For Families

A memorable and rewarding experience!

Congratulations! Your son or daughter is about to embark on one of the most memorable and rewarding experiences of a student’s college career. Study abroad provides young people with the potential for incredible cultural, intellectual, and personal growth as they move out of their comfort zones and encounter new viewpoints, opportunities and challenges. Students who return from studying abroad often report that they have a greater perspective on the world, feel more independent and self-confident, and are more competitive for the job market. In sum, they thrive like never before!

Temple University has been involved in international education since the inception of the Temple-in-Paris program in 1950. We are dedicated to offering students a wide range of study abroad options and to providing programs that incorporate the location as an integral part of the classroom. Read more about our offerings by visiting the programs section.

As a parent/guardian, you have the opportunity to share in their excitement and to learn from their international experiences, and we are here to help you and your student in any way we can.

 

Our Student-Centered Philosophy

The entire process of studying abroad, including preparing to go, is in itself a learning experience. With this in mind, please encourage your student to take personal responsibility in handling as many matters as possible independently, as an important preparatory step for this undertaking.

Our office aims to communicate directly with the student whenever possible, since s/he/they will be the individual responsible for herself/himself/themselves in a foreign country. Therefore, we respectfully request that parents and families share their questions and concerns with their student and allow the student to communicate those questions and concerns to the Education Abroad staff. In many cases, federal privacy laws (FERPA) prevent us from sharing information about students with their families.

We invite you to explore this website, where we address issues of particular concern to parents including safety, health and insurance, cultural adjustment, and practical matters. If you still have questions, please feel free to contact our office.

 

Online Family Chats

We offer sessions for parents and family in the fall and spring, during which our staff will provide an overview of study abroad options and answer questions.

 

Parent and Family Perspectives

Hear from real parents and family about their students' experiences studying abroad through Temple University.