It’s no surprise to many that the Boston College undergraduate student population comes from a particularly wealthy background. A 2017 study by the New York Times found that the median family income of a student from Boston College is $194,100, and 70% of students are from families within the top 20 percent of US earners.
This clear disparity in wealth among students infiltrates all areas of campus life, including study abroad opportunities and experiences. For low-income students on BC’s campus, studying abroad is either financially implausible or extremely difficult: the estimated costs of some programs are around $50,000 per semester. Add weekend trips to neighboring countries and the increased cost of living in the cities of some of these programs, and studying abroad at BC becomes an extremely daunting experience for low-income students.
Boston College’s Office of Global Education (OGE), responsible for the study abroad programs for BC students, states that their mission, “in accordance with Boston College’s Jesuit values, is to provide BC students with a wide variety of educational opportunities abroad… OGE strives to foster an environment that is considerate to all BC students and the greater BC community.” Given this statement and the larger Jesuit values of equity, global engagement, and creating “men and women for others,” it is crucial that Boston College provides opportunities and resources for low-income students looking to study abroad.
Notably, OGE offers and highlights a multitude of scholarships for students concerned about the financial burden of studying abroad. The McGillycuddy-Logue Travel Grants are a BC-specific scholarship program that has funded nearly 1,000 students’ study abroad programs. During the 2019-20 academic year, more than 80% of the travel grant recipients were Montserrat students. Given that Montserrat is a BC office dedicated to assisting students with the highest levels of financial need, this displays just how committed the McGillycuddy-Logue program is to helping low-income students fund their studies abroad.
Natalie Flint (LSEHD, ‘25) received one of these grants for her study abroad program at Trinity College in Dublin during the Fall semester of 2023. She discusses how the McGillycuddy-Logue Travel Grant helped her financially while abroad: “The McGillycuddy-Logue Grant helped fund my semester abroad in various ways. The majority of my grant was put towards housing. Unlike tuition costs, housing expenses at Trinity College Dublin were not covered by financial aid, which meant I had to make out-of-pocket payments. Without this grant, I would have had to set up a monthly payment plan with the school. In the meantime, I would have tried to find a few babysitting jobs or other small jobs in order to make the monthly payment. These jobs would have taken up a lot of my time outside of classes. This would have significantly impeded my ability to immerse myself fully in the rich culture and history of Ireland.”
OGE also provides application resources for external scholarship programs, such as the Gilman Scholarship. This scholarship is administered by the U.S. Department of State and supports students of limited financial means in their study or internship opportunities abroad. The program offers up to $5,000 in award benefits to students who are recipients of a Federal Pell Grant. Boston College has been recognized as one of the top 20 producers of Gilman Scholarship winners in the medium-sized institution category, sharing this recognition alongside universities such as Notre Dame, Northwestern, and Georgetown.
Monica Barger (MCAS ‘27) received a Gilman Scholarship for study abroad in Ballyvaughan, County Clare, Ireland, with the BC summer “Imagination and Creativity in the Irish Landscape” art course. She highlights how her experience has shaped her career prospects: “In Ireland, I definitely realized I wanted to be deeply, professionally engaged with my global community. Traveling is one of my life’s greatest passions; I love making friends around the world and connecting myself with cultures far from my own. One particularly meaningful experience was a tour of Patrick McCormack’s farm, where we explored his vast property and listened to him describe Irish history and folk tales. The experience left me with more curiosity about the world.” She states that, financially, “the program provided me funding that superseded my tuition expenses; I had enough to afford supplemental trips to Trinity College Dublin, the National Gallery of Ireland, and the Cliffs of Moher.”
Barger’s transformative experience abroad is a powerful reminder of how studying abroad can shape diverse outlooks on the world and inspire future careers. For her and many others, funding through programs like the Gilman Scholarship doesn’t just make travel possible; it turns lifelong dreams into reality and empowers students to engage with the world in ways they might never have imagined.
Speaking from personal experience as a Gilman Scholarship recipient, my study abroad experience would not have been the same without this funding. This award allowed me to fully experience the joys of studying abroad, something that I thought my financial barriers would prevent me from doing. I utilized this funding to live and study in London, one of the most expensive cities in the world, to pursue an education in the War Studies department at King’s College London. Here, I was able to expand my academic knowledge and interest in global conflict prevention in a city brimming with international history and significance. Not only did I grow academically, but the conversations and interactions I had with my international peers and newfound friends in London largely impacted how I view the world.
Through these experiences, my worldview was largely broadened beyond a U.S.-centered perspective. This has been incredibly beneficial for my academic and professional interests in international affairs, and I now feel more prepared to pursue a career where I can make a real impact on global issues, continuing to learn and evolve along the way. Moreover, these funds allowed me to expand my experiences beyond the classroom and city limits of London, as I was able to travel from the bustling medina of Marrakech, Morocco, to the storied ruins of the Roman Empire in Rome, Italy. The exposure to new cultures and perspectives again changed my outlook on the world and helped me find a passion for global travel, something I hope to make a part of my future career. These experiences that have transformed me personally, academically, and professionally would not have been possible without the funding of the Gilman Scholarship program.
But with the Trump administration’s cuts to the federal budget, study abroad programs and grants like the Gilman Scholarship are under attack. In February, the U.S. Department of State placed a funding freeze on programs such as the Gilman Scholarship and the Fulbright Program. This pause actively affects students who have received funding through these programs and are already or plan to go abroad. Given the uncertain nature of this funding freeze, many students are fearful of the possibility of suddenly losing funds that allow them to be or go abroad. Watching this new executive administration dismantle opportunities that have empowered low-income and underrepresented students to engage with the world is deeply disheartening. Slashing programs like these not only hurts students, but also shrinks the U.S.’s presence on the global stage and silences the diverse perspectives that challenge and enrich our understanding of the world.
The most academically gifted students of our nation and generation should not be limited to exploring and interacting with the world simply because of their financial hardships. Funding for experiences abroad, whether through Boston College-specific programs like McGillycuddy-Logue Travel Grants or federal programs like the Gilman Scholarship, provides students who have financial burdens the experience to explore new cultures, career paths, and skills to prosper in an increasingly interconnected world. Monica Barger (MCAS ‘27), a recipient of the Gilman Scholarship, explains that “international education has been indispensable to my personal growth. I believe that traveling is fundamental to forming a well-rounded understanding of the world, especially for students from rural poverty like myself. Without these programs, I likely would not be pursuing a career in international humanitarian law.” Natalie Flint (LSEHD ‘25), a recipient of a McGillycuddy-Logue Travel Grant, shares a similar sentiment, stating: “My time abroad influenced me academically, professionally, and socially. I made many friends during my time abroad, and this really influenced my interpersonal skills. It forced me to be more approachable and inclusive while interacting with peers from around the world.”
If Boston College is truly committed to its Jesuit values of equity, global engagement, and forming “men and women for others,” then ensuring access to study abroad opportunities for all students, regardless of income, must remain an active priority for this university. Programs like the Gilman Scholarship and the McGillycuddy-Logue Travel Grants prove that, when support is available, students from all backgrounds can thrive abroad. These experiences not only enrich individual lives, but they further strengthen our campus community as students from all backgrounds deepen our collective understanding of the world. As active threats to these programs persist, so too must our university’s commitment to making global education a reality for everyone. When we invest in students’ potential, we open the door to a global future that’s more connected, compassionate, and inspired.
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