When students think of education exchange programs, they usually picture faraway and foreign locales.

Not places like the University of Minnesota, University of Arizona, Winthrop, Grambling State or Bridgewater State. Or CSU Monterey Bay. However, those schools and nearly 200 others in the U.S., Canada and Puerto Rico are part of the National Student Exchange, which allows students to pay tuition to their home institution and attend courses for a semester or a full school year at a partner school. Holly White, director of CSUMB’s Office of Extended Education, oversees both the university’s international exchange programs and the National Student Exchange. She said the NSE is “a bit of a hidden jewel” that is often overshadowed by overseas study opportunities. She said the program often attracts students who are interested in a specific academic area or courses that are not available at CSUMB. “We really do get the cream of the crop, students who have done research and know what they are looking for,” White said. Sometimes students have personal reasons for seeking an exchange, she said, such as living closer for a time to a particular relative or just wanting to live in a different part of the country. “We’ve had students who have never gone anywhere, who have never even been to an airport,” White said. “This can be a real equalizer for students, giving them an opportunity they have never had.” White said she expects around 40 NSE students to enroll at CSUMB in the upcoming academic year, with a similar number of CSUMB students going off to partner schools. The list of available schools includes major state universities and smaller ones as well. A complete list is available at the program’s website. Jillian Shweiki (pictured at left), a 2012 CSUMB graduate from Clovis, spent her sophomore year at Bridgewater State University, a 10,000-student institution about 30 miles south of Boston, through the NSE program. “It was an amazing experience, getting to spend time in a different part of the United States. I was really surprised by how different it felt, academically and socially,” Shweiki said. “We are so used to so much diversity in California, there was a different feel back there,” she said. “I couldn’t even find any good Mexican food.” She said it was eye-opening to learn that “there is no one America," and that the country is made up of many distinct places. She said she is now a strong advocate of the National Student Exchange when talking to friends. “I encourage everyone to consider the program. It is so important to get out of your comfort zone and college is a great time to do that," Shweiki said. One of the students who will be coming to CSUMB as part of National Student Exchange in the fall is Sarah Kusek from Montana State University. “I picked CSUMB because I have wanted to go to school in California for a long time but decided to stay closer to home for the first year. One of my friends did NSE to a different school and absolutely loved it so I thought it would be a great opportunity to see if I still wanted to be in California. "I picked Monterey Bay because it seemed like the best fit for a small-town Montana girl, with its small enrollment,” Kusek said. “I can't wait to get there and school to start, as crazy as that sounds!”