ECELA Spanish Immersion Schools To Offer Financial Aid

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At immersion schools in South America, Spanish classes often have 4-7 students.

We'll be able to provide our own financial aid without charging high interest rates or burdening the taxpayer.

(PRWEB) August 10, 2010

ECELA Spanish schools announced today that financial aid will now be available to its students in Spanish immersion school programs in Argentina, Peru, and Chile. With this new aid program, ECELA hopes to counter rising education costs by making courses more affordable to a wide variety of participants.

Even without financial aid, students who study Spanish abroad in Latin America significantly reduce their costs over that of the typical university setting. For example, American in-state university tuition is typically $10,000 per year, or approximately $25 per class-hour, and much more for out-of-state or private schools. Costs for classes in ECELA's Spanish immersion schools, on the other hand, are about $7-$9 per hour. Additionally, the mini-groups at ECELA have 4-7 students each; in contrast to university classes, which typically often have more than 25 students.

The financial aid offered by ECELA will be available in the form of either scholarships or loans. Both financial aid programs are designed to give students the opportunity to attend Spanish immersion programs at a reduced cost. ECELA firmly believes that people in all income brackets should have access to study Spanish abroad without incurring a huge debt. Further, ECELA’s financial aid programs will not be receiving money from public funding. ECELA President Ken Ingraham stated, “We'll be able to provide our own financial aid without charging high interest rates or burdening the taxpayer.” (ECELA receives no public funding.)

ECELA scholarships are primarily geared towards students who are involved in fields that are beneficial to Spanish-speakers living in the states. Those involved in professions such as nursing, social work, immigration and civil rights law, teaching, and criminal justice would be prime candidates.

ECELA loans, on the other hand, are more widely available and are provided at low interest rates. Qualified students can take out loans for up to 50% of their course tuition. More information about both the scholarship and loan programs can be obtained by contacting ECELA at financialaid@ecela.com.

About ECELA
ECELA operates Spanish schools in the South American countries of Argentina, Chile and Peru. ECELA instructs over 2100 students per year and the program’s students originate from over 30 countries. With 20 hours of small group classes per week, cultural activities and excursions, and the advantages of living in a Spanish-speaking environment, immersion students advance very rapidly. To learn more about ECELA’s programs visit http://www.ecela.com.

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