Did the Pandemic derail your study-abroad plans? Well, your window of opportunity is open once again. The Sonoma State University study abroad program has been back up and running since the Fall 2021 semester. Sonoma State is also receiving international students again.

SSU is currently receiving international students through campus exchange programs and the visiting international student program, Semester at Sonoma. SSU is currently hosting multiple international students seeking their degree. Additionally, there are exchange students participating in the school’s American Language Institute.

International students live both on and off campus, although the study abroad program highly encourages students to live on campus. Also, international students are not eligible for federal or state-based financial aid, but can apply for Scholarships from SSU.

The COVID-19 pandemic was particularly hard on the study abroad community. The broader community faced challenges like downsizing, reassigning staff, students missing their opportunity to study abroad, and international students faced complications such as not being able to return home due to COVID-19.

While the school hasn’t caught up to its pre-pandemic numbers in the study abroad program, based on current trends, University staff are confident that will change.

Hope Oritz, SSU’s Global Engagement Coordinator said, “The Pandemic provided the field of international education, study abroad, and myself with the opportunity to learn and create new or different processes for delivering our services, but it was a steep learning curve. Our number one priority is always to ensure the safety and well-being of our students.”

Ortiz is optimistic about the future of study abroad, “I am very happy to see a resurgence in interest in studying abroad from students. The fear and hesitancy to study abroad that I saw in many students as a result of the Pandemic is much less now. I hope to see a renewal in the efforts that we have been making at SSU over the years to make studying away even easier and more efficient for students.”

Paige Berendsen, fourth-year business administration major, is the Social Media Coordinator for the Global Engagement Office Student Ambassadors. Berendsen was applying to programs during COVID-19, hoping it would work out. “Studying abroad is an amazing opportunity. Since coming back from being abroad, I’ve had a lot of opportunities, especially with the Global Engagement Office. I was able to meet people abroad and connect with others when I got back thanks to the exchange opportunity and I would do it again in a heartbeat.”