Information for Parents

The purpose of this site is to seek to inform and serve as a resource for parents and other family members of a student considering, currently taking part in, or just returning from a study abroad program.  Thank you for taking the time to research and explore the opportunities and the information available.  We have broken the site down into three sections:  Pre-Departure Information, Away-From-Home, and Home-Sweet-Home.  Please click on the link of your choice at the top of this page to be taken directly to the appropriate section, or simply read below.  The sections are arranged in a "most frequently asked questions" format.  If you have any questions that are not addressed, please do not hesitate to contact the staff of the UI Study Abroad Office at (208) 885-7870 or e-mail them at abroad@uidaho.edu.  They would be happy to hear from you.    

Pre-Departure Information
Away-from-home
Home-sweet-home

Pre-Departure Information

     Why should my son/daughter study abroad?  How can it enrich his/her education?
      Can I afford to help my son/daughter pay for the study abroad program?
      Will my son/daughter be safe while he/she is abroad?
      Which documents should my child take with them on their study abroad program?

Why should my son/daughter study abroad?  How can it enrich his/her education? 

The benefits of study abroad range from a deeper knowledge of self to invaluable career skills.  Study abroad will introduce your child to the emerging global world.  It will prepare him/her with the practical experience and intercultural skills that many employers look for in today’s job market:  personal maturity, risk-taking, innovativeness, adaptability, and confidence.  In other words, your child will gain career-preparedness with the personal capacity to work in a global arena.

Study abroad will also help your son/daughter take leaps in his/her intellectual and social development.  It will foster independence, and create a strong national and world identity.  S/he will gain confidence for overcoming any and all obstacles that stand in the way, and in overcoming these obstacles, he/she will augment his/her global, national, and personal views.  Back to Pre-Departure Questions.

Can I afford to help my son/daughter pay for the study abroad program?

	Study Abroad programs range widely in price.  Program fees depend on program selection and which country/city your son/daughter chooses.  For example, some sites in certain cities may be more expensive than other cities in the same country, or some programs may be more expensive than others overall.
	However, many students qualify for financial aid regardless of the chosen program.  The good news is that if your daughter/son qualifies for financial aid, then financial aid will be recalculated for the higher cost of study abroad.  For example, federal financial aid will take into account that your son/daughter will spend more money on items such as airfare, and that will be factored into the overall financial aid award.  Please note that state or university aid or scholarships may or may not be transferable for study abroad.  It is best to check with the Financial Aid Office directly.
	Additionally, there are many study abroad scholarships available for students who are eligible.  One such scholarship, for which all eligible UI study abroad students are automatically considered, is the International Experience Grant (IEG).  The IEG awards over $50,000 per year to UI undergraduate study abroad students!  For more detail about the various scholarships for which your son or daughter might be eligible, please check out our financial resources section or contact the Study Abroad Office at abroad@uidaho.edu to ask that we send you the "Scholarship Cheat Sheet."
	The Student’s Accounts Office (Cashier) will set up payment plan options for study abroad programs.  This can help make the payment process easier for parents.  Please note that there is a small fee to set up a payment plan.  You may contact Katherine Clancy at kclancy@uidaho.edu for additional details about this option.

Finally, and perhaps most importantly, it helps to compare the cost vs. the experience gained.  You will never regret the amount of money that you and your child pay for the study abroad experience.  The experience that your son/daughter will gain abroad is priceless.  Back to Pre-Departure Questions.

Will my son/daughter be safe while abroad?

General Safety

Of course parents are often concerned about their children’s safety while abroad.  It helps to make this realization:  the U.S. is among those countries with the highest number of citizens with private gun ownership and also has amongst the highest number of deaths from guns.  In addition, the drug and alcohol abuse in America is among the highest in the world.  Furthermore, the media often over-sensationalize political upheavals, strife, and natural disasters abroad. 

Study Abroad programs and/or offices (such as the UI Study Abroad Office) cannot guarantee the safety of your child, and neither can they monitor the decisions that your child makes while abroad.  Often, U.S. norms of due process, rights, and equality are not enforced in the host country.  The Study Abroad Office realizes its responsibility of remaining in contact with program administrators, resident directors, and any other staff who are in touch with students abroad, and closely observes the U.S. Department of State safety updates.

The Law

Participants need to know and obey the laws of the host country because they are subject to the laws of that country regardless of their own rights as Americans.  American civil rights and legal procedures are not protected once Americans leave their homeland.  Prison conditions may be sub-standard and pre-trial bail may be different and/or non-existent in the host country.

U.S. Embassy

The Embassy or Consulate in the host country can provide only limited kinds of assistance to Americans.  They cannot bail a person out of jail or convince officials to bend laws for Americans in the host country. 

Health

Parents may ask the Study Abroad Office for health information of the host country, or they can get information at www.tripprep.com.  Most study abroad sites have good medical access, and the U.S. Embassy can provide students with a list of English-speaking doctors.  Common ailments include diarrhea, Hepatitis A, Malaria, and Tetanus.

