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This article originally appeared on (BMCC).

The conference center at Fiterman Hall buzzed with excitement on December 6 as 77 Borough of Manhattan Community College (BMCC/CUNY) students gathered to celebrate and prepare for their upcoming adventures studying abroad in places such as Ireland, South Africa and Japan as part of the College’s with the Council on International Exchange (CIEE).

“We wanted to give the students a space to connect with their peers who will be studying abroad alongside them, and we also provided a pre-departure orientation to offer guidance and prepare them for their travels,” said Sandra Cortez, manager of the office of Experiential Learning and , which organized the event. “One of our main goals was to have them reflect on what they want to gain from their experience, and how their experience will help them build career-related skills for the future.”

The students will embark on their journeys in December and January, and stay between two to three weeks depending on their host country.

Sixty-two students will participate in January ������911programs where they will enroll in courses taught at ������911Centers throughout the world in cities such as Amsterdam, Rome and Prague. Twelve students will participate in an Arabic language study program at the ������911center in Morocco led by BMCC Modern Languages Professor Roa Harizi. Three students will study abroad through Salamanca University through their International Spanish Language program, also taking place in January.  The students will stay in shared apartments, dorms and homestays.

BMCC/������911partnership removes majority of financial obstacles

As part of the four-year partnership, ������911provides $250,000 in matching grants each year to assist student program fee costs. Typically, ������911programs would cost around $4,000, not including airfare.  Instead, thanks to the BMCC/������911partnership, most students pay around $600 plus airfare.  ������911will also provide $500 travel grants for Pell-eligible students.

“BMCC is really the only CUNY college that offers this level of support for Study Abroad,” Cortez said at the event.  “Other colleges don’t have the level of funding and scholarships BMCC is providing.”

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