CHID Study Abroad Scholarship

This year, CHID can offer three $500 scholarships for study abroad. These scholarships are
available only to CHID students for participation in a CHID-sponsored study abroad program. We
will award one for each quarter. (Summer and fall programs will share one application round.)
The scholarship funds will be disbursed at the same time that Federal Financial Aid is typically
disbursed for the quarter when the program takes place. If a student wins the scholarship but is
not accepted to or chooses not to participate in a CHID study abroad program, the funds will not
be disbursed, and will be made available for a different applicant.

To apply:
In 1-2 pages, answer the three questions below. Put your application in Theron Stevenson's mailbox in the main CHID office, or mail it to him at University of Washington, Box 354300, Seattle, WA 98195-4300.

Application deadlines:
Summer & Fall programs 2012 programs – Feb 20, 2012
Winter 2013 programs – May 15, 2012
Spring 2013 programs – November 5, 2012

Application Questionnaire

Question One:
Describe the financial sources you expect to use to fund your study abroad, and any challenges
or special circumstances that could be alleviated by receiving the CHID scholarship support.

Question Two:
To which CHID program are you applying? Aside from satisfying the Encounters Across Cultures
requirement for the CHID major, how will the classes and/or activities on this program help you to
pursue an academic project, requirement or personal educational goal?

Question Three:
How do you imagine this study abroad experience will challenge you?

How to Study Abroad

First, decide how you would like to study abroad.

•  CHID Study Abroad Programs are run by UW faculty and feature a cohort of UW students who travel and live and study together abroad. CHID programs tend to not have any language prerequisites or feature language instruction. In general, you will be responsible for arranging your own travel to and from the study abroad location, but once you are on-site, all of your travel and housing arrangements are taken care of. You will also participate in a pre-departure seminar that will help prepare you for your quarter abroad. 
• Other Study Abroad options: The Office of International Programs and Exchanges can guide you to several options for each type of program listed below.  
  •  Other UW departments also run their own faculty led study abroad programs, both quarter-long programs and early fall Exploration Seminars. 
  • Unaffiliated Study Abroad Programs are sponsored by established organizations that take students from different schools to their study sites.  They use their own faculty. 
  • Direct Exchanges are opportunities for UW students to study at colleges and universities around the world with whom the UW has a partnership agreement. Students are responsible for arranging their own travel, housing, and coursework in their chosen location.  
  • Independent research/Internship is appropriate for students wishing to perform independent research abroad. To do this, you must complete an Independent Research Packet.  This requires you to first develop a research proposal and find a UW faculty member who will advise you throughout your research project and who will ultimately grade your final product. Students will make all of their own arrangements regarding housing, host country contacts, etc. All of the administration and paperwork for this type of study abroad is handled by the International Programs and Exchanges Office in 459 Schmitz Hall.

Then you should figure out when you can go. Talk with the CHID advisor to figure out when you have time in your schedule and what major and UW requirements you could possibly fulfill while studying abroad.

Decide where to go. You get to make this decision! 

Apply. Starting with summer 2011 programs, we will switch to an online application.  All UW faculty-led programs will use the same application, which is accessed on the UW Study Abroad Office website.

 Interview with the Program Director. Once the application deadline has passed, the program director will often hold interviews and will select the students. Within a few weeks of your interview, you should be notified of whether you have been accepted to the study abroad program.  

Sign a contract. If you have been accepted to a program, you will receive an email notifying you of this acceptance, with a payment contract attached. 

Payment. All payments will be made via charges on your MyUW account. You will pay for the program in three installments.

 Money. Don’t let the cost of studying abroad keep you from taking advantage of this opportunity!  See our Fees, Financing and Withdrawal page for a comparison of on-campus and study abroad costs, as well as information about financial aid and scholarships.  So don't forget to apply for funding.

 Changing your mind. It doesn’t cost anything to apply to a CHID study abroad program, but once you have submitted a payment contract, you will be required to pay the $300 deposit and the $250 IPE fee.  See our Withdrawal Information. 

Travel Arrangements. Before you buy your ticket, confirm the dates of instruction with the program director. You may want to buy your ticket with another student so that you have a travel buddy. Make sure you have a valid passport. U.S. Passports are issued by the U.S. government—find information on how to get a new or renewed U.S. passport . It can take months to get a passport, so get on this now! If you already have a passport, check to make sure that it will be valid for at least 3 months after the end of your program. Many countries will also require you to get a student visa. The program director will notify you if this is the case.

Registration. Don’t do it! You do not register for classes for the quarter you will be abroad. Instead you will fill out a concurrent enrollment form and turn it into the International Programs and Exchanges Office in 459 Schmitz Hall. Once you pay the concurrent enrollment fee that appears on your MyUW account, you will be registered for 12 credits of Foreign Study 300. These are just placeholder credits—once you return from your study abroad program, the program director will turn in grades for you, and these credits will change to the actual course numbers and credits you took while abroad.

Application Process

Starting with summer and fall 2011, all applications for CHID International Programs will be completed online.  Each program webpage will include a link to the UW Study Abroad Office’s webpage for that program, where students can follow the link to the application.  This application includes a Personal Statement, three short answer questions, two recommendations and electronic signature documents that relate to UW policies.

