Apply for passport now for summer travel

Students interested in participating in a study-abroad program this summer should obtain their passports now, Rocky Conrad, computer information systems chair, said.

"Even when expedited, passports usually take three weeks to arrive," he said.

The CIS department is giving Alamo Community College District students the chance to earn credit for ITSC 1301, Introduction to Computer Literacy, in China this summer.

CHIN 1411, Elementary Chinese 1, also is being offered for this study-abroad opportunity. Students may register for one or both.

The Department of State Web site lists the normal processing time for a passport as four to six weeks. Expediting a passport will cost an extra $60 over the basic price of $45.

Students seeking a passport for the first time must apply in person. The application form is available online at http://travel.state.gov/passport, and it can be taken to the nearest U.S. Post Office along with proof of citizenship and identification.

"China is emerging as a growing economic force, and computers are an integral part of the economy around the world," Conrad said.

The cost for the China trip is about $4,500 per student, Conrad said, but some scholarships are available.

Mark Hagen, district coordinator of international programs, said students who sign up for a study-abroad program will be given a scholarship application.

"The scholarships are competitive, and the maximum we offer is $750," Hagen said. "Students will need to submit letters of recommendation, an essay and background information."

Students have a small window of time to prepare for the trip because approval was just granted by the department chairs, the dean, the vice president of academic affairs and the international programs department, he said.

"It's a four-level review process," Hagen said. "It can take a couple of days to a couple of weeks."

Conrad said the courses were announced just before spring break. Students with passports or in the process of obtaining passports should sign up by the end of April because the five-week program begins in May, Conrad said. The departure date is not set.

"That will depend on the airfare available at the time," Hagen said. "We are tentatively looking at a departure of May 25 and a return of July 2."

Study-abroad trips this summer also will include geography classes in Vietnam, business classes in Germany, history and humanities classes in Ireland and Japanese classes in Japan.

For more information on study-abroad programs, call Hagen at 485-0082.