Community College Exchanges

A World Awaits You journal free online! Read this issue: Community Colleges Expanding Global Horizons -- U.S. Students with Disabilities Going Abroad and International Students with Disabilities in the U.S. 

In This Tipsheet:

Disability Information

• Who Attends Community Colleges?
• What Disability Services are at Community Colleges?

International Students to the U.S.

• Benefits to Attending a U.S. Community College
• Exchange Programs
• National Clearinghouse on Disability and Exchange Resources
• Stories from International Students with Disabilities
  

U.S. Students, Faculty and Staff Exchange Programs

• Study Abroad Student with Disabilities Stories
• Exchange Programs
• National Clearinghouse on Disability and Exchange Resources
  

Technical Assistance Resources

• Creating International and Inclusive Opportunities
  
• The National Clearinghouse on Disability and Exchange Resources

Disability Information

Who Attends Community Colleges?

Approximately 45% of U.S. undergraduates with a disability are enrolled at public two year institutions (National Postsecondary Student Aid Study 2008).

The top five disability categories for which community colleges reported services (American Association of Community Colleges 2006) were:

• learning disabilities
• emotional or psychiatric condition
• orthopedic or mobility impairment
• attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder, and
• health impairment. 

What Disability Services are at Community Colleges?

Nearly 75% of community colleges reported having a dedicated office for disability service services. The most commonly reported accommodations and services provided by community colleges were:

• academic counseling
• note takers/scribes/ readers
• testing accommodations
• alternative media, and
• tutoring services. 
  

Two-year community colleges are also more likely than 4-year universities to offer assistive technology evaluation, training, provision and campus supports.*

*From the National Survey of Educational Support Provision to Students with Disabilities in Postsecondary Education Settings 2000.

International Students to the U.S.

Benefits to Attending a U.S. Community College

Community colleges provide a wide range of academic and professional programs. The most popular program is the two-year university-transfer Associate's degree. Students finish the first and second years of their Bachelor’s degree, and then transfer to a four-year university to complete the third and fourth years of the Bachelor's degree. Community colleges also offer one- and two-year certificates and degrees in many areas of professional and technical training for career preparation. U.S. Community colleges provide:

• Low-cost of tuition
• University transfer programs
• Small classes with high quality instruction
• English language programs
• Options to stay with host families
• Personalized advising services
• Open-access admissions policy (generally)
• Academic skill developmental or remedial classes, if needed.
  

Exchange Programs

American Association of Community Colleges' Website for International Students

A web resource for international students to browse college profiles, get answers about two-year degree programs, locate a college by location or field of study, apply on-line or request information directly from the college.

Community College Summit Initiative Program

The U.S. State Department is providing assistance awards to support international students to study at accredited U.S. community colleges. This program is primarily for underserved, non-elite international students from selected countries. The exchange is designed to develop skills and expertise for participants to enter the workforce and contribute to economic growth of their countries after they return. 

International Student E-Guide on Profiles of U.S. Community Colleges

The American Association of Community Colleges designed this website and e-publication to inform and inspire international students to begin their higher education at U.S. community colleges. Approximately 20,000 copies of the guide have also been distributed all over the world to overseas educational advising centers, Fulbright offices, U.S. embassies and high schools. Students can locate EducationUSA advising offices close to them.

The Worldwide Fulbright Scholar-in-Residence Program

The Worldwide Fulbright Scholar-in-Residence Program brings visiting scholars and professionals from abroad to lecture at U.S. colleges and universities for one semester or one academic year. In addition to teaching courses, scholars give campus-wide and community lectures, help initiate international programs and contribute to curriculum development. Although preference is given to proposals in the humanities or social sciences, other fields focusing on international issues will be considered.  

Youth for Understanding USA Community College Program

International secondary school graduates between the ages of 17 and 23 can participate in university-level academic exchange programs at community colleges across the United States. Students can choose between a semester or year-long English Language Program, the Academic Semester Program, or the academic-year Certificate Program. A two-year degree program is also offered, where students live independently in apartments during the second year. 

National Clearinghouse on Disability and Exchange Resources

• Resource Sheets on Traveling with Specific Disabilities
• Financial Aid Information for Non-U.S. Citizens for Exchange Programs
• Coming to the USA Information for Individuals with Disabilities
  

Stories from International Students with Disabilities

• Yelena Semyonova, a Russian international student who has a prothestic leg, participated on the Youth for Understanding program to study at Iowa Lakes Community College in the United States.

• Muzaffar Hussain Laghari, who has cerebral palsy and came from Pakistan to the United States on  the Community College Summit Initiative U.S. Department of State exchange scholarship program.
• Emil Gavrailov, an international student at the College of the Siskiyous in Weed, California, worked at the disability service office and learned how students with disabilities from Bulgaria could benefit from coming to study in the United States.

U.S. Students, Staff and Faculty Exchanges

The Open Doors Report on International Educational Exchange in 2009/10 reported 1.2% of the study abroad students with disabilities were from community colleges*.

*Because of the low response rate these are not national level findings.

Exchange Programs

While many community colleges will offer their own faculty-led programs, there are some national or statewide programs listed below that provide opportunities for students, staff and faculty from many different community colleges to participate. 

