We are looking for 18 to 23-year-old followers of Jesus who are adventurous, flexible in unpredictable situations, resilient, emotionally healthy and able to keep their focus on the purpose of their education: to bring the Kingdom of God to the world.
While ministry, development and travel experience are helpful, they’re not a requirement for Global U.
We currently have two route options for the 2020 Class. The amount for each route is divided into two categories: ministry fund and educational fund.
Ministry Fund: This amount is tax-deductible and is typically fundraised by the student. This amount covers housing, food, air travel, and ministry training. Ministry funds will be paid to and received by our partner Adventures in Missions.
Educational Fund: This amount is not tax-deductible and will be paid to and received by Global U. Students may fundraise this amount if they choose. Education funds cover the costs of bringing in mentors and teachers, educational material, and educational excursions.
Route 1 requires $24,000 from each student: $12,000 for the Ministry Fund and $12,000 for the Education Fund.
Route 2 requires $19,000 from each student: $10,000 for the Ministry Fund and $9,000 for the Educational Fund. We hope this brings clarity to the required amount for Global U.
One of the important parts of our model is our high-quality students. We have to be selective. Because we are narrow in our focus, we anticipate that we will accept about 4% of applicants. If you are admitted, you will find a real kinship with your fellow students.
Yes. International applicants must meet the visa requirements of the nations we will be in. All applicants must be fluent in English. Please contact us for details.
We believe in developing the whole person – body, soul and spirit. Therefore, physical fitness is an aspect of our program. We help our students develop healthy habits and workout routines.
Travel insurance is not included in your trip cost. You can learn more about the travel insurance plan here!
No. In order to comply with IRS tax code, which state that all donors giving to a 501(c)(3) tax exempt organization don’t have control over their donations, we have to treat donations appropriately. They are non-refundable and non-transferrable. We note donor intent by ‘tagging’ donations to your name. To see a copy of our Donation Policies, click here. In addition, the length of time you are on the field does not necessarily line up directly to the funds expensed on your behalf. We put down deposits on initial airfares and make payments to ministry partners well in advance of your departure. If you are not able to start your first semester for some reason, we can offer you the opportunity to defer to a later launch or to a different trip. In those cases, funds raised – minus anything already expensed (e.g., for training camp) – will transfer to your new fundraising goal.
The trip cost covers all on-field expenses once the trip begins. This includes food, lodging, travel and medical insurance. It also covers set up, coaching, debriefs, training, and administrative costs prior to and throughout your Global U experience. You can learn more about the travel insurance plan here.
It does not include vaccinations, personal spending money, travels to and from training camp, travels to the launch location, and travel home from a major U.S. city at the conclusion of the trip.
Personal money – The money you raise will cover all of your vital necessities while with Global U. However, there will be multiple times that you will want something that is not covered in your team budget. Personal items, souvenirs, and fun adventures are not covered within the team budget. To access personal money on the field, we suggest a checking account with a Visa Debit Card.
Global U is partnered with the interdenominational missions organization Adventures in Missions (Adventures). Adventures was established in 1989, sending people from different churches and backgrounds all over the world on life-changing mission trips. For more about Adventures, visit adventures.org. Our staff and leaders come from a wide range of Christian churches and denominations.
With the different backgrounds Staff, Students, and our Ministry Partners bring into the experience of Global U, you will most likely experience worship styles, Bible teachings, and Christian community different than you’ve previously experienced. We encourage you to dig into Scripture and have ongoing conversations about these things. We love this picture of the Body of Christ coming together, united in purpose to bring Jesus to the nations.
This is your education. You are an adult, and we treat you that way. But we understand parents may have questions and can be an important part of your Global U experience! We have a department for parents of students – including a parent liaison. We are all about helping parents understand us as an organization and would love to answer any of their questions. If your parents have questions, we suggest they start by checking out the Parent Guide. The contact information for Betty Means, who heads up our Parent Ministry, can be found in the Parent Guide, and she is happy to talk with your parents about Global U.
Travel brings risk. We have put safety protocols in place. We have external consultants who assist us in designing and managing our training and field implementation for safety protocols. Our risk management team creates contingency plans so we are ready to move teams quickly if the need arises. We also have an extensive network of ministry partners and ministry connections worldwide who provide us with “eyes on the ground” as we assess situations. That said, Global U is not for everyone. In particular, all students need to consider things happen we can’t predict. People get sick and accidents happen. Our risk-management team is top flight. They monitor political, health, weather and other risks in the regions that we minister. This information includes the U.S. State Department travel warnings. You will be covered by a strong travel insurance policy. The insurance company works closely with us to ensure you will receive the care you need. For more information about the insurance policy.
Yes, if that is a priority, we have a program that allows you to earn college credits. Read more about that here. While GU is more interested in training you in the kinds of skills that will make you employable and connect you to a job, we understand that getting college credit may be a priority for you. We partner with Truett McConnell College to help you earn credits for the educational work you do in GU. There are two ways to get enough credits to stay current with your class at a college you may want to go to when you’ve finished Global U.
We have designed Global U so that no student will have to go into debt and no student will be asked to leave because of a financial shortfall. We look at the American model of higher education that sells education to students and we say, "There has to be a better way."
Instead, we say that when students are admitted to Global U, they become stakeholders in Global U. They become co-owners of Global U's vision and the way we prosecute it. Global U has costs and students become partners in meeting those costs. When students enroll, they become a part of a class that, as a community, seeks to raise the funds that will cover our obligations.
We begin with what the Bible says about responsibility to contribute: "Nor did we eat anyone's food without paying for it. On the contrary, we worked night and day, laboring and toiling so that we would not be a burden to any of you. For even when we were with you, we gave you this rule: "If a man will not work, he shall not eat." 2 Thessalonians 3:8-10
Then we look at what Jesus said about stewardship in Matthew 25:14-30 where people are given different amounts to steward and everyone contributes in proportion to their capacity.
We apply those scriptures at Global U with the following four strategies:
We control costs. We don't have a campus to support or tenured professors or front office bureaucracies.
We make personal sacrifices. Our staff all self-fund. Our second-year apprentice coaches self-fund. Mentors also self-fund. The result is a net cost to students that is perhaps ⅓ the actual cost.
Class as community. Each student seeks to not only carry their own weight, but to help their whole class as well. We ask everyone to try and help the class as a whole to graduate. Relationships last for a lifetime.
Our network and model will help. Our mentors have businesses that offer apprenticeships. We have donors that give to help scholarship students.
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Class Time – at least two hours a day. Ministry / Outreach – 2-3 times a week. Passion Project Work – daily Personal Quiet Time – daily Spiritual Development – 2-3 times a week.
Passion Projects are a way for students to put what they learn in the classroom into practice in the real-world and to tackle real-world problems. These are the ideas and dreams of the students, you can come with one in your pocket or spend time explore during the Ideation stage. Each student joins a Passion Project with 2-3 other students. They will then pursue the backing of one of our partners who help launch the project by the end of the 9 months at Global U!
Adventure Weekends happen about once a month and are an opportunity for students to immerse themselves in the history, culture, and wisdom of the world around them! This could mean traveling to a different city or country to discover more about life and people.
Each student will continually meet with staff and leaders to develop a Personal Development Plan (PDP) for each area: Body (nutrition, sleep, exercise), Soul (emotion, mind, will), Spirit (intuition, communion, conscience), Career/Calling (passions, competencies, fit). We take the first month of the program to do self-assessment and research. Then build their year Personal Plan. Students meet with the team monthly for an hour review of progress and to receive coaching. Coaching applies the There/Here Path – looks at where you want to be, where you are and then helps you build a path and adapt it over time.