Advisors / Affiliate Program

Join Our Cooperating Partner Alliance

CIS Abroad’s affiliate program is called the Cooperating Partner Alliance (CPA). Simply stated, it is a non-binding agreement between your institution and CIS Abroad that provides an additional education abroad resource for your office while also giving your students certain financial and service benefits. We believe it is a “win-win” situation for all parties involved.

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HOW DOES OUR COOPERATING PARTNER ALLIANCE WORK?

As study abroad participation continues to grow, there is a corresponding increase in variety – variety in program offerings, variety in the student’s backgrounds, variety in student requirements for a program. CIS Abroad’s Cooperating Partner Alliance was formed with this in mind. The CPA is a program designed to complement, not compete, with your existing study abroad opportunities. Becoming a member of the Alliance program allows you to expand your list of existing education abroad programs and services to accommodate more of your student’s interests, budgets and personal preferences.

Furthermore, your commitment to becoming and staying an Alliance member does not bind you to any set number of students you must refer. We will treat you the same whether you send 1 student per year or 20 students per semester. We realize that you want to have as many trusted programs as possible to offer your students and we would like to be one of them.

As a CPA member you and your students have access to certain privileges not available to non-member institutions.

Institutional Benefits

  • Support of your office through annual campus visits, provision of promotional material and access to resource materials.
  • Site visit to your office, including updates on student applications and access to partner university webinars for advisors and students
  • Access to two NEW tools (free to affiliates): Our “Restarting Study Abroad Program Rubric: Pandemic Version”; and our “Faculty-taught feasibility rubric”
  • Access to our Peer Advisor Matching grant (see below)
  • New in 2021! Access to the CPA Curriculum Mapping Matching Grant program (see below)

Student Benefits

  • Automatic discounts off of our already low program fees.
  • First class service from start to finish!
  • Live- either in-person or online pre departure orientation

CPA GRANT PROGRAMS

Curriculum Mapping Matching Grant program

Students already face many barriers to studying abroad, and we want to help reduce some of those barriers by partnering with your institution to employ a student or graduate assistant (or whomever best fits the needs of your office) who can assist with curriculum mapping. Understanding how courses will translate back into their degree plan, before they travel, is a huge help to students during their application process. In order to support our affiliate partners, we make a small number of grants available each fall and spring to help in this endeavor.

What is it?

CIS Abroad will financially match up to $1,250 for your office to employ someone to complete a curriculum mapping project for any number of CIS Abroad overseas partner institution’s curriculum. CIS Abroad will assist in securing the content needed in order to map curricula for as many majors as makes sense strategically. At the end of the grant period the person responsible for the project will present their work to both our offices, so that both our student advisors can learn and understand what is available to them as we assist students through their exploration and application process to study abroad.
If you are a staff member of a CPA (affiliate) institution who works in education abroad, then you are eligible to apply on behalf of your study abroad office. Applications are accepted on a rolling basis, but preference is given to applications submitted by May 1 for the fall grant period and October 1 for spring/summer. Please note that grant payments are made on a reimbursement basis at the end of the grant period, following the sharing of materials supported by the grant.

How to apply

Complete the CPA Curriculum Mapping Matching Grant program application.

Peer Advisor Matching Grant Program

What is it?

To support education abroad staff at our affiliate partners we provide this grant opportunity, which covers up to half the cost of hiring a Peer Advisor in the education abroad office for a semester or an academic year. The Peer Advisor will work in a pre-professional capacity with office staff to promote education abroad on campus and to support prospective and current applicants. Grants generally range between $250 – $1,000 in matching funds per semester.

This grant can be used to hire an alum of a CIS Abroad program who can assist your office with a broad range of study abroad advising and promotional activities such as:

  • Initial study abroad advising appointments and information sessions
  • Class presentations
  • Outreach across campus, including to student organizations and living/learning communities
  • Social media management
  • Administrative duties with a focus on CIS Abroad applicants
  • Additional duties as assigned by education abroad office staff

Any current affiliate partner is eligible to apply. Applications are accepted between March 1 and August 1, with decisions made on a rolling basis.

How to apply

Complete the Peer Advisor Matching Grant Program application.

CPA MEMBER SCHOOLS

CIS Abroad prides itself on the diversity of institutions that it partners with. From small, privates to large publics, we aim to work with institutions to whom we can provide value.

View CPA Members

If you don’t see your institution listed, please contact your University Relations representative to discuss the possibility of your institution becoming an affiliate.

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