SU Offering New Financial Grants

By Olivia Maniscalco

SYRACUSE, N.Y. – The Syracuse University abroad program is introducing new financial awards in the upcoming 2021-2022 school year. This comes in a partnership with the division of enrollment and the student experience, who gave 1.4 million dollars in grants and aid. They are offering three awards to help students in paying for their trip. The Academic Excellence Award is eligible for students with a cumulative  3.7  to 4.0 GPA. Students receive $1,400 for Fall 2021 programs and $650 for spring 2022 programs. The Need-Based Merit Award is for students with a GPA of 3.0 to 3.69. They will receive $1,000 for Fall 2021 programs and $400 for Spring 2022 programs. The Travel Assistance Grants are for students who demonstrate a need for financial aid. Along with these awards, the application fee has been reduced to $50 for the Fall 2021 semester programs. 

Maria del Mar Aponte Rodriguez is the Campus Outreach Manager for SU Abroad. She is very excited about the new awards, as they will be an incentive for students to participate in a program. She says the program really wants to “make everything accessible to students.” They do not want studying abroad to be something that people can not afford. To further this aid, students can combine awards in order to get more money. 

Julia Kelly, an SU senior who graduated after the Fall semester, went abroad to London last Spring. Although it was an amazing experience, it was expensive. Not only do students have to pay to go on the trip, there are multitudes of extra fees that come about when they arrive at their destination. Kelly states that is the “hardest part” about going abroad. She is very hopeful that the new grants will help convince students to go, as it is an experience Kelly believes everyone should get.