Donor grants and scholarships are another way to fund your study abroad
A common misconception about studying abroad is that it’s not affordable. Students are often unaware that, in addition to University Studies Abroad Consortium (USAC) scholarships and discounts, as well as various external scholarship options, many host institutions also offer alumni and donor-sponsored grants and scholarship funding. The Shields Family Study Abroad Grant is an incredible example of how profound personal experiences living abroad can ignite the desire to help others have similar opportunities at Fresno State University.
Deeply impacted by their own experiences living and working abroad, retired Fresno State professors Elizabeth ‘Liz’ and John Shields established a $500,000 trust specifically for study abroad programs. The Shields Grant provides four to eight full scholarships annually to Fresno State students of limited financial means to participate in a USAC study abroad program with a language component.
“It gives students a greater perspective of the world. […] It also, perhaps, stirs up their love for travel, so that they will continue to do this for many years afterward. And when they return, they appreciate their own surroundings better,” said Liz, in an article published by Fresno State.
According to Fresno State News, Liz and her late husband, John, met while teaching at the same high school in Botswana, South Africa. John was serving in the Peace Corps, and Liz had joined a volunteer-abroad program from Britain.
Though they came from different worlds and had historically conflicting religious backgrounds, the couple married in Turkey and spent their first several months of marriage traveling through Asia, Europe, and the Middle East until they ran out of funds.
Moving to the United States, they both became professors at Fresno State, Liz teaching at the Craig School of Business and John at the Jordan College of Agricultural Sciences and Technology. Throughout their careers, Liz and John continued to work abroad in Botswana, Armenia, and with international development organizations in Washington, D.C.
Fresno State partners with USAC to offer students international education opportunities. The Shields grant applies to USAC programs in the Asian nations of China, Japan, South Korea, and Thailand, as well as Chile, Italy, Spain, and Uruguay. The Shields’ daughter spent a semester in Chengdu, China — an experience they attribute to helping her build confidence for the future.
Liz and John Shield experienced firsthand the professional and personal growth that traveling and learning abroad afford young people. With their generous support, Fresno State students now have the opportunity to experience the meaningful and long-lasting impact a study abroad provides.
Funding study abroad is possible, but requires financial planning. USAC creates programs with students’ budgets in mind by offering affordable program costs and scholarship options. Students can also inquire about study abroad-specific funding opportunities at their host institution, where other donors like the Shields are giving back in significant ways.
Learn more about the Shields Family Study Abroad Grant here.
By Pelly Shaw
