Travel Support

Common Perwinkle snail illustration

International Programs

The Fund for Expeditionary Learning

COA provides students with up to $1,800 to support global and civic engagement and experiential, travel-related learning. Supported projects include COA courses with a travel component as well as independent studies and residencies. Funds can be used to support both domestic and foreign travel. Students in good academic, financial, and social standing may begin accessing their funds as early as their second year.

Criteria for award of the COA Fund for Expeditionary Learning:

The program supports:

  • Fees and travel expenses associated with credit-bearing activities that have a non-local travel component (i.e. 100 miles or greater for classes, residencies, independent studies, internships, or senior projects)
  • Materials and equipment up to $500 of total award
  • Travel, room, and board expenses to conferences related to the students field of study and assuming that a) the student has attempted to reduce the cost of attendance as much as possible by making use of student scholarships and rates associated with that conference, and b) the student is making a meaningful contribution to the conference (presentation, panel participant, workshop organizer, etc.)

The program does not support:

  • Tuition, honorariums, non-COA program fees (exceptions: EcoLeague or NOLS) or stipends of any kind. Similarly, the fund does not support non-travel lab fees or long-term (more than 2 weeks) housing

Disbursements will be processed three times each academic year (fall, winter, and spring) though students may submit applications for the subsequent disbursement cycle up until the deadline for that term. The deadline to submit is Friday of week three each term.

Student voices

COA Might be Right for You if…

…you are ready to have your life and identity flipped on its head and dunked in the ocean repeatedly

Jonna Lynn Nielsen ’27

…you don’t know what you want to study because you have far too many interests to just focus in on one of them. 

Wilson Korneev ’28

…you want to be in a small community where people will remember your name.

Alya Kiiashko ’25

…you want to meet politically, emotionally, and academically engaged people.

Alder Ame ’27

Carolina headshot, scenic background

…you think being sent to the oceanside to improve your mental health actually sounds awesome (it totally is).

Carolina de Oliveira Castro ’26

…you are passionate about the natural world and want to study it and love spending time outside.

Conrad Kortemeier ’26

…you want to be surrounded and inspired by people who are excited about niche subjects, and by people who are still figuring out what they’re doing.

Marina Schnell ’25

…you have an open mind, enjoy small communities, and want a well-rounded (however unconventional) education experience. 

Seth Sears ’28

…you want freedom in your class structure.

Andie Piliouras ’26