CARPE COLLEGE

It is a one year mentorship program that includes 3 months of international travel to one of the following regions: Latin America, East Africa, Southeast Asia or India.

  • Get to know more about yourself

  • Connect with others

  • Develop valuable skills

  • Create positive impact

We help low income and first generation college students to have a 12 week transformational international experience. We know that money should’t be an obstacle and for that reason we provide scholarships and financial aid counseling.

Besides by being part of

Our students travel to one of the following regions: Latin America, East Africa, Southeast Asia or India.

What IT IS INCLUDED?

12 weeks of transformational international experience including:

  • Accommodation and board

  • Cultural activities

  • In-country transportation

How do we help you?

  • Carpe Mundi Scholarship to cover 60% of the costs

  • Personalized mentorships and academic support for you to earn 24 credits at Portland State University and successfully advance towards your goals.

  • Other financial aid application guidance so that money does’t become an obstacle.

Who is it for?

This program is available to first generation college students and low-income college students who would like to travel but

Requirements

To be eligible, students must demonstrate the following: 

  • First Generation College Student

  • Residence in the Portland Metro area

  • A student of Portland Community College, Mount Hood Community College, Clark Community College, Clackamas Community College or PSU as of Fall of the year before the trip.

  • Eligible for entrance into Portland State University (ask us if you are uncertain)

  • Eligibility for the Pell Grant (applied for through FAFSA - the Federal Application for Federal Student Aid) or the Oregon Opportunity Grant or Oregon Promise Grant.

application deadline 

Applications for Carpe College are accepted on a rolling basis.  Priority consideration is given to students who apply before February 1 each year.  

How is it different?

While we meet as a whole group in Portland before and after travel, scholarship recipients will travel to different locations with one or two other scholarship recipients and other 8-9 other students from across the country.  

Scholarship recipients will participate in:

Students will finish their experience with a capstone project that the cohort chooses, designed to benefit the local Portland community. 

During this experience, students will receive 24 college credits from PSU. 

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When is the application deadline? 

Applications for Carpe College Program are accepted on a rolling basis.  Priority consideration given to students who apply before February 1 each year.  

Timeline

Application, Acceptance and Preparation:  (The SOONER you can meet these deadlines BETTER) 

  • November 7th: Applications Avialable

  • February 1st: Priority Applications Due   

  • April-May: Student Interviews and Priority Applications 

  • May-June: Admissions Decisions Made

Phase 1: Orientation and Preparation

  • June: Co-enrollment to PSU for Community College Students

  • August: Carpe Mundi Orientation 

  • August 31: Last day to apply for your passport (if you haven’t already!) 

  • October: Gilman Applications are Due (we will help you with this!)-it's FREE $$$

  • January: Meet with your cohort twice a week to prepare for travel, take care of final travel logistics, and start preparing for your PSU course work.  

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Phase 2: International Travel

  • Approx. early February - early April

Phase 3-Re-Entry

Mid-April - Mid-May: Post-travel programming. The cohort will meet for 5 weeks once a week. We will talk about re-entry, do local community service projects, and provide academic support for PSU papers.

May and June: Meet with your cohort once a week to finish up papers and put together your capstone project. 

  • June 20th: Final PSU papers due

  • June-July: Portland Internships

  • July 30th: Capstone Presentation

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Value and Scholarships

3 month

3 month room and board in

Internal transportation

Normal Price = 15.000 USD

With Carpe Mundi Scholarship = 5.000 USD

Besides this, with our mentorship program how easy it is to use your Pell, Oregon Opportunity Grant and other scholarships to cover these expenses.

Typically the cost of an 8-12 week Semester Abroad Course is between $12-$15,000.  Because we are a non-profit with outside funding and an incredible partnership with Carpe Diem Education, we can offer this program at a substantially reduced price.   

DON'T WORRY! We can show you how easy it is to use your Pell, Oregon Opportunity Grant and other scholarships to cover these expenses.  This may seem like a lot of money, but remember this covers tuition for 24 credits, travel (including room and board while traveling) and the experience of a life time.  

What are the program expectations?

Acceptance into the program involves the expectation that you will complete several critical items. These are designed to demonstrate a lasting commitment to the betterment (and demonstrated support) of and by your local community:

  • Complete 24 credits (five courses) at PSU during Winter and Spring terms. Courses Required by Carpe Mundi are, Geography, 199 (or 399), Sociology 199, and International Development 199 plus your choice of Environmental Studies 199 (or 399), Philosophy 199 (or 399), Art 199, History 199, Women's Studies 199, Economics 199, Spanish 199 (or 399), Anthropology 199, Public Health 199, or Music 199.

  • Participation in all cohort meetings starting with Orientation in August. A commitment fee of $250 will be due at this orientation.

  • Maintain Communication with the office once accepted to make sure you get all the logistics done that you need to be able to travel.

  • Pay the Program fee. We will work with each of you to establish a timeline for those payments. You may (and are encouraged) to use your financial aid to cover the cost. As a result, you may not have that money until Spring term. That is OK! We will work with you to make this possible.

  • Additional program costs are yours to cover, including passport, PSU travel fee, immunizations and travel gear. We expect this to cost no more than $1000, depending on region of travel.

  • At the program’s completion, submit a comprehensive Capstone Project designed by your cohort to benefit the Portland community.

  • Completion of a 60 hour summer internship in 2017.

  • While traveling, Carpe Mundi and Carpe Diem Education have a No Alcohol/Drug Policy as well as a No Wifi Policy. If you do not think you can abide by these policies for twelve weeks, this may not be the program for you.

 

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