Have you ever thought about going somewhere out of your reach? Maybe you’ve been wanting to embrace another culture for a while but finances or schooling has prevented that. There will always be a million reasons not to go somewhere, but there won’t always be a study abroad program to answer your problems

Next year for the spring 2023 semester, Rio Hondo will make an opportunity available to study abroad in Madrid, Spain.
Spain is at the heart of Europe. Not only is it near and neighboring some of the most traveled countries in the world, but Spain has one of the most storied cultures as well. From their food to people, there will always be an abundance for you to learn about.

Rio Hondo College will be one of the lucky schools coming to Madrid because of the Southern California Foothills Consortium. (SCFC) Some of the schools coming along are Citrus College, Mt. SAC, and Victor Valley College just to name a few.

If you’re still unsure, some interesting statistics are provided by UC Merced; 100% greater improvement in GPA, travelers on average have 25% higher salaries upon hiring, and 90% of students who study abroad get into their 1st or 2nd choice of grad schools.

Luckily for some applicants, grants and loans are available too, to help pay for their program. Some of these are the Pell Grant, Call Grants, and also there are subsidized loans.

Some requirements to travel are a 2.5 GPA, 12-14 units for the spring semester, only one online class for your 12-14 units, and taking a Spanish Civilization course. The Spanish Civilization course will teach students about Spanish history, gastronomy, traditions, politics, and more.

There will be a couple of different places for students to stay in Spain as well. There will be student apartments or homestays with local families.

Student apartments will typically be within 30 minutes of the teaching grounds. Within these apartments, around four to six students will be in double rooms. Kitchens, living rooms, baths, washing machines, and Wi-Fi are among the amenities provided.

Staying with a family will also be within a 30-minute commute to the student center. In each home, there will only be two students in a double room. Daily breakfast and 5 dinners a week will be provided. Homes will also have Wi-Fi available. A fee of $595 will be incurred with this option, however.

Some of the activities in Madrid will be: visits to the Prado and Reina Sofia Museum, walking tours of Puerta del Sol and Plaza Mayor, flamenco performances, cooking classes and so much more.

You still have time to learn about this trip and put a deposit down on a great, life-changing experience. Professor Rebecca Green of Rio Hondo will be available to take questions at [email protected]. Also Citrus College’s website has a study abroad portion with information.