Study Abroad

To be eligible for the application of a PCC study abroad program, you must: 

1. Be an active Pima Community College student
2. Be at least 18 years old
3. Have completed at least 12 academic college credits and have a minimum 2.5 College GPA
4. Have no code of conduct violations
5. Be eligible to obtain all necessary travel documents, such as a passport, host country visa, travel insurance, etc.
6. Meet all eligibility requirements for entry to and continued presence in the host country for the duration of the program. Individuals with certain disqualifying factors that do not comply with host country laws and regulations may be denied entry or deported.
7. Maintain good academic standing – not on academic restriction/probation/disqualification
8. Be in good financial standing with PCC – no overdue account balance or outstanding fine
9. Complete the Study Abroad application with a 500-word personal statement essay. Your statement should be in paragraph format, not as numbered responses to the questions providing answers to the questions below:
   • How will studying abroad help you achieve your future academic or professional goals?
   • Why did you select your specific program and host country?
   • How are you academically prepared to be a successful scholar abroad? If you have faced significant academic difficulties, tell us about those and how you are overcoming them.
   • What examples of knowledge, skills, and experiences will you draw on to meet the challenges of going abroad?
10. Obtain a valid passport at least 30 days before departing the US or applying for a host country visa, whichever occurs first.

Before applying for a study abroad program, please research program information like the eligibility requirement, location, budget, etc. You are also encouraged to reach out to the CIE office (international@pima.edu) for additional information. 

Different types of financial aids like grants, scholarships and loans can help cover the cost of your study abroad experience. If you receive financial aid, you may be able to apply it towards the cost of a credit-bearing study abroad program, including tuition and fees. Please contact PCC Office of Financial Aid and Scholarships for more information. 

These are some important study abroad scholarships you should consider applying to:

1. The U.S. Department of State's Benjamin A. Gilman International Scholarship Program enables students of limited financial means to study or intern abroad, providing them with skills critical to our national security and economic prosperity. 
2. The Critical Language Scholarship (CLS) offers a summer study abroad opportunity for American college and university students to learn languages essential to America's engagement with the world. The CLS Program is part of a U.S. government effort to expand the number of Americans studying and mastering critical foreign languages. 
3. First Trip Study Abroad Scholarships may provide funding for individuals traveling to countries ranked lower than Very High on the United Nations' annual Human Development Index (HDI).

1. Prepare yourself by carefully reading the Department of State's International Travel site and the CDC's International Travel site for international travelers. 
2. Students with Disabilities: Please disclose your disability needs to the Access & Disability Resources (ADR) Office early for appropriate arrangements and reasonable accommodations. 
3. Pre-departure orientations are mandatory. Schedule of the orientations will be announced after you are admitted to the program. 
4. Housing and accommodations include, but are not limited to, residence halls, hotels, bed and breakfasts, host families, and apartments. You may need to share a room with another participant. Please be mindful of each other's privacy, space, habits and sleep patterns.