Preparing for Study Abroad: The First Three Steps

Passports & Visas, as an American

Renewing or obtaining your passport is the earliest task you will accomplish before departure, as American F-1 student visas require a passport that expires at least six months after your program ends. Since passport renewals take about four to six weeks to be processed, and student visas can take anywhere from four to sixteen weeks to be approved, it’s a good idea to secure your passport at least six months before you embark on your study abroad adventure. 

I highly recommend the ACCeSS program if your consulate requires an in-person appointment to obtain your student visa. The IES Abroad ACCeSS service provides a representative who will attend your visa appointment and retrieve your approved visa, then mail it back to you. If you live several states away from your consulate, like I do, paying the $175 ACCeSS fee actually saves money, as you don’t need to book a hotel or two round-trip flights. Be sure to mail your passport and visa materials to IES Abroad several weeks in advance of the ACCeSS deadline.  

Funding Study Abroad

Depending on your school, studying abroad may be cheaper than a semester at home. I created a spreadsheet with a breakdown of every single cost included and anticipated in each program to help me decide between locations. Once I picked a program, I  calculated how much financial aid I would need and began applying for grants accordingly. 

I fully funded my study abroad with two scholarships and two grants. Receiving grants and scholarships to study abroad can significantly improve your experience, as you can allocate more money towards travel, food, and trinket shopping. If you know you can pay for study abroad but will be spread thin financially, apply for financial aid. IES Abroad offers several hundred to several thousand dollars in aid, and most schools have scholarships you can apply for—money is out there waiting to be used, and fewer people apply than you think.

Advice I received that got me two grants and scholarships:

• Quality over quantity. Apply for the big ones, and spend time perfecting your application - this will make you stand out. People often apply for numerous scholarships with moderately strong applications, but are beaten out by someone with a few fantastic applications.
• Tailor your essay specific to the organization you are requesting money from. Research the organization’s values, and describe how your study abroad pursuits will align with them. For example, one of my grants focused on “creating changemakers,” so I explained how studying abroad would bolster my career development by achieving fluency in Spanish, empowering me to take risks in my career, and contributing to an inviting, inclusive workplace with my gained cultural competency.
• Emphasize long-term outcomes. How will this experience significantly benefit you and your community? Explain how studying abroad will help you contribute to society later on.

Creating a spreadsheet to track all of my expected and unexpected expenditures as they arose helped me feel confident in responsibly spending my money. Since the Granada homestay option does not provide dinner, I budgeted a certain amount of money per meal and allocated the remainder for non-necessities, like travel, clothing, and entertainment.. Additionally, keeping up with all of IES Abroad’s emails and zoom meetings kept me on track for time-sensitive decisions, like choosing housing and preregistration (first-come, first-serve basis).  

Overall, planning out my logistics, finances, and approach to a new culture months in advance made studying abroad feel manageable. Take the risk!