Illegal Drugs

Students on exchange must avoid any involvement with illegal drugs.  Many drug laws in foreign countries are severe.   Students have been jailed for possessing only three grams (less than 1/10 of an ounce) of marijuana, and the average sentence for drug use worldwide is 7 years.  Back to Pre-Departure Questions.

Which documents should my child take with them on their study abroad program?

Students will want to take a variety of documents with them:  a printout of the Survival Guide, the Orientation Manual (if applicable), passport with appropriate visa stamp, proof of insurance, and any necessary legal documents or medical records.  Students should also obtain all pertinent addresses and phone numbers and should take them in their carry-on luggage (for addresses, phone numbers, or directions needed upon immediate arrival overseas).

Parents may want to consider obtaining a passport or updating their existing passport at the same time as their son/daughter applies for or updates their passport.  This way, if there is an emergency, the parent can travel abroad quickly because he/she already has a current passport.  Back to Pre-Departure Questions.

Away-From-Home

      How will I communicate with my child while he/she is abroad?
      Can parents send money to students abroad?  How?
      What is culture shock?  How can I understand what my child is experiencing?

How will I communicate with my child while he/she is abroad?

General

Above all, parents will need to prepare themselves for the lack of communication that they may face while their children are abroad, especially in the beginning of the program.  Communication habits will be different.  If you generally talk with your child once or more a week while he/she attends college in the States, then you should probably be prepared to speak to your child less frequently while he/she is abroad.  There will be new barriers of time and space, and don’t worry if there is a gap in the communication exchange.  This is normal.  Letters are slow, the phone is expensive, and in some countries, e-mail access is difficult to find or is expensive.   In general, e-mail is the least expensive option, but if you do not have e-mail or if access is difficult, if you can set up weekly or bi-weekly “phone dates" this is also a good method. 

Post Office

The post office can be slow to send packages and letters.  Shipping packages is expensive by airmail, and though surface mail (by boat) is cheaper, it can often take over a month to arrive.  However, your son/daughter will always be thrilled to receive that very American care package that reminds him/her of home.

E-mail

E-mail is a reliable and common way to communicate with others, though the Internet may not be readily available in all countries.

Addresses

Parents should not be surprised if their child leaves the country without a residential address that goes directly to him/her.  Most likely, the student will not know his/her address, but can provide parents with the coordinator or resident directors' address and phone number.  In an emergency, parents can contact their children via the coordinator.

Also, it is important that students remember to take along a small address book with pertinent addresses and phone numbers, such as the Study Abroad Office address and phone number, etc.  This will help to eliminate any problems for the student and the parents if there is missing or unknown contact information.  Back to Away-From-Home Questions.

Can parents send money to students abroad?  How?

	In some countries and with some programs, students may acquire a bank account in the host country.  This will facilitate any money transfers that students may need (wire transfers, American Express money orders, foreign currency drafts, or cashier’s checks).  Be aware that wire transfers can be very expensive, and are only a good option for sending large amounts of money.  One easy and inexpensive way to send smaller amounts of money to your son/daughter is to open a joint checking account in the U.S.  Parents can then deposit money into the account while the son or daughter (who has the debit card) can withdraw the money from abroad.  This is a good option for most countries, but it is a good idea to verify with your bank that this is possible before going abroad.  Please see the Orientation Manual or the Survival Guide for more information.
	Students should be equipped with an emergency credit card and/or debit card while abroad.  This will ensure that they will have money for emergencies such as health issues.
	Students should also go abroad with at least $200 in the host country’s currency.  This will cover any emergencies (food, hotel room) upon arrival.  Foreign currency is available at major banks for a small fee.  Be aware that it can take over a week for the bank to order the foreign currency.  Back to Away-From-Home Questions.

What is culture shock?  How can I understand what my child is experiencing?

Culture shock can be described as the physical and emotional discomfort people suffer when living in a culture different from the native culture.  Often, the norms of life in the native culture are not accepted or considered normal in the host culture.  Everything seems different and hard to understand, and the ability to easily function in a familiar culture has disappeared. 

Culture shock cannot be avoided, so it is important to be able to recognize it in order to be able to better deal with it.  With effort and patience the adjustments can be made, and parents can help their children by recognizing the symptoms, listening with love and patience, and reminding their children that culture shock is normal and temporary.

Parents can determine whether students are experiencing culture shock by recognizing the symptoms:

	Sadness, loneliness, depression
	Preoccupation with health
	Insomnia or sleeping too much
	Feelings of vulnerability or powerlessness
	Isolationism, irritability, or loss of identity
	Inability to solve simple problems
	Lack of confidence
	Developing stereotypes about the new culture
	Obsessing about small things, like over-cleanliness
	Homesickness
	Feelings of being lost, overlooked, exploited

Culture shock has many identities, from feelings of elation to feelings of resentment or depression.

