By Fink Densford

This summer, more college students across this country and others will be staying home rather than packing their bags to travel abroad, a new survey has shown.

The survey, conducted by Chris Musick, director of International Academic Services at the University of Mary Washington, showed more than half of the 162 international educators who responded were reporting lower numbers for their summer applications for education abroad. A third of the respondents reported a decline in their fall applications.

“With declining endowments there are declining budgets, which means declining scholarship dollars,” Musick said. “With a decline in scholarships, it’s harder to fund study abroad programs, so a decline in enrollment is anticipated.”Nationwide, the survey found a decline, but UK’s numbers seem to be telling a different story. Janet Roccanova, director of Education Abroad at UK said application numbers are actually increasing from last year, with 37 more students signed up to travel this summer.

Roccanova said the UK study abroad program has not been affected by the current economic trends yet, except to say that the number of applicants this summer may have been larger if the financial atmosphere was better.

“We are seeing an increase in non-traditional locations this year,” Roccanova said.

Roccanova said non-traditional locations are generally outside of the US and Europe and, while they are cheaper, the increase in applicants may be primarily due to greater interest in these locales.

Julia Elliot, an architecture junior, commented that the current economic crisis is affecting her plans to travel this summer to Chile, but not prohibiting them.

“I’m applying to as many scholarships as possible, and might have to take out some financial aid, but I think the benefits definitely outweigh the risks,” Elliot said.

UK is not only showing an increase in students studying abroad this summer, but in international students that will be attending UK in the fall.

Suzanne Anandappa, the graduate assistant to the Office of International Affairs, said the economic trends in the U.S. may even be benefiting enrollment for international students.

For international students, Anandappa said it is a good chance to capitalize on a bad situation. With fluctuating exchange rates, many incoming international students are getting more for their dollar and are turning the downturn to their advantage.

Musick said even though the global financial situation is bad, there will always be students wanting to come to UK.

“People look at the U.S. and to the University of Kentucky as one of the best institutions around,” he said. “They’ll want to come, whether to get an engineering degree, a journalism degree or just to watch good basketball.”

Roccanova said that it was too early to make any guesses about where numbers will be for Fall 2009. She said that the next year would show whether or not the economy would have any real effect on UK’s study abroad program.