The Education Abroad Program received a $76,950 grant from the Freeman Foundation, a national organization aimed at promoting relations between the United States and the countries of East Asia, to fund students studying abroad in Korea, Thailand and China next year.

The gift, which the Freeman Foundation offered to 11 schools nationally, will provide funding for internships offered to students studying in these countries. Through the grant’s funding, select EAP students will receive varying amounts between $3,000 and $5,000, while students receiving need-based financial aid will be awarded $10,000 scholarships.

EAP Faculty Director Juan Campo, a professor of religious studies, said this support could not have come at a better time in the program’s 50-year history.

“Study abroad is increasingly seen by our students as an investment in the future, where the opportunities and challenges posed by globalization require the merging of holistic knowledge with practical experience,” Campo said in a press release. “The Freeman Foundation internships will help them take a giant step in this direction and contribute to the internationalization of our campus.”

Internships in these East Asian countries provided through EAP will include positions in public relation firms, social welfare agencies, stationary design companies and hospitals. Students will complete these individual programs by writing research papers regarding their respective experiences and will be given up to 12 units for their work.