not certain what is causing this change, although the economic downturn could be a factor.
Some students confirmed that finances were a major factor in the decision to study abroad.
“It is fairly expensive to study abroad in certain areas of the world depending on the exchange rates. I personally would have had to fund my way there and my own living situation, which is what made me decide not to study abroad,” said sophomore Jane Carmody. “I think the switch shows that the Study Abroad and Financial Aid office are now more sensitive to cost issues when choosing to study abroad.”
Sophomore Bailey Richards agreed that cost was a concern and said that the new model would probably affect some students negatively.
“Finances were a major concern for me because I didn’t want a program with a cost higher than what I’m currently paying for Whitman tuition,” she said. “Universally applying Whitman tuition will make study abroad more expensive for most people, even if they do consider additional aid for pricier programs and waive the administrative fee.”
Erik Larson, a junior currently enrolled in a program in Madrid, also noted the possible effect on students who are paying full Whitman tuition.
“I can understand that the new system will reduce the work that the Office of Off-Campus Studies and the Office of Financial Aid have to do. It’s unfortunate, though, for those students whose study abroad experiences will cost more,” he said in an email.
The change will primarily affect this year’s first-year class. The new model was outlined for first-year students during opening week, and an informational meeting is to be held in April to give prospective study abroad applicants more details about the change.
First-year students appear to have mixed feelings about the changes. First-year Lydia Loopesko is not particularly satisfied with the changes.
“I think there will be less incentive to study abroad now. Part of the joy of going abroad is not paying as much. If you’re not at Whitman, you shouldn’t be paying Whitman rates,” she said.
However, first-year David Wilson doesn’t feel that the change in cost will have too negative of an effect for students in his class.
“I feel like the increase in price could keep students from applying in the first place. But I guess if what you’re paying is what you’d pay to stay here, you’d be paying it anyway. So unless you’re looking to save money while studying abroad, it shouldn’t make too much of a difference,” he said.
Brick noted that Whitman’s commitment towards expanding students’ knowledge would remain constant even at the the face of change.
“Whitman is very supportive of global learning and international understanding,” said Brick. “We want our students to have that perspective, and that’s why we’ve been so generous with financial aid for so long for off-campus studies. We’re going to continue to do that, just in a slightly different way.”
