1. You can study abroad for the same cost as your UMaine tuition…or less!
One type of study abroad program is called Direct Exchange. You would pay your tuition to UMaine,
and a student in another country would pay their own, then you would just swap schools! The only thing you have to pay for is airfare, living expenses, and taking advantage of some great international shopping. This is an incredible deal for in-state students!
UMaine currently offers direct exchanges in the following countries: Australia, Bulgaria, Canada, Chile, France, Germany, Japan, Spain, Turkey, and the United Kingdom.
The other program options are Direct Enroll, apply to the international school of your choice and attend like any other student would; and Recommended Programs, apply through a third-party company. With both of these methods, you can find some programs that cost less than your tuition here!
Living in certain places, like Asia or South America, can be much cheaper than here in Vacationland. For example, University Studies Abroad Consortium (USAC) offers a semester in Thailand for just over $3,000 and another in Chile for about $5,000. You have to add in airfare, housing, meals, and more, but it would still be cheaper than a semester here!
2. There’s an entire room devoted to helping you select a program.
Friendly students, called Peer Advisors, staff a place called the Study Abroad Resource Room. They are all avid travelers and have studied abroad while at UMaine. One has circumnavigated (okay, so circumtraveled…) the world, and another is absent this semester because she’s currently studying abroad…for the second time! These students are there to help you find a program that fits and start the advising process.
The Study Abroad Resource Room is located on the 3rd floor of The Maples. It’s open Monday through Friday from 11:30 to 3:30 during Fall and Spring semesters.
The room houses a huge amount of Study Abroad pamphlets, videos, and other information. They are well organized, so you can narrow it down by country, time frame, or major and have a few options in no time. The Peer Advisor will usually ask you questions and do this for you, then help you sift through your options and find that perfect program. They can also introduce you to opportunities like scholarships, internships, volunteering, and teaching abroad!
3. There’s a network of people ready to answer your questions.
The Office of International Programs keeps a list of students who have studied abroad at popular locations and have volunteered to be “mentors” for those considering their school, program, or country.
UMaine’s current mentors studied abroad in: Australia, Belgium, Bulgaria, Chile, Costa Rica, Cyprus, Denmark, Egypt, England (I spy a Her Campus UMaine Co-Founder!), France, Germany, Greece, India, Ireland, Italy, Morocco, New Zealand, Russia, South Africa, Spain, Turkey, and Wales.
The list of mentors and their contact information can be accessed online by clicking here (INSERT LINK: http://umaine.edu/international/study-abroad-programs-and-university-exchanges/outgoing-students/study-abroad-mentors/).
Also, the Study Abroad Resource Room has student evaluations from most countries and programs. You can find out how much people spent on food, what their home stay was like, and everything in between! It’s a good way to get on the spot specifics when you’re trying to decide on a program or prepare for your upcoming trip!
If that’s not enough, you can email studyabroad@umit.maine.edu the Office of International Programs, and they will answer any or all of your questions!