Penn's study-abroad program in Cuba ahead of the game

In the wake of the Obama administration's relaxation of policies toward Cuba, educators are calling for easier student travel to that country.

But Penn is already ahead of the game with its study-abroad program in Cuba.

"Whether or not the [Penn program in Cuba] will run each year is always contingent upon us getting our license renewed by the Office of Foreign Assets Control at the U.S. Department of Treasury," according to Danielle Scugoza, the Penn Abroad program manager who advises on Cuba.

She explained that Penn has had an established program at the Universidad de la Habana in Havana since 2007.

Undergraduates in the program spend their fall semester in Cuba, where they are directly enrolled in all of their classes at the university.

Since the program's inception, Penn has sent between five and seven students to Cuba each fall.

Scugoza said students are screened "very carefully" for this particular study abroad program.

In addition to meeting eligibility requirements such as having at least a 3.0 GPA and taking Spanish 219, "Cuba applicants must have outstanding letters of recommendation and require an interview with members of the Hispanic Studies department and the Penn Abroad office," Scugoza said.

According to the specific license that Penn is issued for its Cuba program, the undergraduate students must be "participating in a formal course of study lasting at least 10 weeks at a Cuban academic institution, provided the Cuban study will be accepted for credit toward a degree at the licensed U.S. institution."

Penn students must carry a letter from the University of Pennsylvania stating that they are currently enrolled in an undergraduate degree program, that the Cuba-related travel is part of a structured educational program of the University of Pennsylvania that will last at least 10 weeks and include the University of Pennsylvania's license number, according to Scugoza.

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