Below is a table that does a good job of explaining the stages of culture shock  (quoted from The Experiment in International Living Cross-Cultural Orientation Guide, 1984):

The Honeymoon:  Everything is new and exciting. 

Culture Shock:  The excitement is gone.  Differences begin to emerge; questions arise about how to relate to friends or to their host family.  Students may feel lonely or homesick.

Surface Adjustment:  It is starting to make sense.  Students can communicate basic ideas and they begin to make friends.  They start to feel more comfortable in the host culture.

Unresolved Problems:  Problems with friends or family of the student may surface, or the student may wonder why he/she ever went abroad and might be extremely homesick.

They Feel at Home:  The student accepts the new culture as just another way of living.  They may not approve of it always, but they accept and understand differences.

Departure Concern:  The student begins to sense personal changes.  They have mixed feelings about returning home.

Here are some ways your son/daughter can combat culture shock:

	Develop a hobby
	Take personal time.  Have them do something they like to do, like going to a café and reading a novel in English.
	It is important that they include a regular form of physical activity in their routine.  This will help combat the sadness and loneliness in a constructive manner.
	Maintaining some contact with Americans can help to give a sense of belonging, therefore helping the student combat feelings of loneliness and alienation.  HOWEVER, spending time with Americans ONLY is very harmful to the study abroad experience, as it limits a student’s interaction with the host country and also limits a student’s ability to learn the host language.
	Establishing simple goals and evaluating progress gives students a feeling of power in a culture where they may feel powerless.
	Students should be reminded to maintain confidence in themselves.  Remind them to follow original ambitions and plans for the future.  Back to Away-From-Home Questions.

Home-Sweet-Home
 

   What is reverse culture shock?  Will my child experience it?  How will it affect me?
      How can my daughter/son be sure that his/her credits have transferred?  Which classes
       should she/he enroll in at the home university?
   A fiscal year is different from an academic year, and I need to show that I paid tuition in    
       two semester payments.  How can I straighten this out?
 

What is reverse culture shock?  Will my child experience it?  How will it affect me?

Your son/daughter is finally home, but something is different.  You may not understand his/her reactions, or why he/she always seems irritable or negative towards your home.  After all, after a summer, semester, or year abroad, shouldn’t your child be as excited to see you as you are to see him/her? 

If this is the case, your child may be experiencing reverse culture shock.  She/he may feel out of touch with home, as he/she is now accustomed to the lifestyle abroad.  This could mean remembering words from the foreign language before remembering the words in English, or it could mean that the student wants to eat later in the day, eat different kinds of foods, or is critical of the way things work here in the States. 

Reverse culture shock is normal, and generally not severe or long lasting.  Some students adapt better than others, some worse.  Your daughter or son may feel alienated from friends and family, may have little connection with old friends, and may feel like no one is interested in hearing stories or looking at his/her pictures from abroad.

A worst-case scenario is when students feel physical and mental disorientation, feelings of alienation, irritability over minor issues, rejection of native culture, and boredom or no direction.

This stage can be the most frustrating for parents because their children may seem hard to relate to.  Parents will notice outer changes that the student will not notice, while students will notice the inner changes that parents will not see.  Parents just need to wait out this period. 

Students can deal with reverse culture shock in the same ways that they dealt with culture shock.  In addition, they can focus on responsibilities that many students have upon coming home, such as setting up roommates/living arrangements, registering for classes, etc.  It is best to have a “time off” period instead of coming home from abroad and then going straight back to university classes.  Back to Home-Sweet-Home Questions.

How can my daughter/son be sure that her/his credits have transferred?  Which classes should she/he enroll in at the home university?

Students who study abroad are registered at the University of Idaho for 12 credit hours, regardless of how many credits they actually take while abroad.  This 12-credit "placeholder" registration ensures that the student is registered as a full-time student at the University of Idaho.  When the Study Abroad Office receives the transcripts or grade sheets from the host institution, the student’s UI registration will be changed to reflect the actual credits received.  (This will happen AFTER the student gets back from abroad.)  It’s a good idea for the student to bring copies of course syllabi and/or descriptions back to the home university to help determine how courses will transfer.  Please see the Survival Guide or Orientation Manual for more information. 

Determining which classes your daughter/son should enroll in upon return is best answered by his/her academic advisor.  If there are any questions, it is important for your son/daughter to be in contact with his/her advisor at the UI (or other home institution).  Back to Home-Sweet-Home Questions.

A fiscal year is different from an academic year which is different from a calendar year, and I need to show that I paid tuition in two semester payments for tax purposes.  How can I straighten this out?

This is a common problem for parents whose children go on a year-long study abroad program, and fortunately, it can be easily solved.  If you or your accountant needs to show additional detail for tax purposes, the Study Abroad Office or appropriate Program Provider can assist you with this.  We may be able to provide an invoice reflecting the appropriate costs/payments.  Back to Home-Sweet-Home Questions.

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