Studying Abroad Still an Option for College Students of Color

Ashley Stephens, a finance and accounting double major at Syracuse University, is still adjusting to the 12-hour time difference between the States and Shanghai, China.  The rising senior spent most of her summer break enrolled in SU Abroad‘s The Ascent of the Chinese Economy, followed by an internship at Mary Ching, a luxury shoe and accessories brand.

“The company is looking for investors, so what I did was look at financial records, income statements, and P&L [profit and loss] statements,” says Stephens. “[I] basically looked at what were their bestsellers and the growth of the company.”

In the first half of the program–comprised of eight SU enrolled students–the 20-year-old was one of two students of color, the other student hailed from George Washington University. However, Stephens became the only Black student in a cohort of around 90 during the second portion. It’s a disproportion that’s quite common across college campuses in the United States.

According to the latest Open Doors: Report on International Educational Exchange, a study run by the New York-based not-for-profit organization Institute of International Education (IIE), of the 260,327 students that studied abroad for credit in 2008-09, nearly 81% are White and only 4.2% are Black/African-American.  The same report found 7% of Asians, 6% of Latinos and nearly 2% of multiracial students studied overseas. Looking at the larger picture, college and university students earning  credit abroad is down for the first time in 22 years, but international students studying abroad in the U.S. is on the rise (up 3% to 690,923 during the 2009-10 academic year).

This opportunity gap was addressed by First Lady Michelle Obama last January at the “100,000 Strong” State Visit event on the campus of Howard University in Washington, DC.  Mrs. Obama outlined efforts to

support the “100,000 Strong Initiative” to increase both the number and the diversity of young people from the U.S. studying in China. She stressed the benefits of studying abroad, but also made mention of students’ reservations, such as expense, relevance and accessibility.

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“We know that there’s a problem,” says Peggy Blumenthal, senior counselor to IIE President Allan E. Goodman. “The problem is that African-Americans, Latinos, students of color generally are underrepresented in study abroad compared to their participation in U.S. higher education.” African-Americans are currently 13.5% of the college population.

When it comes to affording an international education, it’s a steep price many students of color are unsure they’re able to pay. Even if they have accepted the offer to study abroad, it’s a struggle to make sure all expenses are covered up until the moment they’re boarding the flight and sometimes thereafter.

“My biggest concern was affording it,” says Stephens, who footed the $12,000-plus excursion with loans, grants and a scholarship. “A week before [my trip] I still didn’t even know if I was going because I didn’t have my plane ticket and it was a constant back-and-forth with financial aid and SU Abroad just to get money.”

Despite the scramble, Stephens advises students not to let that or anything stand in the way of attaining a study abroad experience. “Do not stop at anything to make sure you get the aid. For many students of color, their parents can’t afford it; they don’t see any way to achieve their goal and they kind of give up,” says the 2012 grad. “I would say go after all resources available.”

Jennifer Campbell, assistant director of the Benjamin A. Gilman International Scholarship Program at IIE, agrees. “We’re constantly trying to find connections in the African-American community to reach out to those students and encourage them that it’s not a matter of if

, it’s a matter of when are you going abroad,” says Campbell.

She notes the program, which provides study-abroad grants for low-income undergraduate students, collaborates with notable organizations such as the Thurgood Marshall College Fund, National Association for Equal Opportunity in Higher Education (NAFEO) and the National Conference for Race and Ethnicity in American Higher Education (NCORE). With diversity as its motto and 10 years under its belt, the program has awarded over 1,440 African-American students with up to $5,000 each academic year.

“As African Americans we can be successful in international education,” says Campbell.

Stephens made her abroad experience happen, despite the close call.  She regards it as a worthwhile experience–one that has enriched her culturally and professionally.  “The best part,” she says, “was being in a country that will potentially be one of the leaders in the global market.”

For study abroad funding opportunities, visit StudyAbroadFunding.org.