Will my child be Safe in a Study Abroad?

Study abroad programs cannot guarantee the absolute safety of participants or ensure that risk will not at times be greater than at home. The reason for this, they cannot monitor the daily personal decisions, choices, and activities of

Most overseas study programs recognize their responsibility to do their utmost to provide a secure and safe environment in which your son or daughter can live and learn. Responsible campuses and programs consult regularly with colleagues around the country who are involved in the administration of study abroad programs; with resident program directors; with responsible officials of foreign host universities; with contacts in the U.S. Department of State and other agencies; and with other experts who are well informed on issues and events. For information on what parents can do to optimize safety during study abroad, visit the NAFSA web site at http://www.nafsa.org.

With a little care and effort and a good deal of advance planning, it is almost always possible to identify study abroad programs that match a student’s learning style and academic goals at an affordable price. It is an amazing experience and no time in a persons life is this more appropriate.

I encourage parents to do their homework and no to automatically say no, when your student discusses a SemesterAbroad.
 
A World Wide Web resource that parents can access directly is The Financial Aid Information Page. The University of Minnesota Online Study Abroad Directory has over 200 relevant entries. These two sources represent a good overview of aid sources and are a good starting point for more specialized searches.