The weak dollar, already prompting world travelers to think twice about pricey Europe, has now started affecting study-abroad programs.

These days, college students are reconsidering old favorites like London and increasingly opting for nontraditional destinations in Asia, Africa and South America.

It's not that college students have abandoned Europe, where the dollar has been walloped by the euro, pound and Swiss franc. They're still flocking to Oxford to study Shakespeare or Florence to immerse themselves in Renaissance art, and in record numbers.

But they're also much more likely to consider countries where the dollar is stronger, such as Argentina or China.

Studying abroad in Argentina, for example, grew by 42 percent from 2005 to 2006, the latest statistics available. China was up by 38 percent, according to the Institute of International Education.

Those countries already have been attracting more students, partly because kids recognize the advantages of learning other languages and cultures in today's global society while earning regular credits toward their degrees. Now the weak dollar is making the countries even more attractive, particularly to students on tight budgets.

"There seems to be a steady shift toward locations that are both less expensive and more advantageous to careers," said Peggy Blumenthal, chief operating officer for the Institute of International Education.

"Students are going to Mexico rather than Spain, China rather than Japan.

"The dollar certainly has made people look hard at value for the dollar."

'Nontraditional destinations'

Locally, California Lutheran University in Thousand Oaks has nearly twice as many students studying abroad this fall as last, said Lisa Loberg, director of its study-abroad program.

But no one is going to Spain, the third most popular destination nationwide for studying abroad. On the other hand, seven students are going to Mexico, two to Costa Rica and one to Argentina. In addition, two students are going to South Africa and one to Senegal.

"We want students to go where they want to go," Loberg said. "At the same time, we encourage them to go to nontraditional destinations. We say, This is college. This is your chance to go to a place you might not go on vacation.' "

CLU senior Blythe Cherney, 21, studied in Thailand last year. This fall, she'll go to Oxford in Great Britain, one of the places where the dollar is weakest. She's aware of the weak dollar, but the Oxford program, which focuses on politics and the arts, "seemed tailored to me," she said.

The weak dollar sometimes determines where students go, said Cherney, who works in CLU's study-abroad office, but, as in her case, not always.

"If students really have their heart set on going somewhere, they make it happen, even with the weakening dollar," Cherney said.

Expenses in Europe

At Pepperdine University in Malibu, among the top U.S. schools for the percentage of students studying abroad, a new program in Shanghai has attracted three times as many participants as anticipated, said Charles Hall, dean of international programs.

A program in Buenos Aires, which normally draws about 50 students, will have 65 this year.

Meanwhile, students are returning from their European travels talking about how expensive the food and transportation were, Hall said.

"They maybe take a little more bread at breakfast, so they don't have to pay for lunch," Hall said. "They're figuring out ways to penny-pinch."

Hall believes that word will get out, and next year students will be even more aware of what the weak dollar means for their travels.

"It hasn't sunk in yet," he said. "They're not going to feel it until they get there. Probably most of them never had to budget like this."

Pepperdine's study-abroad program is definitely aware of the weak dollar and is adjusting its budget accordingly.

"When we set costs for students for (next year), we're going to have to up our prices considerably, given the devaluation of the dollar and the price of fuel," Hall said.

Like Hall, Elizabeth Hartung, interim director of the Center for International Affairs at CSU Channel Islands in Camarillo, said she believes students will be more aware of the weak dollar when they sign up for study-abroad programs this year.

The biggest impact will be in the programs the CSU system offers, Hartung said. "There will be fewer places in the U.K. and more opportunities elsewhere," she said. "That's how the dollar will affect study abroad."

Addressing obstacles

Colleges have different ways of funding study-abroad programs. Some base their charges on actual costs. Many charge the same amount for tuition, room and board as a semester at home as long as the college is sponsoring the program.

Pepperdine, for example, costs $24,085 a semester for tuition, room and board, the same basic price it charges for a semester abroad. The school does charge an additional $3,080 for airfare and field trips.

"Some of our non-European programs end up compensating for the expense of other programs," Hall said. "Otherwise we'd have to up the price considerably for programs like London."

Still, students will spend more in London than in Shanghai because they often take holiday trips and go out on weekends, costs that are higher in Europe than elsewhere, especially with the weak dollar.

The differences are more pronounced at schools like USC, where study-abroad charges are based on actual costs of housing, air and on-site transportation.

At USC, a student who studies in London for a semester can expect to pay $28,060. A semester in Nanjing, China, costs $17,235.

However they handle the funding, schools are trying to make their programs more accessible to all students, an issue that was raised last month at the annual meeting of NAFSA: Association of International Educators.

Among all students studying abroad, about 84 percent are white, a number that has barely budged since 1994. Only 5 percent are Latino, a percentage that also has held steady since 1994.

Surveys suggest that money is the primary obstacle for minority and low-income students. That's why CLU is looking into providing scholarships for students who otherwise couldn't afford to study abroad.

The school also is reaching out to students and addressing some of the cultural obstacles to studying abroad, including family pressure to stay close to home.

Some parents may not have traveled themselves, so they don't see the value, Loberg said, and some students believe they're being selfish if they go overseas.

In those cases, Loberg explains that studying abroad is part of the college experience, an "investment in future career opportunities."

Aiming for affordability

CSU Channel Islands, meanwhile, offers grants so students can go abroad for a shorter time, during spring break, for example, or the summer. The hope is that students will realize they can manage a year abroad, Hartung said.

Pepperdine offers scholarships for students who want to study abroad. The international programs office also works regularly with financial aid officers to find students additional grants or loans.

"We do our best to keep these opportunities as affordable as possible," Hall said. "We don't want programs that only the wealthy can afford."

On the Net:

http://www.iiepassport.org

http://www.fundingstudyabroad.org