Studying abroad can be a life-changing and perspective-broadening experience. As an undergraduate or graduate student, you have the opportunity to immerse yourself in a new culture, learn a new language, and make connections that last a lifetime. But when is the best time to study abroad? Should you go during undergrad or wait until grad school?
The short answer is that there are excellent study abroad opportunities at both levels, each with their own advantages when it comes to scholarships and other benefits. In this blog post, we’ll compare studying abroad as an undergrad versus a graduate student in terms of scholarship opportunities, costs, program options, and more.
Scholarships and Financial Aid for Undergrad Study Abroad
One major advantage of studying abroad as an undergraduate is that you have access to a wide range of scholarships, grants, and other financial aid to help cover costs. Here are some of the main funding options available for undergrad study abroad:
- University study abroad scholarships: Many colleges and universities offer scholarships and grants specifically for their own undergrad students to study abroad for a semester or year. These are awarded based on financial need, academic merit, or both.
- National study abroad scholarships: Prestigious scholarships like the Gilman Scholarship and Boren Awards provide thousands of dollars for U.S. undergrad students to study languages and cultures around the world.
- Government grants and loans: Federal and state financial aid like Pell Grants, Perkins Loans, and Direct Loans can be applied to approved study abroad programs.
- External study abroad scholarships: There are hundreds of scholarships from third-party organizations that provide funding for undergrads to study abroad, often with specific eligibility criteria.
- Travel scholarships: Global travel organizations like StudentUniverse and GoAbroad offer scholarships and travel discounts for undergrad study abroad.
Altogether, an ambitious undergrad student can pieced together grants, scholarships, savings, and loans to make study abroad very affordable or even free. Studying abroad as early as freshman or sophomore year allows you to take advantage of undergrad-only funding opportunities.
More Scholarships for Grad Students Abroad
While undergrad study abroad funding is abundant, scholarships and assistantships are also available at the graduate level:
- University graduate scholarships: Many universities provide scholarship packages specifically for their graduate students to study or research abroad for a semester or year.
- Fulbright grants: The prestigious Fulbright U.S. Student Program provides full scholarships for grad students to study, research, or teach English abroad for up to one year.
- Language study grants: Government organizations like the National Security Education Program provide graduate funding for studying languages like Arabic, Chinese, and Swahili.
- Graduate fellowships: Fellowships like the Boren Fellowship give thousands in funding for U.S. graduate students to study less commonly taught languages.
- Teaching/research assistantships: Graduate students can find paid work as teaching assistants, researchers, and lecturers at international universities.
- Organization grants and scholarships: Many subject-specific graduate scholarships are offered through global organizations like the Institute for International Education (IIE).
Though graduate scholarships may offer less funding on average, students can offset costs by working and leveraging financial aid. Overall, both undergrad and graduate students can get creative in piecing together scholarships and grants to reduce the costs of studying internationally.
Program Options and Requirements
When it comes to program options, undergraduates typically have more flexibility in terms of eligible locations and programs for their study abroad experience. Undergraduate study abroad programs are offered in over 100 countries through:
- Semester/year-long exchange programs
- Short-term summer and January programs
- Faculty-led programs
- Internship/research programs
- Service learning programs
With so many options, undergrads can find the right program type, location, duration, and area of study to align with their goals and interests. Graduate students often have fewer program types to choose from, with most opportunities being:
- Semester/year university exchanges
- Short-term summer research programs
- International internships
- Fulbright grants
However, graduate students have the advantage of being able to design customized research, teaching, or internship experiences to align closely with their academic and professional goals. They can also leverage existing professional networks and language skills to access opportunities that are inaccessible to undergrads.
When it comes to eligibility, undergrads usually need to meet minimum GPA requirements and have completed at least one semester of college before studying abroad. Graduate students need to be enrolled in a master’s or Ph.D. program and meet any GPA or coursework prerequisites required by their target programs.
Overall, undergrads generally have more flexibility in program types and destinations, while grads can customize high-impact experiences connected to their academic interests.
Cost Comparison
The comparative cost is one of the biggest factors when considering undergrad versus graduate study abroad. Here is an overview:
- Tuition costs: Undergrads pay regular tuition fees to their home university, which are often applyable to study abroad. Graduate tuition may or may not be valid abroad.
- Program fees: Both undergrads and grads need to pay application fees, abroad insurance fees, accommodations, airfare, and other program costs. Grad programs may have a higher program cost on average.
- Lost/delayed salary: Graduate students forgo income by delaying their full entry into the workforce during study abroad. Undergrads do not face this opportunity cost.
- Financial aid impact: Study abroad impacts the financial aid packages of grad students more than undergrads. Grad students need to speak with financial aid advisors before committing.
While scholarships can reduce costs significantly, undergraduates tend to pay lower total costs than graduate students, who must postpone income and navigate financial aid. Extra saving ahead of time allows graduate students to offset costs.
Global Career Impact
While undergrad and graduate study abroad both provide career advantages, the impact may be different:
- Undergrads: Study abroad as a student helps undergrads gain skills like language fluency, cultural adaptability, and global perspectives that help them land globally-focused first jobs and set them apart from other candidates.
- Grads: Since grads are further along in their careers, study abroad helps them expand professional networks abroad, gain global expertise in their field, and often helps with landing international careers or field assignments.
- Language skills: Undergrads have more time to achieve fluency in a new language by studying abroad. Grads can pivot towards professions involving second languages.
- Maturity and focus: Graduate students may be able to maximize career impact compared to undergrads due to greater maturity, field knowledge, and career focus while abroad.
Overall, both undergrads and graduate students can point to international experiences as a key differentiation factor in seeking globally-focused jobs and standing out to recruiters.
Additional Considerations
Beyond costs, program options, and career impact, here are some other factors to consider when weighing undergrad versus graduate study abroad:
- Age and maturity: Older graduate students may be more prepared for challenges abroad compared to 18-22 year old undergraduates. However, undergrads have time to learn from mistakes.
- Program guidance: Universities provide extensive guidance for undergrads on navigating study abroad, while grads need to be more independent.
- Language learning: Undergrads may have an easier time becoming fluent in a second language by studying abroad at a younger age and for longer periods.
- Global networks: Graduate study abroad allows students to expand professional networks abroad vital for global careers. Undergrads gain social and cultural connections.
- Reward vs distraction: For undergrads, study abroad could be a distraction from completing degree requirements. For grads, it’s an impactful capstone experience before launching a career.
Should You Study Abroad as an Undergrad or Grad Student?
So should you plan to study abroad as an undergraduate student, or wait until graduate school? Here are some final thoughts:
- If you want to become fluent in a second language, have maximum program flexibility, and minimize costs, undergrad study abroad has many advantages.
- For students focused on global career impact and building professional connections abroad in your field, graduate programs are likely more targeted.
- Both undergrad and graduate options allow you to gain skills in cultural adaptability, problem solving, and communication that benefit your career.
- Blending both by studying abroad as an undergrad and grad can provide the most benefits long-term.
- Discuss your goals and funding options with study abroad advisors to determine what makes sense for your needs and interests.
The “right” time to study abroad depends on your personal and professional goals and situation. With proper planning, scholarships, and an open mind, both undergrads and graduate students can capitalize on the immense benefits and memories offered by an international education experience.
