Eighteenth International Conference on Diversity in Organizations, Communities & Nations

Abstract

Studying abroad offers students’ educational and economic benefits, but a large amount of graduate students from developing nations prefer not to study abroad. The significant reason is related to the lack of economic capital; however, this study claims that not only economic capital but also social and cultural capital have an impact on students’ decision to study abroad. Various universities in the U.S. provide financial support through Fulbright Programs or assistantship positions for international students to support them during their education; in addition, developing countries sometimes sponsor their students with various scholarship programs. Although there are options to study abroad without needing individual funding, students still may choose not to study abroad, and thus miss the opportunities available to them through a study abroad experience. This study identifies the reasons that might impact students’ choice to study abroad based on their economic, social, or cultural capital. For this purpose, the data were collected by systematic review. Based on the findings of this study, students’ varied forms of capital are affected by the education system and in turn, students’ capital might influence students’ decisions to study abroad. Because students’ economic, cultural, and social capital may not match each other at a university, the distinction between students’ capital leads to different approaches to educational opportunities such as studying abroad.