The Application Page

The program application page has four boxes on it.  The box on the left shows your name and the program to which you are applying. 

The top-right box has a link to the questionnaire/statement of purpose.  You can save this questionnaire before finally submitting your application.  No one can read your responses until you submit the application.

The middle right box is for the two required recommendations.  You can either print a recommendation form for your recommender to sign, or you can request an electronic recommendation that will be emailed to a UW instructor of your choice.  The form allows you to include a note to the instructor, so you can remind her/him how they know you.  The recommendation form is a short form, so the recommender does not have to write a big letter of recommendation.

The bottom right box has four legally-binding signature documents.  You must electronically sign each of them in order for your application to be considered.  They look like a lot of dense, legalese language, but be sure to read through them so that you understand the commitment you are making.

Once you sign application verification, our office will be notified about your application, and your review process will begin.  You can still revisit the Study Abroad website to review your application, to see if your referee has submitted a reference, and to check your status on the program.

What Next?
Our office will contact you for the next step. Most programs have an informal interview process. Once all interviews have been completed and the group has been selected, we will send a notification of acceptance or non-acceptance to each applicant.You will receive an email from the Study Abroad office, notifying you that your status has changed.  You must log on to the site to see if you have been accepted, declined, or added to a wait list.  If you are accepted to the program, you will be asked to commit.  Once you commit, a payment contract will be uploaded to your file on the Study Abroad site, and you will be given a deadline for turning in that contract. If you do not return the payment contract by the due date, we may offer your space to another student.  If you do submit the payment contract, you will be officially added to the program roster.

Be sure to read the Fees, Financing & Withdrawal information before submitting your payment contract.  Then get ready to study abroad!

Fees, Financing and Withdrawal

Program Fees Additional Costs Financial Aid Cost Comparison Withdrawal

Program Fees
If you are accepted to a study abroad program, you will receive an automated email from the Study Abroad Office. You will be given the option to commit or withdraw from the program. Soon after you commit, you will receive another automated email notifying you that a payment contract has been uploaded to your account on the Study Abroad webpage. This is a legally binding contract that obliges you to make payments according to the schedule on the contract. Do not submit this contract until you are confident that you can pay for the program fees and all associated costs. A $350 deposit, included in the program fee, will be assessed to your tuition account just after you sign the payment contract. At this time, in addition to the program fee, the Office of International Programs and Exchanges will assess a non-refundable $250 IPE fee. The IPE fee will remain on your account, but will not be due until the program starts. The rest of the program fee is due on the same day that tuition is due on the quarter in which the program takes place. All fees are charged by Student Fiscal Services to your student account, and paid the same way as tuition.

The CHID Program reserves the right to change the program fee based upon dollar devaluation or unforeseen economic conditions, up to and until the payment contract is issued. If such a change occurs, students will be notified of the increase and an adjustment will be made to the final program payment.

After you confirm your participation by submitting a payment contract, you are obliged to pay all fees associated with the program. The $350 deposit cannot be refunded after we have received your contract. You may also be responsible for additional costs that the program incurs on your behalf, up to the full amount of the program fee. The amount that you must pay is calculated according to the date of your withdrawal, so that the later you withdraw, the more you must pay. The withdrawal date is considered the date a withdrawal request form (available here) is received by the IPE Office. Please refer to the withdrawal schedule on your payment contract for details.

Additional Costs
In addition to the program fee, participants will incur additional personal expenses, that might include (but are not limited to) visa fees, airfare, meals, study abroad health insurance (required), vaccinations, and mobile phone costs. The Study Abroad Office can provide a budget of estimated expenses for your program soon after you receive your contract. Each student has different needs and preferences, so this budget can only be an estimation of the actual amount you will spend on a study abroad program.

Financial Aid
Most forms of financial aid can be used during participation in this program. Participants who are on financial aid should contact the Financial Aid office to verify that their awards will apply. Students interested in applying for increased financial aid during their study abroad should obtain a revision request from the Financial Aid office, and a budget of student expenses from the IPE office, and submit both to the Financial Aid office in Schmitz Hall.

Scholarships: CHID students on CHID study abroad programs are eligible for the CHID Study Abroad Scholarship. Please click the link for further information.

See the IPE website's Scholarships webpage for information about scholarships, including the Go! Scholarship and Fritz Scholarship. You may also find it worthwhile to use a search engine or a non-UW resource for scholarships, such as http://www.studyabroad.com/scholarships.aspx.

Withdrawal
If you need to withdraw from for any reason, you must:
1. notify our office at chidint@uw.edu and
2. follow the Withdrawal instructions at the IP&E webpage. We are governed by the IPE Withdrawal Policy for Departmental Programs. The IPE webpage provides a link to a withdrawal form that must be signed and submitted to the IP&E office. The IPE office will then work to take care of any necessary withdrawal steps (i.e. un-enrollment from FSTDY, etc.).

