Spring Break
The Daily OrangeAid offered to build up new programs
By Ryan Balton
Posted: 10/23/07, 12:44 AM EST Section: News
Syracuse University Abroad will debut its newest Santiago program this spring - and the deal just got a bit sweeter.
SU Abroad added program-specific grants for up to $6,000 for the Santiago program and for its second-newest program, Beijing, which was started a year and a half ago.
Additionally, SU Abroad increased need-based grants for all programs.
The program-specific grants for Beijing and Santiago are a way of generating interest for the new programs, said Daeya Malboeuf, SU Abroad associate director of marketing and communications.
"These are programs that we really believe in, and they're places that we want our students to have a chance to go. But we've got to support them," Malboeuf said. "We've got to support the program, and in order to do that, we've got to have students there."
Students are generally more attracted to the programs in familiar locations like Florence, London or Madrid, Malboeuf said.
"This is for somebody who's got a little more of a sense of adventure," she said.
The Beijing and Santiago grants serve as an incentive, but the increased aid was not the result of students requesting more money, Malboeuf said.
"It's our proactive effort to encourage students to choose those destinations," she said.
Christina Kelly, a senior geography and Spanish minor, studied in Santiago in fall 2006 before SU Abroad's official program was created.
"I think studying abroad is an incredibly important experience because it gives people a new perspective on life," she said.
Because Kelly studied at a Chilean university before SU Abroad initiated a program there, she doesn't know the details of the new program. She suggested students considering the Santiago program should have a strong grasp of the Spanish language.
"The subway system is excellent as is the view of the Andes," she said. "The food is not so amazing, although I had no serious qualms over it. The air quality is not the greatest but improving.
SU Abroad added program-specific grants for up to $6,000 for the Santiago program and for its second-newest program, Beijing, which was started a year and a half ago.
Additionally, SU Abroad increased need-based grants for all programs.
The program-specific grants for Beijing and Santiago are a way of generating interest for the new programs, said Daeya Malboeuf, SU Abroad associate director of marketing and communications.
"These are programs that we really believe in, and they're places that we want our students to have a chance to go. But we've got to support them," Malboeuf said. "We've got to support the program, and in order to do that, we've got to have students there."
Students are generally more attracted to the programs in familiar locations like Florence, London or Madrid, Malboeuf said.
"This is for somebody who's got a little more of a sense of adventure," she said.
The Beijing and Santiago grants serve as an incentive, but the increased aid was not the result of students requesting more money, Malboeuf said.
"It's our proactive effort to encourage students to choose those destinations," she said.
Christina Kelly, a senior geography and Spanish minor, studied in Santiago in fall 2006 before SU Abroad's official program was created.
"I think studying abroad is an incredibly important experience because it gives people a new perspective on life," she said.
Because Kelly studied at a Chilean university before SU Abroad initiated a program there, she doesn't know the details of the new program. She suggested students considering the Santiago program should have a strong grasp of the Spanish language.
"The subway system is excellent as is the view of the Andes," she said. "The food is not so amazing, although I had no serious qualms over it. The air quality is not the greatest but improving.
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