Eight Key Things for Parents & Families to Know

1. Employers are looking for skills developed through studying abroad. These include intercultural skills, flexibility, adaptability, communication, problem-solving, and tolerance for ambiguity.
   
2. Research shows that studying abroad improves college completion rates and GPAs.
   
3. Studying abroad improves a student’s appreciation for their own culture and develops their respect for other cultures.
   
4. The John Belk International Program (JBIP) makes studying abroad incredibly affordable! JBIP covers the majority of costs for each undergraduate student to participate in a Queens international experience before they graduate.
   
5. In addition to covering most study abroad costs, Queens offers additional scholarships for JBIPs. There are scholarships for each of our five types of international experiences over and above what JBIP covers.
   
6. Your student’s first time out of the country? No problem! The Pulliam Center for International Education works diligently to prepare students before they depart, support them throughout their trip, and guide them after their international experience.
   
7. Will they be safe? We work hard to design programs and prepare students with health and safety at the forefront. We provide international health and evacuation insurance should an unexpected situation arise.
   
8. They’ve got this because you’ve prepared them for this. You worked hard to get them here. Now, see what they can do!

“Allow your children to experience opportunities which help them grow and develop. There is always hesitation about sending our children to an unfamiliar land, however the best gift we can give them is the opportunity to expose them to other people’s culture, so they are more well-rounded and have a better understanding and acceptance of others.”

– Darryl and Shantell White | Parents of DJ White ’18, Summer Program at ESSCA Angers, France