Penn State's Access Abroad program is part of a three-year Federal Improvement for Post Secondary Education grant written by officials at the University of Minnesota last year. Penn State offices are reaching out to students to offer them this educational service. The Institute for European Studies, based in Chicago, also is involved with the project. Penn State's Office of International Programs offers scholarships to students who have documented disabilities and unmet monetary needs so they can study abroad. However, monetary needs are not the only issues students need to address before studying abroad, Groff said.
Planning is another issue for interested students to consider.
It takes a while to plan to study abroad. We're dealing with different cultures and different ways of life. We want to make a good match for every student, so it helps to start thinking ahead. But students are not limited to these choices in international programs and the offices will work to place students in preferred locations. It can be difficult.