Hajrah Khan

Many students dream of traveling abroad during their years in college. According to Global Programs “It doesn’t matter which facet of university life you have–research, teaching, service–it is enriched by international experience.”

Traveling is great, but many students can’t afford it.Thankfully, there are many strategies for traveling on a budget. Here are a few tips students can use while traveling abroad: research prices beforehand, be flexible on travel days to reduce airfare, save money on currency exchange, make good use of student discounts, and travel with Global Programs at Penn State.

According to some research I did, one helpful tip is to encourage students to research the cost of food, hotels, and transportation before traveling. Researching the days for traveling can also help students save some money on their tickets. Blogs like, the Cheapest Day to Fly  said “Generally, Tuesday, Wednesday and Saturday are the cheapest days to fly, while Fridays and Sundays are pricier.” 

Also researching currency exchange beforehand is helpful. According to the  Study Abroad blog, “Currency exchange rates are not in your favor at airports, so change the amount of cash you’d like to keep safely stored away.” Getting the correct currency through your bank before traveling will help students avoid any additional fees when exchanging money.

Student discounts are discounts for students who are traveling abroad and are studying. There are student discounts for transportation, food, entertainment, and hotels. In many countries such as the UK, Australia, Canada, and some countries in Asia students are encouraged to search for discounts and use them for example students can get 10% off in the United Kingdom for hotels according to Student Discounts. Knowing this, it becomes even more important for students to carry their college IDs for more than just identification. Not only can they keep themselves from getting deported, but they might even get half off on fish and chips.

But as a Penn state student, an important and overlooked resource is Global Programs, an important resource in traveling abroad on a budget. According to Global Programs “We’re redefining boundaries by seeing the world, sharing cultures and changing lives.”

Joyce Oforikuma is a Penn State student whom I interviewed about traveling abroad with Global Programs: According to Joyce “I liked traveling with the Global Program because of the opportunities and the ability to explore other countries. My favorite part of the trip is visiting the different palaces in Scotland and having the chance to climb one of their tallest mountains at Holyrood park.”

In addition to the work a student can do to prepare on their own, sometimes one or two meals are covered with the hotel expenses that the students pay through Penn State. Penn State students can also apply for the Commonwealth Campuses Travel Grant, which ranges from $3,000-$4,000. In addition, there are other grant options, such as matching funds from other sources. Global Programs has stated that “The grant and matching funds must be distributed evenly to all participants who are students at a Commonwealth campus at the time of travel.”

The grants and scholarships are beneficial to students traveling abroad. The best course of action to take after deciding to travel abroad is to apply for as many scholarships and grants as possible on through Grant Application . Many grants like the Commonwealth Campus Travel Grant  are available though the colleges and Universities students attend for traveling abroad.Another site many students can use to apply for grants, scholarships, and aid is IES Abroad which is a non profit organization that helps students travel abroad according to IES Abroad. Whether that’s through Penn State or even a fund you might’ve set up to see if family and friends can help you out.

Overall these are just a few helpful tips to encourage students to travel abroad. I hope you learned new information that you can utilize next time you travel abroad.