New students soon offered scholarships to study abroad

Grand Valley will soon begin offering scholarships to 100 incoming students to help fund their study abroad experiences.

The "Lakers Go Abroad!" scholarship program will begin with the class of 2019. It is a unique collaboration between Grand Valley's Padnos International Center and Admissions Office aimed at attracting students who might select a college based on its study abroad opportunities. 

Qualified first-year students will receive $2,000 to use within four years of their start at Grand Valley. 

Mark Schaub, chief international officer, said the money will have significant impact on the cost of most study abroad programs, and help increase the pipeline of students who participate in international education experiences.

Jodi Chycinski, director of Admissions, said the goal of "Lakers Go Abroad!" is to make study abroad accessible to a larger number of students.

"There will certainly be students with travel experience who will be attracted to this opportunity, but our hope is that other students who may not think they can afford to study abroad will see it as an option," Chycinski said.

The program's timeline will begin in October, when current high school juniors who have been admitted to Grand Valley (in the class of 2019) can apply for the scholarship.

With more than 4,000 study abroad options, Grand Valley has consistently been ranked in the top 10 nationally for study abroad participation. Learn more about study abroad opportunities at gvsu.edu/studyabroad.