Before You Go

Travel Information

U.S Department of State Consular Affairs

UW Travel Resources
Office of International Programs and Exchanges

Scholarship Resources
International Programs and Exchanges Funding Opportunities 

Ethical Travel

Many of us enjoy taking tons of photos while traveling.  If you do this, please share the photos with CHID International.  We may use one on our website!  However, please be respectful with your choice of subjects and with posting images of people online.  If you are photographing children, especially "at risk" children, you must obtain Human Subjects approval before posting the images. This article by a global health organization offers guidelines for ethical photography in developing countries, and it's good advice wherever you go.  This article is directed towards travelers in general.

Travel Resources:
STA Travel
Student Universe
Lonely Planet

Health resources:
International Programs and Exchanges Insurance Resources
Hall Health Travel Clinic
U.S. Department of State Medical Info for Americans Traveling Abroad
Center for Disease Control Traveler's Health Reference
World Health Organization International Travel and Health

International Programs Statement of Principles

The Program in the Comparative History of Ideas is widely recognized and respected for its innovative and transformative international programs. We believe that a “foreign” experience should be a part of every liberal education, not as a means of escape or self-affirmation, but as a path toward critical realistic participation in a world that is both increasingly unified and persistently diverse. Our primary goal is to expose carefully cultivated communities of students and faculty to the complexity of the world through exposure to other cultures and through self reflection, recognizing that cultural horizons are historically constructed. As with our program on campus, CHID International Programs are guided by the following principles:

1. The questions are the content. CHID international programs employ academic materials, excursions, and cultural encounters to inform participants about the society in which they are studying. Such activities on their own can present fixed, constructed and often self-referential perspectives on a particular issue, society or culture. To work against this tendency, CHID programs are driven by questions that stimulate both the critical engagement and heartfelt commitments of the students and faculty. When students address issues that they find meaningful, within the context of the society where they are studying, the students can better appreciate the limitations and possibilities of that context.

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2. Inter-disciplinarity is disciplined knowledge. In CHID we treat academic disciplines as rigorously focused methods and traditions of knowledge that provide necessary, but limited, mappings of the problems we address. We consider inter-disciplinarity as not just cooperation among professional experts, but as the incorporation of different, parallel and sometimes conflicting, ways of knowing within the individual inquirer. International programs provide an opportunity to employ ways of knowing that are based in the University of Washington disciplines, as well as those that are indigenous to the study-abroad site. Inter-disciplinarity is itself a way of knowing that leads to innovation and intellectual freedom.

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3. Students are the agents of their own education. Learning is not a simple consumption of established knowledge but a creative, self-transforming practice. We believe that students can be trusted with the responsibility to take ownership of their education. To this end, students on CHID International Programs are often encouraged to develop individual projects or find their own focus within the program’s goals. In spite of the need for careful structuring and planning on international programs, CHID programs are often improved by responding to the suggestions, interpersonal connections, or projects of students.

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4. Education is a dialogical process within a learning community. Students learn about themselves and the world they live in through reciprocal exchange and interactions with others. In discussion with fellow group members, students can work through academic problems, and can also process the often challenging situations that arise from living in a foreign setting.

   Engagement with members of the local community is a particularly rewarding component of some CHID International Programs, allowing our students to see how the topics discussed in class play out in people’s lived experiences. When our students collaborate with community members on projects that are meaningful to both parties, our students can learn while contributing to, rather than exploiting the local community.

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5. Experience is the best teacher. The process of deep theoretical analysis can be distancing, leaving students feeling detached, wondering how important theoretical concepts might be applicable to them in their lives. So, it is important to balance these academic procedures with personal experience and meaningful action. In the classroom, this can mean allowing students to go through processes of self-doubt and reflective criticism of their own cultural assumptions and inherited identities, or working through the confines of a group assignment. Outside the classroom, students should experience the ways that the theoretical concepts and histories that they have studied play out in people’s lives. Active participation in internships or engaged community learning projects are especially effective venues for experiential learning.

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6. Learning is not a discrete, linear experience. Our international programs yield ongoing aftereffects, both for our students and faculty, and for our hosts abroad. On site, we respond to objectives defined by our hosts, so that our collaborations are mutually beneficial, and, where appropriate, we set up ongoing relationships among actors abroad, at the University of Washington and in the Seattle community. At home, we work to provide opportunities for our students to continue developing the ideas that they generate while abroad, and to share their experiences with others in our community. Finally, by keeping our program costs as low as possible, by facilitating exchanges, and by sharing resources, we strive to make international education available to the widest possible range of people.

   We recognize that the privilege of moving across borders and acting in multiple contexts is not shared among all people, so we encourage a humble, respectful approach to the people we encounter on our travels. Our programs have the capacity, not only to produce reflective, engaged and informed students, but also to facilitate understanding among people worldwide.

Get in Touch!

Email: chidint@uw.edu.
Phone: (206) 685-4716
B-101 Padelford Hall

Theron Stevenson's drop-in Office Hours:  Monday-Friday 10:00-12:00 or by appointment.
Theron is usually around the CHID office from 9:30 to 5:00, so you can often find him there (especially during lunch).