School-sponsored programs are ideal for the serious college student who wants to experience life in a foreign nation while taking classes that will directly transfer into his major. Colleges generally have a study abroad office where students can meet with advisers who will help find the right program. This office usually keeps on file reviews about the programs and classes from prior study abroad students so that prospective applicants can read through others' experiences and make a well-informed decision.
School-sponsored programs have different types of programs that range from learning a language abroad, enhancing a language already learned through a year in that country, to intense programs where students study upper-division classes with the natives of the country. There are different requirements for getting into each program; the most common is having a good GPA, passing a language test, having letters of recommendation and even writing a personal essay. The university wants to send strong study abroad candidates because these students will ultimately represent the school.
The other option is a private study abroad program. These programs focus more on whether or not the student can pay for the program rather than whether he is qualified to get in. For a student who may have bombed his first year or two in college and may not have the grades to get into a formal school-sponsored program, a private program may be the only option. This kind of program is ideal for students who may want to leave for a year right away and don't have time to go through the long application process that a university requires (which sometimes takes from six months to a year for approval). A private study abroad program will give an acceptance decision fast, and with some programs, you can even apply and be out of the country in as little as a month.
While the requirements to getting into a private program are not as rigid as a school-sponsored program, they still want to make sure they are sending over good candidates. Aside from being able to pay for the pricey programs, students have to show they are in good standing at their university, take a language exam before or after landing in the host country and check in with program advisers at least once a month. The good thing about private programs is that they do everything for you in the host country. You just simply arrive in the country, show up for orientation and testing and you're done. You really don't even need to show up for class, unless you want to pass.
The good thing about school-sponsored programs is that if you qualify for financial aid already, it can be applied to the study abroad program. No need to fill out any extra paperwork or scrounge up any loose pennies.
Private programs usually do not accept financial aid from schools because they are not affiliated with the university. A student has to find his own way to pay for the program either through private financing or by searching for scholarships that will pay for private study abroad programs. Sometimes the company itself offers scholarships.
A school-sponsored program only allows you to take classes that will transfer back into your major or elective. This is a good option if you don't want to waste a semester or year of time. Students these days are on the clock to graduate, and it makes sense to streamline classes and activities whenever possible.
A private program may or may offer classes that transfer into the student's major. A student can cross-check the classes with an adviser before or after returning from the trip. It's best to do this before the trip, so as not to get stuck with a bunch of classes that won't count toward school credit.
Studying abroad is an invaluable experience that everyone should have. Students don't even need to learn a new language to go abroad. They can go to England, Ireland, Scotland, Australia and even Canada to get a study abroad experience. The key is to research the different programs out there and find out which one fits best.