On a Budget

Was it easy studying aboard with a tight financial situation?

Getting a better understanding of me will make answering this question easier.

Photos taken by my friend Maggie since my phone died.

My name is Kiah Thorne. I am 20 year old Design and Merchandising student. I did not grow up with a lot of money. We had enough money for day to day life but when it came down to paying for college for both my twin sister and I financially it was going to be a little be challenging. Luckily when we received our colleges acceptances we got tuition covered by scholarships, grants, and loans.

I understand wanting to study abroad but have to worry about affording to go. But as you can see it from me no matter what financial situation you are going through you can go study abroad. And here is how I did with no worry.

Scholarships

Regardless of what study abroad program you want to go to there are many scholarship opportunities that you can apply to that Drexel has to go help afford to study abroad. Drexel has many scholarships and grants that students can apply depending on diversity, financial needs, study program, and college. I applied to two Drexel affiliated scholarships: Diversity in Study Abroad and Financial Need Scholarship. The money I was awarded from those two scholarships helped me cover the round trip flight. I am super grateful to have received this money. This money helped ease me financially when coming to London.

Or you could also look for external scholarships outside of Drexel. There is a long list of scholarships on Drexel websites, but you could also search outside of Drexel website for scholarships as well. I receive emails from Fastweb scholarships. They send a list of free scholarships to your email every day. And there are many other websites as well to choose from to find scholarships. You have many options to choose from.

Work

Throughout the three years in college until now I was working part time to help cover bills and the personal things I need. And during those three years I was saving up money for the future. That future happened to be my trip to London. I am happy I have learned to save money and budget while in college. Learning how to do this early gives you a head start to save up on rainy days. You may never know when you will need money. So spend the money you need and save the rest you don’t use. Don’t over spend money you have because you have it. Sooner or later you will regret you spent that money. Tip: Open a savings account and save money!

These are some of the things that I have done to help me pay for/make it easier for me to pay for study abroad. Do not stress about money too much. I have stressed about money so much and it did nothing but take away from living in the moment. You will be able to pay it off. Everything will be fine. Enjoy studying abroad. It will be a great EXPERIENCE!

A Message from the Office of Global Engagement:

The safety and security of Drexel students is a priority for the University. As part of the efforts to support Drexel students that are studying abroad during the COVID-19 pandemic, the Office of Global Engagement has conducted a rigorous review of programming and provided additional support to participating students with customized pre-departure orientations and regular check-ins during the required self-isolation period and the term.