Business students interested in studying abroad will have access to a $1,000 scholarship to help cover the cost starting this fall. The new Global Business Blazers scholarship program from the University of Alabama at Birmingham’s Collat School of Business provides new undergraduate business majors with funds that can be applied to any UAB-sponsored education abroad program.
“Traveling abroad, visiting other cultures and gaining new perspectives by learning about the world firsthand are life-changing experiences every business student should have,” said UAB Collat School of Business Dean Eric Jack. “This new scholarship program demonstrates our commitment to experiential learning and providing life-changing opportunities for our business students.”
While the scholarship will not fund the entire cost of an education abroad program, Jack says, it is intended to seed a student’s contributions. The Regions Institute for Financial Education, located in UAB’s business school, will help students craft individual savings plans to close the gap.
The UAB Collat School of Business currently offers two faculty-led education abroad programs — a spring course that studies technology and innovation in Italy and a fall course that examines sustainability and economics in Denmark — with more in development.
“The [UAB in Italy] program will enhance my educational experience, because my minor is in international business, so I will get to see how the companies function on a day-to-day basis,” said business student Skyla Brooks, who will travel with classmates to Milan and Florence this month. “A goal of mine is to pursue a career overseas, and this experience can help with my future career.”
In addition to the business programs, the scholarship can be applied to any UAB-sponsored education abroad program, which include a multitude of opportunities through the UAB Office of the Provost and Office of Global Engagement. In fact, several business students are studying at Aberystwyth University in Wales this semester with help from additional Education Abroad program scholarships.
“Scholarship funding has proved vital to removing barriers for UAB students to seek education abroad experiences, as demonstrated with our President Watts Scholarship Match initiative launched in 2019,” said Ashley Neyer, director of Education Abroad at UAB. “Collat’s commitment to engage their students in education abroad is paving the way to create accessible programs and support their students to become more globally aware citizens. We are excited to see Collat’s commitment to provide a diverse offering of international opportunities for their students with substantial funding support. This opportunity will set Collat students apart when applying for jobs.”
Business student Angelyn Vanderburg says her experience in Italy last year gave her a new perspective of the world.
“There were times when I noticed many similarities between Italy and America, but there were other times when Italy was so different that I felt like I was on a different planet,” she wrote on the class blog, UABinItaly.org. “These experiences have truly reshaped how I view the world.”
Newly admitted freshman and transfer students with a declared major in business will begin receiving their official scholarship letters in the mail in the next few weeks. Freshman students may apply the scholarship within four years of their first UAB semester, transfer students within three years. Undergraduates are required to have a minimum 2.75 GPA when applying for the scholarship.
Currently enrolled undergraduate business students and UAB students who change majors to business after enrolling at UAB may apply for the scholarship by contacting their academic advisers.