MSU
When religious studies senior Marie Shepherd took off for a study abroad program last summer, she figured she had enough cash to get by for the next six weeks.
But after her Italian Language, Literature and Culture program in Florence, Italy, finished, Shepherd found her wallet empty.
But a $2.5-million donation to the MSU Study Abroad program could help students such as Shepherd cover the cost of an education outside of East Lansing.
The MSU Federal Credit Union donated the money for the MSUFCU Study Abroad Scholarship, which awards qualified students with $500 to $2,000 for any of the programs offered by MSU, said Inge Steglitz, assistant director of MSU Study Abroad.
In the 2001-02 academic year 1,819 MSU students participated in study abroad programs, she said.
"It ensures students from every part of the class can take an opportunity to study abroad," said Lou Anna Simon, MSU Interim President
In April students participating in study abroad accompanied university officials to meet with the credit union board, Simon said.
"We really sold this idea by taking the students," she said, adding they were able to give firsthand experience about how study abroad affected their college experience.
Although there are several scholarships available through the program, Shepherd says she didn't apply for any because she was under the impression she would be able to afford her trip to Italy.