Skip to content

Parent and Family FAQ

  

 Today’s world is globally interconnected and careers in every field – from business to government to non-profits – require interacting with people from other cultures and countries. Those who are best prepared are likely to be hired first, and to succeed. 

Study abroad is an investment in your child’s future – providing real-life, hands-on experiences that no classroom can match. These experiences help to solidify personal ambitions and mold your student into an informed global citizen with a competitive edge for employment in an increasingly borderless economy. 

  • Leaving their comfort zone helps your student to develop independence, flexibility, and the capacity to operate effectively, learn quickly, and handle stress in unfamiliar and difficult situations.

  •  Living somewhere new opens your student’s eyes to different ways of thinking about the world, which supports cross-cultural awareness and competencies that can be brought to bear in addressing complex problems.

  • Immersion helps your student to enhance their proficiency and confidence in speaking and understanding another language.

Families have a significant impact on how students see the world and whether they study abroad. Regardless of whether you plan to guide the process and decision-making yourself, or step back and let your student take the lead, your student depends on the support and encouragement that only you can provide. 

Browse our FAQs for guidance. Additional resources include A Parent Guide to Study Abroad and United States Department of State, Information for Parents.

Why should my student study abroad?

Study abroad is an investment in your child’s future – providing real-life, hands-on experiences that no classroom can match.

Common core competencies developed through study abroad include:

  • Improved interpersonal and communication skills
  • Heightened sensitivity to other cultures
  • Increased adaptability, flexibility, and independence
  • Solidified career goals
  • Enhanced self confidence
  • Broadened contacts and networking connections
  • Improved communication abilities in another language
 

Will my student be safe overseas?

The thought of your student overseas can rattle the nerves of even the most easy going family members. Rest assured that odds are in your favor that your child will have an incident-free study abroad experience. 

The most common problems that students face while studying abroad are minor (like petty theft or illness) or self-inflicted (like drinking too much or poor money management). While there is no such thing as a destination that is 100% safe, and there are some risks that are inherent to traveling, common sense and good judgment can be used to stay safe overseas (just like at home).
 

The State Department also provides US citizens overseas assistance in the case of an emergency 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. The Education Abroad Office further supports student safety through:

  • 24/7 emergency assistance
  • Monitoring international events and global public health concerns
  • Clear emergency and crisis response protocols
  • Required pre-departure orientation participation for all students
  • Arranging international travel insurance for all student participants
  • Vetting all third party providers
  • Assessing and mitigating risk for all programs

How You Can Help

You can help your student to remain safe during their education abroad experience:

  • Ensure that your student is mature and serious about their study abroad experience. This is among the best ways to help them to be safe overseas. 
  • Review the US Department of State's country-specific travel information for your student’s destination, including insights into health and safety issues.
  • Check that your student has the required and recommended vaccines and prophylaxis for travel to their host country. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention provides information about staying healthy in locations around the world, including required and recommended immunizations. Maintain a copy of your student’s international traveler insurance policy in case your student requires assistance accessing care.
  • Research local customs, laws, and current events using guidebooks, travel blogs, country-specific newspapers, and other resources. It is especially important that travelers with disabilities, female travelers, LGBTQAI+ travelers, older travelers, and non-cisgender travelers understand if there are any specific challenges or restrictions that they may face.
  • Sign up for the US Department of State’s Smart Traveler Enrollment Program (STEP) to receive important and up-to-date information about local safety conditions. Have your student sign up also, so that the a US Embassy or Consulate can reach your student in an emergency. 
  • Have your student download the Alert Traveler app and sign up for the service through goabroad.csusb.edu. Alert Traveler provides an SOS button for emergencies that will immediately contact the CSUSB Education Abroad Office. 
 

How much does it cost?

Study abroad is best considered as an investment, rather than as an expense. Study abroad will provide skills and experiences that shape your student’s future.


While the cost to study abroad often exceeds that of study at CSUSB, this is not always the case (because cost of living is significantly less in many overseas destinations than it is in southern California). Regardless, part of the planning process for study abroad is to make a financial plan. Where you are worried about financing your student's study abroad program, you might also encourage them to research and apply for study abroad scholarships, to seek out programs with unique financial benefits (like exchange programs, which have minimal program fees and, in some cases, perks like airfare reimbursement or free lodging), or to consider short-term programs that last 2-5 weeks (rather than a semester or year abroad).

Isn't study abroad just an excuse to party?
 

Isn't study abroad just an excuse to party?

No. 

Your student will have fun while they study abroad, but study abroad is about learning. Coursework from study abroad transfers to CSUSB, meaning that it has an impact on their GPA and progress toward graduation.

If your student is looking for an academic escape or a stress-free semester traveling like a tourist, study abroad may not be a good option for them. If your student has these expectations, remind them that the benefits of studying abroad do not arise from simply living overseas. Employers will want to know what they learned and how they can bring that experience to their job site. This requires being immersed in their host community as much as possible, making local friends, and experiencing what it's like to live in a completely new environment with a different approach to teaching, learning, and peer-to-peer engagement. Working through these differences (and learning from mistakes) prepares your student to work with colleagues, supervisors, customers, and clients from different backgrounds.

