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Campus Bulletin

September 12, 2006

Donated Aeroplan Miles Support Students

Members of the U of G community have another opportunity this month to turn their Aeroplan miles into support for students.

The Aeroplan charitable pooling program, started in 2005, was the first Aeroplan partnership with a university, allowing people to donate their miles to be used by undergraduate and graduate students travelling internationally for exchanges, semesters abroad, research or study that contributes to the completion of their Guelph degree.

About 450 U of G students study abroad in 25 countries each year, but for many others, the travel costs are prohibitive. The Aeroplan program is designed to give more students access to an international experience.

In the inaugural year of the initiative, more than 200,000 Aeroplan miles were donated, providing travel tickets for two students in 2006. One of those students, Kelly Bairos, is currently participating in the London semester.

"The Aeroplan program has allowed me to follow one of my dreams and study in England," writes Bairos from London. "I'm a student of British history, and to have the opportunity to see historical documents first-hand and be in the actual city where this history took place is absolutely amazing. Without the Aeroplan program, I probably wouldn't have been able to participate in the London semester and have this terrific one-of-a-kind learning experience."

For information about how to donate your miles, visit www.alumni.uoguelph.ca/aeroplan.htm.