WCUAWAY
The WCU Away scholarship at Western Carolina
University provides financial assistance to students
who wish to study away from the WCU campus
during the summer. Students may use WCU Away
funds to travel anywhere in the USA, or
internationally. These opportunities can enhance
each student's college experience. The WCU Away
initiative fosters unique learning opportunities for
students in new cultures, and enables students to
study in different environments, serve others, or
benefit from on-the-job training. Academic
experiences are enhanced through the programs
offered by WCU Away. WCU students can
participate in career development and
opportunities and bridge gaps between education
and the professional world by exploring career
options. Students are offered the opportunity to
build professional and peer relationships through
WCU Away. Developing relationships will ensure
the development of team-building and
collaboration skills. Through the process, students
will learn to become self-aware and group oriented
as they work together to solve problems. Whether
students choose to Study, Serve or Work Away,
students prosper through experiencing different
environments and new people. The reverse side of
this flier offers more detail about how the program
works. Faculty and students can contact Gayle
Wells or Emily Virtue with any additional questions.
Study Away
Study Away Students travel to another country,
city, or university to study in their academic fields.
The Study Abroad Program offers unique
opportunities to learn abroad.
Students must enroll in a related summer session
course in order to receive WCU Away scholarship
fund.
How it Works
WCU Away funds are available for students who wish to study away from the WCU
campus during the summer. Each student may receive up to in $1,500 scholarship funds
to help cover costs associated with travel. In order to receive a scholarship, the student
must return to campus and take a 3-credit residential summer course that is related to
the experience away. Faculty will design a travel course and associated summer course.
Information for Faculty
Information for Students
Faculty who are planning to lead a travel course are
invited to partner with WCU Away. The faculty
member will plan the course according to FacultyLed Travel Guidelines (available through the
International Programs Office), and they will plan
and teach a summer term class that is related to the
travel experience. To receive WCU Away funding:
All full-time students are invited to apply for the
WCU Away scholarship for study, service, or work
away from campus during the summer. These funds
will be disseminated through the Office of Financial
Aid and applied to your student account. If you are
participating in a faculty-led travel course, check
with the faculty member in charge for advice on
when to apply to WCU Away and what summer class
to register for.
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Faculty must plan a travel experience and
agree to return and teach an on-campus
summer class linking the travel to their field
of study.
Faculty will be paid the normal rate for the
summer class. However, in order for
students to receive WCU Away funds, the
faculty member must waive his/her salary
for the travel course (expenses are still
covered).
In order to receive WCU Away funds, the
student must register for the related
summer course.
Travel must occur in May and be linked to a
class taught in the summer term.
WCU Away will make your course and
related travel more affordable for students
and assist you with recruiting students.
Pedagogically, WCU Away helps faculty
develop a more educational travel course,
linking study, service, or work with the
classroom curriculum.
If you are not participating in an existing faculty-led
travel course, you may still apply for a WCU Away
scholarship. In order to receive WCU Away funding:
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Students must first identify a domestic or
international study, service, or work
opportunity during the summer.
Students must then identify an existing
summer term course that is related to their
planned experience away.
Students will travel during May or the early
part of the summer, and then return to
campus and take the associated summer
course.
In addition to the normal course work,
students who receive WCU Away funds
must submit a reflection paper that relates
their experience to the content of the
summer course and their overall WCU
education.
In order to receive the scholarship, students
must complete the WCU Away application
and meeting the following criteria:
o have a cumulative GPA of 2.75.
o be in good academic, financial, and
judicial standing with the university.
o be enrolled in a summer course
linked to travel.