Top 3 reasons to study abroad

Does your heart leap at the sight of a suitcase and soar with the sound of an aeroplane taking off? Worried your student status means no overseas trips for years?

If you think that studying has to press pause on your travel dreams, think again. There are loads of reasons why travel can be easier, cheaper and most of all, more fun and meaningful when it involves study overseas. Here are just a few of them.

Yes, overseas travel can be expensive, and this can make it feel impossible on a student budget. But did you know that there are travel scholarships and other funding opportunities available to help you take your studies on tour?

For example, the New Colombo Plan Scholarship Program offers students the ultimate opportunity to travel, work, live and study in the Indo-Pacific region with costs covered for tuition fees, travel, living costs and more. This is just one of the many grants available. VU’s Study Overseas grants are available for approved students participating in exchange programs, study tours and short programs. You can also apply for OS-HELP loans of up to $8,149 for Asian destinations or $6,791 for destinations outside Asia.

Whether you score a grant or not, just having student status (which can earn you an international student ID card) can offer great discounts on travel costs with airlines, travel agents, hostels, museums and more offering special youth or student rates all over the world.

VU has exchange partners in more than 30 countries and territories across the world, so you could spend a few weeks, a semester, or even a whole year exploring a new country, meeting locals, making lifelong friends and connections to advance your career once you graduate.

From Austria to Ecuador, Fiji to France, Indonesia to Ireland and Mexico to Monaco – there are over 100 international universities offering exchange places to VU students.

“I was offered a VU scholarship to The Hague University (Netherlands) to complete my Bachelor of Laws”, says VU graduate Rene Nogueira. “This was a priceless experience – I was lectured by international law experts from the UN and international tribunals of the world courts.”

No need to put your graduation plans on hold to take that holiday to the United States – or any of the exciting exchange destinations. If you undertake an approved study with an exchange partner, you can continue to earn study towards the completion of your course units. You’ll also have a fantastic experience to add to your CV and make you stand out from the crowd with your global outlook when it comes to applying for graduate positions.

“I travelled to India on a study tour and was fully immersed in Indian food culture”, says VU graduate Stefanie Riccardi. “The entire experience gave me an advantage in liaising with health professionals. It was an opportunity that I learnt so much from. I was chosen for my current position due to the experiences VU had provided.”

Through the 2018 New Colombo Plan Program, Aidrian Georgi took an unforgettable study tour with his class to discover Singapore’s unique architecture – and gained great insights for his degree in Building Design.

“This trip was an indescribable experience. The best part was exploring another country’s architecture and culture: how it is different from our own country and the unique flow of the city.

The learning opportunities I gained cannot be found in Australia. I discovered Singapore’s practical applications of green urbanism and community-based housing design which I would love to see adopted here. Everyone knows one another in their neighbourhood and gets along well. How many of Australians can say the same thing?

If you want to study abroad and have the capability to do, take that opportunity while you can! The experiences, you get from taking a trip you cannot receive from a classroom.”

Find out more about studying overseas