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The IIE American Passport Project application is open until February 13, 2026, at 11:59pm ET.
FAQs
Can students or individuals apply to the IIE American Passport Project?
Students and individuals cannot apply to the IIE American Passport Project.
Only U.S.-based colleges or universities that are current IIENetwork members can apply for the grant. Education associations and organizations are not eligible.
If you are an individual interested in the program, please contact your campus study abroad office to inform the institutional representative of this opportunity that could support their students.
If you are a student at an institution who has already received a Passport grant and is trying to access the nomination form, contact your campus advisor or IIEPassport@iie.org.
How does my institution apply?
Each institution can only submit one application and designate one point of contact for the award. Your point of contact will submit the institution’s application using the link above.
Is my institution eligible?
To be eligible for the IIE American Passport Project, institutions must be:
- A U.S.-based higher education institution, and
- A current IIENetwork member in good standing as of February 13, 2026. If you are unsure of your membership status, email membership@iie.org.
My institution has already received the IIE American Passport Project grant. Can we apply again?
Currently, institutions that have already received the grant are not eligible to apply again. This allows new institutions to be considered.
What are the student nomination eligibility criteria?
Selected institutions will identify and nominate students who meet the following eligibility criteria to receive the funding for their U.S. passport application fee.
- U.S. citizen
- 18 years of age or older
- Enrolled at the awarded institution
- Pell Grant eligible (This includes students who are not currently receiving the Pell Grant but meet its eligibility criteria.)
Institutions should prioritize these students when nominating:
- Students who may not be participating in study abroad without this assistance.
- Those who have not previously held an adult U.S. passport. This includes individuals who have expired child passports or passport cards.
- Students who are in their first year at your institution, allowing them more time to plan to study abroad.
What costs does the program cover?
The award covers the $165 passport application and processing fee for each of the 25 students. The grant does not include the cost of photos, mailing, and transportation to a passport acceptance facility.
What happens if my institution is awarded an IIE American Passport Project Grant?
Awarded institutions will be chosen by a competitive selection process. Institutions will sign an agreement to adhere to the program’s policies and goals. Upon confirmation of the agreement, IIE will make the lump sum grant payment of $4,125 to the institution. Once awarded, institutions submit nominated students for IIE’s review and approval through the same system as the application. The institution will be responsible for dispersing funds to students or in a method appropriate to the institution that covers the cost of the passport application fee. Institutions will respond to IIE’s requests for reporting on progress and completion.
Does IIE give the grant funds directly to the nominated students?
IIE gives the institution the total grant amount of $4,125 at the beginning of the award. Each institution must determine the best method to cover the $165 U.S. passport application fee for each approved student, which may be directly dispersed to the student or to the passport facility/agency.
I am an IIENetwork member trying to apply, but my institution’s name isn’t recognized in the application. What should I do?
If your membership is current and you encounter this issue in the application, please try the following steps to see if they resolve the issue. If the problem persists, contact IIEPassport@iie.org.
- Type in the first three letters of your institution’s name.
- Wait for the autosuggest to populate.
- Click on your institution name rather than typing it all in.
- Do not add any spaces or characters after the name is populated. This will trigger an error preventing you from proceeding.
For other questions, please contact IIEPassport@iie.org.