For many students, college is not just about earning a degree. It is about discovering the world beyond their immediate surroundings, and study abroad programs embody just that.
That is why it is both disappointing and concerning to see TCC pause its study abroad programs with no continuation in sight.
At a time when higher education should be expanding opportunities, TCC is limiting one of the most transformative experiences it can offer.
The last study abroad program that TCC students participated in was in 2019 before the COVID pandemic, which is understandable, but it’s been nearly six years since quarantine and still nothing. Faculty has presented multiple trip ideas, and the administration has decided to pause all international global learning programs because of “the current environment and budget considerations.”
However, this reasoning does not make sense. Study abroad programs are largely student-funded, meaning participants cover their own travel and program costs. While administrative oversight and coordination do require the college’s support, eliminating the program entirely suggests a disconnect between the college’s stated financial concerns and the actual structure of these opportunities.
Beyond logistics, the human impact of this decision cannot be ignored.
For some students, study abroad is the only realistic chance they will ever have to leave the country. It is not simply a trip. It is a life-changing experience.
America is a country built on individualism and can be seen as an information bubble where people don’t inform themselves of the world outside of their immediate surroundings. Global learning programs give students a unique opportunity to exist outside of themselves.
To see different cultures and be submerged in them. To meet people of varying walks of life and experience how they live their day-to-day lives. This offers the chance for American students to get out of their bubble and understand that America isn’t the only way of life.
TCC has a diverse student population, many of whom balance school with work, family responsibilities and financial limitations. For these students, accessible study abroad programs can open doors that would otherwise remain closed. Removing those opportunities only widens the gap between what students could experience and what they are allowed to pursue.
If this college is committed to preparing students for a globalized world, it must prioritize global learning experiences. Pausing study abroad programs sends the opposite message that such experiences are expendable.
They are not.
The administration must reevaluate this decision and work toward reinstating study abroad programs as soon as possible. Whether that means restructuring administrative processes, seeking partnerships or increasing transparency around costs, solutions exist. But only if the college is willing to pursue them.
Students deserve more than a classroom-bound education. They deserve the chance to see the world, engage with it and be changed by it. TCC should not stand in the way of that opportunity.
