Update on my Planned Educational Leave

I had hoped to update regularly as I am likely trailblazing the possibility of training in other areas of the planet, which I am sure others in SSHA would like to do, but I am a bit grounded at the moment. Here is what I have found out so far. Basically if, as a graduate student at UC-Merced, you would like to broaden your horizons then you can fill out a form and leave for up to one year by filling out a PELP form and paying a $40 fee. Unfortunately, unlike some other universities, a graduate student in the UC system cannot get financial aid (i.e., student loans) while on leave. Some people might say, "Well duh!", but actually Cornell University permit financial aid for graduate students on leave. Further, universities in the EU will actually pay (not just allow the borrowing of money) for graduate students to travel and stay at other universities, which is separate from the amount of money allocated for them to attend academic conferences.

It is important that universities realize that they cannot provide all of the courses/training opportunities that are necessary for graduate students. For example, multilevel modeling is something that I need to know about, and I would not expect that UC-Merced would be able to provide this class. However, the opportunity to drive 4 hours to UC-Davis once a week is not an optimal solution as some argued for last semester (and many more argued against!). Taking a semester or two to visit another university should be a welcomed plan for some graduate students in the UC system. It builds bridges between UC-Merced and other institutions and make further collaborations possible. I cannot think of a university that would not like more international publicity.

Although I was not expecting free money from the university to fund my research abroad this year, I did expect to be able to borrow from the US Department of Education. So my research is a bit grounded at the moment, but I'll figure something out and keep you all posted.