ACCENT International Consortium for Academic Programs Abroad

• ACCENT is an independent study abroad program provider coordinating overseas study programs in partnership with U.S. colleges and universities. ACCENT works with schools to develop unique overseas study experiences in Paris, Florence, London, Madrid and Rome.
  

College Consortium for International Studies

• CCIS is a partnership of colleges and universities – two and four year, large and small, public and private, domestic and foreign – and offers a choice of more than 80 study abroad programs in 31 countries around the world for a semester, summer, or full academic year. 

Congress-Bundestag Youth Exchange For Young Professionals

• Young professionals, ages of 18-24, study in Germany for one semester in language schools and participate in practical training with a German company for another semester. The program is designed primarily for career-oriented young adults in business, technical, agricultural and vocational fields. Prior German language skills are not required.  

Fulbright German Studies Seminar

• Scholars from U.S. universities, colleges, and community colleges who hold full-time teaching appointments and meet other academic requirements (Ph.D., Ph.D. candidacy or other equivalent degree or qualifications) are eligible. The program is in English and the grant is for two weeks. 

NASPA: Student Affairs Administrators in Higher Education

• NASPA offers student affairs professionals opportunities to visit with student affairs colleagues and learn how student affairs work is conducted in other countries. Countries range from Australia to Ireland, from South Africa to China. Selection of NASPA members to participate in the International Exchange Program is handled by the Coordinator of International Exchanges. 
  

Peace Corps Volunteering with an Associate’s Degree

• An associate degree and/or work experience can help make community college students eligible to serve as a Peace Corps Volunteer in areas such as youth development, health and HIV/ AIDS, business development and information technology, agriculture and the environment, and skilled trades. 
  

Work Immersion Study Program in Germany

• A cooperative program with the American Association of Teachers of German (AATG) and the Landesstiftung Baden Württemberg, specifically designed to provide American community college students, ages 18-27, with intensive German language training and internships at German companies. Duration of the exchange is 3 months, June - August. Scholarships provided. 

Virginia Council on International Education (VaCIE) and the Virginia Community College System (VCCS) Program

• A  faculty exchange between the Virginia community colleges and the further education systems of the United Kingdom and the Netherlands. The purpose of the exchange is to learn new educational techniques, to study the approaches taken by different educational systems, and to learn something of the history and culture of another nation.
  

Search for other exchange programs, including service-learning volunteer programs abroad, at our Exchange Database.

National Clearinghouse on Disability and Exchange Resources

• Resource Sheets on Traveling with Specific Disabilities
• Financial Aid Information for U.S. Citizens for Exchange Programs
• Going Abroad as a Person with a Disability

Study Abroad Student with Disabilities Stories

• Tracee Garner, as a student who uses a wheelchair, participated in a summer disability rights and leadership exchange to Costa Rica while attending North Virginia Community College.
• Eric Harper, as a student at Rogue Community College in Oregon, participated in a short-term program to South Africa and Namibia. Also request his "Journey to an Ancient Land" article, which chronicles his journey in his power wheelchair. This article is in New Mobility Magazine's March 2006 issue.
  
• Revecca Torres shares her experiences on a short-term fashion exchange to Paris when she was a student at Harper College in Illinois (videoclip and transcript) and a later arts and disability summer exchange to England.
• Perseus McDaniel is an Edmonds Community College student who is Deaf and became interested in studying in Italy after learning how to read and write in Italian. The Student Government at his school helped pay for the two sign interpreters' expenses to go with him on the two month study abroad program to Florence, Italy.

Technical Assistance Resources

Creating International and Inclusive Opportunities

Whether it is establishing your own study abroad program or tapping into existing programs offered by others, community colleges have the perfect opportunity to be inclusive from the beginning of the process. Students with disabilities have similar international dreams and interests as their nondisabled peers who choose to study, volunteer or intern abroad during their college experiences.

Students with disabilities make up a significant percentage of the student body on many community colleges nationwide. As community colleges are working to increase the opportunities for global learning as part of community college curriculum and campus activities, students with disabilities need to know that they are welcome to participate also. These programs should reflect the diversity of a campus, by including targeted outreach to and access for students with disabilities as well as other under-represented groups.

For general comments about the value of international students accessing U.S. community colleges and the need for community colleges to send more students abroad, read the speech from Allan Goodman, President of the Institute of International Education, at the American Association of Community Colleges Annual Convention.

The National Clearinghouse on Disability and Exchange Resources

Read NCDE Tools for Exchange Professionals to learn a wealth of practical, how-to ideas on creating inclusive programs.

View the NCDE presentation "Community College, Then the World: Including students with disabilities in study abroad programs". 

Browse the A World Awaits You journal on "Community Colleges: Expanding Global Horizons -- U.S. Students with Disabilities Going Abroad and International Students with Disabilities in the U.S."

Although efforts have been made to ensure accuracy, MIUSA/NCDE cannot be held liable for inaccuracy, misinterpretation or complaints arising from these listings. Mention of an organization, company, service or resource should not be construed as an endorsement by MIUSA/NCDE. Please advise NCDE of any inaccuracies you may find.