[511] $70,000 in scholarships fund MTSU students’ study-abroad adventures

MURFREESBORO — Twenty-six students are preparing now for the experience of a lifetime thanks to the MTSU Office of Education Abroad.

With a total of more than $70,000 in Education Abroad scholarships, these students will be able to spend either the fall 2016 semester or the entire academic year studying in 14 different countries.

Eligibility criteria for the scholarships include a minimum 2.8 grade-point average for degree-seeking undergraduate students or a minimum 3.3 GPA for graduate students, the completion of at least one semester at MTSU prior to studying abroad and participation in a credit-bearing study-abroad course. In addition, each applicant must complete an essay explaining his or her goals.

“We really want the essay to focus on why you chose a specific program, how well it benefits you academically when you return to MTSU and maybe even for your future career,” said Tiffany Bickers, director of the Office of Education Abroad.

Decisions are made by the university’s International Education and Exchange Committee. Financial need, program location and program length also are taken into consideration in determining scholarship awards. The money comes from the International Education Fund, which gets its funding from the program services fee paid by MTSU students each semester.

MTSU sends more than 350 students abroad annually throughout Africa, Asia, Europe, the Middle East and South America.

The MTSU Education Abroad Scholarship recipients and destinations are:

• Colin Bentley, Lenoir City, Tennessee; academic year, Providence University, Taiwan;
• Kayo Beshir, Antioch, Tennessee; fall semester, Universidad de Sevilla, Spain;
• Brianna Browning, Seymour, Tennessee; academic year, University of Seoul, South Korea;
• Taylor Burney, Olathe, Kansas; fall semester, Popakademie University, Germany;
• Morgan Carter, Springfield, Virginia; fall semester, Macquarie University, Australia;
• Sydney Casteel, Shelbyville, Tennessee; academic year, University of Brighton, England;
• Dalin Chan, McMinnville, Tennessee; fall semester, East China Normal University, China;
• Rebecca Clippard, Murfreesboro, Tennessee; academic year, Kansai Gaidai University, Japan;
• Ashley Duchac, Murfreesboro, Tennessee; fall semester, Ulster Coleraine University, Northern Ireland;
• Raven Evans, Country Club Hills, Illinois; fall semester, Glasgow Caledonian University, Scotland;
• Christina Franklin, Murfreesboro, Tennessee; fall semester, Griffith University, Australia;
• Kansas Glasgow, Lebanon, Tennessee; fall semester, King’s College, England;
• Leia Green, Thompson’s Station, Tennessee; fall semester, Universidad del Norte, Colombia;
• Andrew Heim, Murfreesboro, Tennessee; academic year, University of Glasgow, Scotland;
• Elvis Hoang, Antioch, Tennessee; fall semester, Ehwa Womans University, South Korea;
• Daniel Knickerbocker, Lakeland, Tennessee; academic year, Kansai Gaidai University, Japan;
• Christian Lawrence, Culleoka, Tennessee, fall semester, Seinan Gakuin University, Japan;
• Melinda Lewis, Murfreesboro, Tennessee; fall semester, Christ University, India;
• Jessica Magana, Jonesborough, Tennessee; fall semester, Universidad del Pacifico, Peru;
• Emilya Mailyan, Brentwood, Tennessee; fall semester, Universitat Pompeu Fabra, Spain;
• Ashley Martinez, Murfreesboro, Tennessee; fall semester, Shanghai University, China;
• Hailey Randolph, Manchester, Tennessee; academic year, Saitama University, Japan;
• Aaron Schwartz, Bell Buckle, Tennessee; academic year, Reitaku University, Japan;
• Samuel Smallman, Murfreesboro, Tennessee; academic year, Kansai Gaidai University, Japan;
• Rachel Vincent, Nashville, Tennessee; academic year, Kansai Gaidai University, Japan;
• Jakub Wolfe, Smyrna, Tennessee; fall semester, Universidad de Salamanca Cursos Internacionales en Cusco, Peru.

For more information on MTSU study-abroad programs, contact Bickers at 615-898-5179 or tiffany.bickers@mtsu.edu.