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Small Women's College In Allentown Starts Sophomore Spring Break Abroad Program

ALLENTOWN, Pa. (CBS) -- Sophomore spring break abroad will now be the tradition for all students at a small women's college in Allentown, Pennsylvania. And students at the school won't be forced to miss out because of the cost. That's because the university is picking up the tab.

The first Sophomore Experience at Cedar Crest College takes place spring of 2018, and all current freshman will be eligible for the trip to Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. College President Carmen Twillie Ambar says the excursion could cost the college $600,000.

"We are funding the travel and the meals and the board," she said. "They may have some incidental costs for their passports or something like that, but 98% of the costs will be on the college.

Ambar says in a global economy, students must have global experiences. Many of the students are the first in their families to attend college and some have never been out of the Commonwealth, let alone the country.

"I guarantee you if you go spend eight days in another country, and you've never been out of your town before, it will change the way you think about the world," Ambar said. "(It will) change the way you think about your place in the world and what you can do to reshape your world."

Students will study the culture, infrastructure and people while taking part in service projects.

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