How I paid for my Social Work Spain: Social Justice During Times of Crisis Study Abroad
When first presented with the chance to study abroad in Leon, Spain, I thought, “How the heck can I afford this?” Sure, there are opportunities for scholarships and financial aid but there was no guarantee that I would get assistance with the program fees. One thing to know before studying abroad is that there is a contract. Once you sign it, you are responsible for a portion of the program fees even if you decide not to participate. This made me hesitate to commit to the program, but after thinking about it (and praying), I decided to sign the contract and do everything in my power to make it happen. I had no idea how I was going to pay for it but it was a once in a lifetime opportunity I could not pass up. I decided to explore every avenue possible to get financial assistance.
First stop, financial aid office. I met with an advisor to see what forms I should fill out in order to request a larger amount of student loans during the early fall. I was told that they would not know how much I would be approved for, if any, until June, when they begin preparing financial aid packages for the school year. It is important to know that with financial aid, there is a cap on how much aid you are awarded for the school year. It is not a guarantee to receive a higher amount than you usually get in order to study abroad. I was advised to request grants (not loans) and turn in a budget sheet of program costs to the financial aid office, and then I had to wait until June.
Aside from the program fee, I faced travel costs (airfare, student id, spending money, etc) which had to be paid off well before the program started. Therefore, I had to create a budget six months in advance in order to afford my monthly bills and cover costs for Spain, along with getting a second job during the summer. Budgeting is a big part of how I travel so often, I believe you can go anywhere in the world if you plan efficiently and far enough ahead of time. Budgeting solidifies plans, making them a reality because you know exactly how you’re going to afford it without neglecting other responsibilities.
Starting in April, I created a bi-weekly budget plan based on the amount of income every other week. I start with bills, if I am not sure how much the electric or phone bill will be, I try to estimate higher to leave room for adjustments (ex. $100 for electric for the month of April). Once all bills are accounted for, I write down all costs for the near future (ex. making payments on airfare, getting a passport, etc.). Every time I got paid, I turned to my budget sheet to see what my check was going to be spent on that week, if it was all bills, that means there’s more flexibility in my budget the next time I get paid. Budgeting teaches discipline and responsible spending habits, this is also a great way to save.
Next, I turned to scholarships. I applied to the UWB Study Abroad scholarship along with seven others to help with the program fee. After applying to eight different scholarships, I got one and received the news a week before leaving for Spain. The timing couldn’t be more perfect.
I wanted to show an example of my budget sheet. I included the date, how much income to expect, and a breakdown of expenses. It helps to have a separate notebook to write in. There are also budget apps you can install on your phone for daily budget planning.
In the end, I had faith that things would work out if I was meant to study abroad, but I also had a good budget plan, multiple meetings with financial aid, and applied for scholarships. In the time it took to prepare for the program, I learned that you don’t have to be in the position to afford to study abroad but you do have to be prepared to plan efficiently and explore all options for financial assistance.
Jerica Glover, Early Fall 2019
