Parents & Family

As the parent of a child studying abroad, we would like to thank you for being supportive of their decision. Allowing your child to participate in study abroad programs allows them to grow in their cultural awareness, responsibility, and self-sufficiency. On this page, you will find resources and tools to further support your student’s journey through education abroad!

What are the benefits of studying abroad?

The advantages of an education abroad experience for participants are easy to enumerate: increased self-confidence, an awareness of and sensitivity to people and places outside the home society and an introduction to alternative ways of living and learning. The community and the country benefit as well from students going abroad to study. With increasing global interdependence, knowledge and adeptness at dealing with non-Americans is crucial to business, politics and society.  

Here are just a few key benefits that last a lifetime:  

  • Studies show that students who take their education abroad often graduate earlier and with a higher GPA than their on-campus peers.  

  • Education abroad is a high-impact practice and students who study abroad report that the programs helped them make career and life choices, attain skills in intercultural communication, improve problem solving skills and field research techniques, and gain respect for cultural differences. 
     
  • Study abroad students return home with a greater vigor for academic pursuits and a renewed interest in lifelong learning. Nearly 63 percent of students said that the experience had influenced their decisions to expand or change their academic majors. In fact, nearly 90 percent of students indicated that their experiences abroad had influenced all their subsequent educational experiences.  

Study Abroad: A Lifetime of Benefits

Parents Role in Education Abroad

Our staff believes that it is the student's role to make the major decisions required to study abroad. Due to FERPA, Education Abroad at the University of Wyoming cannot release information to any third party (including parents) regarding your student or their program without their explicit consent. If you have questions about your child's program or plans, the best place to start is by asking them. Even though it is the student's responsibility to complete the required steps to study abroad, we know they could not do it without your help and support. Thank you.  

 

Student looking at rocks in the Canary Islands

Topics to Discuss with your Student before Departure

Students are required to attend a mandatory pre-departure orientation where we will cover vital information on the below topics. Access the online version of this course

Female Student in Melrose, Scotland

  • Access to money while abroad 

  • Budget: We provide students with a budget calculator when selecting a program 

  • Tuition Payments: We will cover this in our 1-on-1 advising appointments with students and also during our mandatory Pre-Departure Orientation 

  • Credit cards 

  • Local currency and currency exchanges 

 

Money Matters Page

  • Recent wellness medical exam 

  • Medications needed while abroad: Students may need a note from their doctor to bring their prescriptions with them 

  • Special medical conditions 

 

Health & SafeTy Page

  • Onsite contacts: Who will students reach out to while they are in their host country? 

  • Your student’s personal contact information abroad (telephone, mailing address, email address) 

  • Closest U.S. Consulate or Embassy