Application and financial information
Application instructions
- Applications for BENV 300 Cross-cultural Experience will be completed online.
- Applications for May 2024 experiences will be accepted electronically October 11-18, 2023.
- By Nov. 3 students will receive notification of their experience placement and forms to complete.
- The forms must be completed and submitted by noon on Nov. 10, 2023.
- All students who have submitted the forms and are current with student account payments will be registered for BENV 300.
Since space is limited, we cannot guarantee that every student will be placed in his/her first choice location. Students are required to select a second and third choice in which they are willing to participate. In the event of low enrollment, an experience may be cancelled.
Financial information
- Tuition for the three hours of BENV 300 Cross-cultural Experience will be included in the spring semester tuition block.
- An additional program fee, which varies depending on the experience, will be charged to the student account at the time of spring semester registration.
- Students must be up to date with payments or have paid off their student account in order to be registered for and participate in a cross-cultural experience. It is the student's responsibility to contact the business office or the financial aid office to discuss payment or financial aid issues.
- After registration, there can be no dropping nor switching to another BENV 300 experience (unless initiated by the cross-cultural programs office) without being assessed a $100 non-refundable withdrawal penalty. This is not transferable to another experience.
- A non-refundable $300 deposit is due for all experiences on Dec. 1
GRANTS AVAILABLE FOR CROSS-CULTURAL EXPERIENCES
- $750 grants are available for all May 2024 experiences.
- Grant application
- To be given priority, complete and submit the grant application by Sept. 18. Applications
sumitted after Sept. 18 will be reviewed. You will know if you are a grant recipient
BEFORE you apply for the May 2024 experiences.
Ideas for financial assistance
Resources in your hometown may prove to be a valuable component of your search, especially if you or your parents have been active in the community.
The following is a list of possible sources of money for you.
- Service clubs: Inquire at your hometown Lions, Kiwanis, Women's and other service clubs.
- Town hall: Go to your hometown town hall and ask if there are any local scholarships.
- Chamber of commerce: Visit the Chamber of Commerce to see if there are any opportunities.
- Your high school: Go to the guidance department of the high school you graduated from and inquire.
- Religious organizations: If you belong to a church, synagogue or other religious organization, ask the person in charge of finances if there are any scholarships, grants or loans available.
- Family employers: Ask your parents and other members of your family to check at work and see if their company offers aid to sons, daughters, or relatives of workers.
- Your employer: If you hold a job, ask your boss if there are any scholarships available to workers in the company.
You could propose to some of these groups and individuals that you would come back and report on your time in X location in exchange for the funds you receive. If you received $20 from 25 people, you would have $500. You might also consider budgeting your money this year such that you plan to not spend as much money - for example, on gas (perhaps two fewer trips home if you go home frequently), or food/coffee/etc. beyond your meal plan.
After a student is registered for a cross-cultural experience, all financial information is communicated directly to the student. It is the student's responsibility to relay this information to parents or a third party, if someone other than the student is paying for the experience.
For applications and financial information related to semester off-campus programs contact the cross-cultural programs office.
Elaine Suderman, Asst. Director of Cross-cultural Programs
Cross-cultural Program Office
College Hall second floor
sudermane@bluffton.edu
419-358-3360