War on foreign soil might deter University of Florida students from venturing overseas for study programs. But more than 60 organizations answered questions and quelled any such fears Wednesday at the 2012 Study Abroad Fair on the Reitz Union Colonnade.
Some of the main concerns involve students’ safety while they are abroad. Amanda Lord, a campus relations adviser for the Education Abroad Network, explained that their programs are designed with that in mind.
“The safety and risk management plans that the institution itself has as an umbrella with insurance and everything else, it’s pretty foolproof,” she said.
In the event of an emergency, the programs also offer evacuation plans for students.
Tessly Dieguez, the study abroad adviser at UF, recalled an instance in which students were forced to evacuate.
“Each program also includes health insurance and emergency medical evacuation because we’ve had to do that, like with the earthquake in Japan a couple of years ago,” she said. “We had to evacuate students.”
Advisers at the fair also answered questions about the countries the programs visit, as well as options for financial aid. Students interested in studying abroad can visit the UF Hub for additional information.
George Pappas edited this story online.
