For students taking Spanish or the other Romance languages, the UO offers extensive opportunities to study abroad. Study abroad opportunities also exist for students taking East Asian, Scandinavian or Germanic languages and literature courses, theatre arts, and many other liberal arts subjects. The first time there can be disorienting, but the study abroad program allows them to be slightly sheltered. Students can earn university credits for approved study abroad courses, allowing them to use financial aid. However, most trips are self-supported and many students can't afford them, says Mills.
Scholarships are crucial to making the program accessible to all academically qualified students.
Each student will experience the program in his or her own way, but all are bound to find it a transforming experience, says Gina Psaki , associate professor of Romance languages. It helps them see the world and themselves through different eyes and become more thoughtful and sophisticated citizens.