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NEWS

Abroad program gets major boost

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by Nick Penzenstadler

Thursday, February 22, 2007

More than 1,600 University of Wisconsin students traveled to foreign countries to study abroad in 2004-05 — and with the help of a $100,000 contribution, even more will have the opportunity in the future.

Already ranking 11th in the nation for study abroad programs, UW received a big boost from Gigi Pritzker, an alumnus of UW's study abroad program to Nepal, to help offer yearlong study abroad grants of up to $5,000.

"Gigi Pitzker was on a Nepal program back in the early 1980s, had a very moving experience and came back with her life very much turned around," said Joe Elder, faculty coordinator for study abroad programs to India and Nepal.

Pitzker's gift was given to the Division of International Studies, which sends approximately 900 of the 1,600 UW students studying abroad on 90 separate programs, according to Rob Howell, director of International Academic Programs, a subdivision of the DIS.

The donation will be targeted at non-traditional programs to Central and Eastern Europe, Latin America, Asia and Africa, Howell said, instead of popular study areas in Western Europe.

Howell added UW sends many students overseas for the full year.

"Our campus really has a leadership role nationally in longer-term programs for our students," Howell said. "Less than 5 percent [of students nationally] go for a full academic year — among ours, it's around 16 percent."

According to Howell, UW students pay around the same amount for regular tuition and could receive grants to pay for a large portion of the fee.

"Basically, the programs have different costs depending on where they are," Howell said. "For this particular grant, they are on the larger side — more in the $2,500 to $5,000 range — so this obviously does a lot."

According to Elder, students go through an application process and can sign up for a full-year commitment to study.

"The requirements are that this be a one-year program that involves an intensive study of some other language," Elder said.

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