 

My student is undocumented. Can they participate?

If your student is a DACA recipient, they may be eligible to study abroad. The I-131 Application for Travel Document, also known as Advanced Parole, grants DACA recipients the ability to leave the United States for educational purposes and return back. Note that the process for receiving this clearance can take a long time and should be started early and in consultation with the Undocumented Student Success Center.

If your student is not a DACA recipient, they can participate in virtual education abroad opportunities known as COIL (collaborative online international learning). The Education Abroad Office does not currently support any COIL programs, but is looking to expand these opportunities for CSUSB students.The Office of Student Leadership and Engagement also oversees student participation in the National Student Exchange, which provides your student the opportunity to complete a semester or year at a different university within the United States.

 

Does study abroad delay graduation?

Most students who study abroad return home with new interest in their academic pursuits and an invigorated passion for learning. Studies suggest that students who participate in study abroad have:
  • Improved academic performance upon return to their home campus
  • Higher GPA at graduation, compared to non-participants
  • Higher 4-year graduation rates, compared to non-participants

To keep your student on track they should be encouraged to integrate their study abroad experience with the rest of their education, rather than view it as an add-on. Encourage your student to begin planning their study abroad experience early, so that they can get input from:

They can also look through the courses offered at the institution or program where they hope to study abroad, and compare it to degree requirements.
 

Where can my student go?

Anywhere! 

While in the past “study abroad” was synonymous with a semester in Western Europe, today study abroad opportunities are available in nearly every country on earth. Non-traditional destinations, with cultures that are vastly different from the US, or where the economy is rapidly expanding, can provide especially challenging situations that intensify the learning curve associated with education abroad.

CSUSB-approved programs include regular destinations in:
 
  • Africa | Ghana, South Africa
  • Asia | Japan, Republic of Korea (South Korea), Taiwan
  • Oceania | Australia
  • North America | Canada, Mexico
  • South America | Chile
  • Europe | Denmark, France, Germany, Italy, Spain, Sweden, United Kingdom
Additionally, CSUSB arranges faculty-led programs to new and different destinations each year. Keep your eye out for upcoming programs, released each November (for spring and summer opportunities) and April (for fall and winter opportunities). Recent destinations have included: Costa Rica, Czech Republic, Ecuador, Greece, Ireland, Jamaica, Kenya, Peru, Singapore.
 

How should my student select a program?

You are your student’s most important sounding board. As you discuss study abroad options, ask them questions that will help them to identify their priorities and decide which program is the best match. For example:

  • What do you want to study while abroad? Your student might prioritize completing coursework for their major or minor, or completing General Education requirements. Alternatively, they might want to take courses that are unique to the host institution, or coursework in a foreign language.
  •  How important is it that the credit transfer to CSUSB? Most students want their coursework to count at their home institution. Encourage your student to meet with a professional advisor to determine the minimum number of units needed to stay on track to graduate, and to complete the FORM to receive coursework approval before program departure.
  • Where do you want to study (and why)? Your student might take interest in a particular region or country connected to their heritage, career or academic ambitions, or course of study. Or, perhaps there is a specific language they would like to learn or improve their command of.
  •  How long do you want to be abroad? Short-term programs (less than six weeks) versus longer …
  •  How much does the program cost? Remind your student to account for tuition, program fees, health insurance, passport and visa fees, immunizations, housing, airfare, and everyday expenses like local transportation, food, entertainment, and communications.
  • What do you want most out of the experience? Help your student to valuate whether there is a match between your student’s stated goals and the programs they are considering.
 

My student only speaks English. Can they study abroad?

Yes!

Curiosity and willingness to learn are the more important qualifications to study abroad. Speaking a language other than English is not required. There are many study abroad programs where coursework is completed in English.

Where there is a common language other than English at the host site, you can encourage your student to study this language before arrival (independently or through coursework) in order to facilitate daily life and making friends.

 

Can't my student just travel on their own?

Traveling abroad as a tourist is a great way to see the world. However, this is not the same as study abroad, and the same results cannot be expected. 

Study abroad offers coursework unavailable at the home campus, and sometimes in a different language. It also provides the opportunity to combine studying with lived experience, and engagement with a peer group from the host country and around the world. The goal of study abroad is educational (rather than recreation, relaxation, or pleasure) and the take-aways are personally transformational (rather than souvenirs).

 

Aren't international phone calls expensive?

International phone calls can be expensive. While this remains an option for overseas communications, many of our students keep in touch with friends and family at home through wifi-based phone calls (in airplane mode) and free, app-based communication platforms like:
  • WhatsApp
  • Facetime
  • Zoom
  • Skype
  • Messaging features of social media accounts.  

Time zone differences still do present unique challenges for synchronous communication, but these can be overcome with good planning!
 

How does my student get started?

The earlier a student begins to think about studying abroad, the wider their options will be. 

Ideally, a student will begin to plan for their study abroad experience during their freshman year (or, better yet, while still in high school). This provides the time needed to select a destination, research program options, evaluate pros and cons, develop a financial plan, apply for scholarships and other forms of financial aid, complete a program application, and take care of travel logistics. For students who have only just learned to study abroad later in their academic career, there are still opportunities available!

Encourage your student to