Despite the downturn in the economy and rising education costs, more students from UNM are venturing abroad to study in other countries, and more international students are coming to UNM.
The number of international students enrolled at UNM has increased from 927 in 2006 to 1013 in 2010, the most recent data year.
Additionally, 484 students from UNM spent semesters studying abroad in 2010. The top three countries UNM students travelled to were Mexico, Italy, and Spain.
Ken Carpenter, interim director of the Office of International Programs and Studies said students have been able to study abroad due to the number of available scholarships. The office has documented more than $300,000 in student scholarships this year.
“Cost is one of the inhibitors and a lot of people think that there’s just no way they can afford it unless their families have a lot of money,” he said. “But we’ve been pretty successful in helping students find and apply for (scholarships).”
OIPS is hosting its biannual study abroad fair today in the SUB atrium from 10 a.m. – 2 p.m. Students can get a chance to learn about study abroad opportunities through UNM and other outside programs.
UNM offers discounts to students and allows them to use scholarships they have earned during their time at the University and apply them to study abroad programs, Carpenter said. The economy has made it tough for some students to participate in the program, but Carpenter said scholarships, including the Regents International Study Grant, are available to all UNM undergraduates. Students can also use their Lottery Scholarship to pay for tuition overseas, and tuition costs the same amount as it does at UNM for some programs; students just pay housing and living costs. Carpenter said the costs are reasonable.
OIPS is requesting about $40,000 in student fees from the Student Fee Review Board in 2013, up from $25,500. In their presentation before the board, OIPS members said the increase in the funding request follows budget cuts from the state and from the University in recent years.
Carpenter said the fair is one of the most powerful tools for recruiting students.
“It’s a chance to bring together all the different programs in one place,” he said.
The Latin American and Iberian Institute offers study abroad programs in Latin America, Spain and Portugal. Robyn Cote, program manager for the institute, said students should attend the fair in order to find a program that is right for them and talk to other students.
The LAII offers semester exchanges and intensive language programs.
“They have a table where they can showcase things from their (home) country and people who went abroad can talk about their experiences,” she said. “I think the best thing is to have returning students there to talk about what they did abroad.”
Both Carpenter and Cote agreed that it’s important to study abroad for personal and educational development.
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“It’s very effective for teaching people languages,” Carpenter said. “It looks good on a résumé and it gives you a real leg up on jobs because of the international and intercultural skills that students learn.”
Lizzie Scripsick, who went to Granada, Spain last spring, said that going abroad was the best semester of her life. She said that the Lottery Scholarship funded her tuition and part of her other expenses.
“My time in Granada taught me more that I could have ever learned in a classroom,” she said. “I learned a new language and about life in a different culture.”
