In the wide world of
study abroad, the options and opportunities available to American students seem
endless and exhaustive. Unless the country you want to visit is in a state of
civil war (or Antarctica) you can go there. There is one opportunity, however,
that so far has gone shockingly under the radar: study abroad at home.
That sounds like a
contradiction, doesn't it? Yet it's true: it is possible as an American citizen
to study abroad in the United States.
This is what you need to
know about DOMESTIC EXCHANGE, something you won’t find at your school’s
Study Abroad Office.
THE LOWDOWN
- Nearly two hundred state universities, as well as universities in Canadian provinces and U.S. territories in the Caribbean, participate in the National Student Exchange (NSE). Through this program, students at participating state schools can attend almost any other state school in the country for up to one year.
- All schools that participate in the program must have a one-for-one exchange, meaning each school must receive the same number of students on their campus that they send to a host campus. Thus being from a school that is large and/or in a good location is an advantage.
- Depending on the home and host institution, there are two options for tuition payments: either the student will continue to pay tuition at their home university or they will pay in-state tuition at the host university.
To gain a better
understanding of the National Student Exchange program, I treated my friend
Allie to a caffè americano before inquiring about every last detail. As an
alumna of both domestic exchange in Southern California and an international
exchange in Rome, I knew that she would be just the person to point out the
pros and cons of the NSE as well as compare it to traditional study abroad.
ALLIE'S STORY
Despite
having always known that she wanted to study abroad, it was pure chance that
Allie happened to hear about domestic exchange from a campus tour guide as an
incoming freshman. Not all tour guides even knew it existed, and it was rarely
mentioned on tours. In the Consortium Office at the University of Massachusetts
at Amherst she learned about the National Student Exchange, including the
lengthy application process, and began right away.
In between
classes and work at a part-time job, Allie considered schools and interviewed
with an NSE advisor. Ultimately, she chose to spend the spring semester of her
sophomore year at California State University at Northridge for two reasons:
she believed it would be the exact opposite of Massachusetts culturally and
geographically, and because Cal State offers fashion and textile courses not
available at UMass.
Immediately
after arriving Allie began to notice differences between her home and host
cultures. As a white Pennsylvanian in predominantly Latino Los Angeles County,
she became a demographic minority for the first time in her life. While the
university campus in Amherst is a hub of student activity, Cal State had many
commuters and a small on-campus population. Many things were new and subtly
different: the pace of life, the landscape, the food, things like slang and
political views. Mostly she viewed the differences as positive. On the
weekends, Allie and her new friends would take trips to the many beaches nearby:
Malibu, Long Beach, Manhattan Beach, and her favorite: Santa Monica, where the
girls would hang around the Pier for the amazing food and to watch the 2009
tuition hike riots.
Allie
recently graduated from UMass with a dual degree in Economics and Anthropology.
Although she still prefers the East Coast, the self-awareness, independence and
connections she gained in California prepared her for study abroad in Italy and
continue to serve her well in life and in her career. Allie’s story demonstrates that travel, even within one’s own
country, can induce culture shock, teach us things we never could have hoped to
learn otherwise, and prepare us in important ways for life.
Easy credit transfer,
comparatively low cost, common language, and networking opportunities make
domestic exchange an appealing alternative to international study abroad. The application
process is lengthy. It is necessary to plan one year in advance. The activities
and excursions on the host campus are fewer and less organized than with most
international study abroad providers. For any student who is independent and
organized, domestic exchange could be a fantastic opportunity to explore a new
region of the good ol' U. S. of A. No foreign language skills? No passport? No
problem! You can still "study abroad." Ever considered Hawaii?
Colorado? Louisiana? And with a passport, the options grow: how about
Saskatchewan? Guam? Puerto Rico?
America is one of the top
five largest countries in the world by land area, and amazingly we share one
common language and American identity. Why not take advantage and explore our
country, breaking down stereotypes about other Americans you didn't even know
you had? Who's to say that this is not as great an adventure as crossing an
ocean?
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