NEW YORK, May 18, 2016—The Institute of International Education (IIE) today announced scholarships to be awarded to more than 100 underrepresented students to pursue study abroad. Cost continues to be a major barrier; 90% of American college students do not study, intern or volunteer abroad, and minority students and students majoring in STEM are underrepresented among the few who do study abroad. With this round of awards, IIE will have supported close to 300 high school and college students through its Generation Study Abroad® initiative to increase the number and diversity of students who study abroad by the end of the decade.
Fourteen colleges and universities who are part of the Generation Study Abroad network received grants to provide underrepresented students with study abroad scholarships. IIE selected the institutions based on their notable progress toward meeting their Generation Study Abroad commitments. With funding from IIE, STA Travel, and other donors, the winning institutions will each receive $7,500, match this funding, and award at least six $2,500 scholarships to students. This is the second round of grants that IIE has awarded to Generation Study Abroad commitment partners; in total, approximately $200,000 in scholarships will be awarded to college students in the coming 2016/17 academic year. Last year’s winning institutions awarded scholarships to a diverse cohort of students; 43% were first-generation college students and STEM majors; 20% were community college transfer students, and nearly 60% were minority students. For more stats and impact stories on last year’s winners, please visit GenerationStudyAbroad.org.
“All college students need international educational and work experience in order to compete and thrive in a global workforce,” said Allan E. Goodman, IIE’s President and CEO. “But students need financial resources to go abroad. That’s why IIE is dedicated to supporting its Generation Study Abroad commitment partners’ goals to provide more students with international education opportunities.”
This year’s IIE Generation Study Abroad Scholarship grants will go to Appalachian State University in Boone, North Carolina; Case Western Reserve University in Cleveland, Ohio; Central Piedmont Community College in Charlotte, North Carolina; Elmhurst College in Elmhurst, Illinois; Hawaii Pacific University in Honolulu, Hawaii; Johnson & Wales University in Providence, Rhode Island; Lamar University in Beaumont, Texas; Missouri University of Science and Tech in Rolla, Missouri; Peralta Community College District in Oakland, California; Rochester Institute of Technology in Rochester, New York; Salve Regina University in Newport, Rhode Island; University of South Carolina, Upstate in Spartanburg, South Carolina; Utah State University in Logan, Utah; and Washington and Jefferson College in Washington, Pennsylvania.
In addition, 25 high school students will receive IIE Passport Awards for Study Abroad, which will come with specialized Study Abroad Advising from IIE to help the students prepare for college and careers, information about IIE-managed scholarship and fellowship programs, access to IIE’s Alumni network, and $1,000 to use once they enroll in college and secure a study abroad program. With lead gifts from IIE Chairman Thomas S. Johnson and IIE Treasurer Mark A. Angelson, IIE created the IIE Passport Awards in 2014 to build a pipeline of students who place study abroad at the center of their college experience. The 2016 Passport Award recipients – half of whom will be first-generation college students when they enroll in college – were nominated through Global Citizen Year, Global Glimpse, and One World Now!, IIE Generation Study Abroad commitment partner organizations that specialize in providing high-impact international leadership programs for low-income and underserved high school students.
This year’s IIE Passport Awards for Study Abroad winners are Tatiana Calonje from Galileo Academy of Science and Technology in San Francisco, California; Anita Chen from Lowell High School in San Francisco, California; Nathaly Diaz-Romero from East Palo Alto Phoenix Academy in East Palo Alto, California; Carmen Deng, Winnie Tran, and Judy Wu from Franklin High School in Seattle, Washington; Hao (Parry) Dong from Mission San Jose High School in Freemont, California; Isabel Garcia from Woodside High School in Redwood City, California; Rawuda Jemal, Edmel Ronquillo, and Jamilette Ruiz from Cleveland High School in Seattle, Washington; Crystal Lee from San Marin High School in Novato, California; Kamilah Lewis from Curtis High School in Staten Island, New York; Celina Ma Kwan from Oakland School for the Arts in Oakland, California; Jordan Minor from Evergreen Valley High School in San Jose, California; Austin Nguyen and Charlie Trinh from Andrew P. Hill High School in San Jose, California; Jeanette Nguyen from Ingraham High School in Seattle, Washington; Nancy Nguyen from Garfield High School in Seattle, Washington; Marc Anthony Pastor from John Swett High School in Crockett, California; Brianna Rosales from Sequoia High School in Redwood City, California; Patricia Rosendo from Lionel Wilson Preparatory Academy in Oakland, California; Alejandro Sanchez from South San Francisco High School in San Francisco, California; Iman Shukri from Chief Sealth High School in Seattle, Washington; and Andrea Valencia from Oakland High School in Oakland, California.
The Embassy of France, a Generation Study Abroad country partner, has also contributed to the IIE Generation Study Abroad Scholarship Program and will support underrepresented students who have an interest in studying in France. The grant application for the Embassy of France – Generation Study Abroad Scholarship Program will open soon.
Generation Study Abroad also provides resources for students, campus advisers, and parents. IIE’s publication, A Parent Guide to Study Abroad, provides practical and comprehensive advice for parents on clarifying the value of study abroad, figuring out the financials and identifying the right study abroad program for their kids. Additional resources for parents and students include IIE’s online directory of study abroad programs at IIEPassport.org, and its database of grants and scholarship opportunities at StudyAbroadFunding.org.
About the Institute of International Education
The Institute of International Education is a world leader in the international exchange of people and ideas. IIE designs and implements programs of study and training for students, educators, young professionals and trainees from all sectors with funding from government agencies, foundations, and corporations. An independent, not-for-profit organization founded in 1919, IIE has a network of 19 offices and affiliates worldwide and over 1,400 member institutions.
About Generation Study Abroad
Generation Study Abroad® is a five-year initiative of the Institute of International Education (IIE) to mobilize resources and commitments with the goal of doubling the number of U.S. students studying abroad by the end of the decade. Higher education institutions, study abroad organizations and other partners that have joined the initiative have committed $185 million over the next five years to provide support to students, faculty and programming to expand study abroad opportunities to all over the next five years. More than 600 partners have joined the Generation Study Abroad initiative to date, including 400 U.S. colleges and universities from 48 states as well as higher education institutions and organizations in other countries, education associations, organizations including study abroad, K-12, and social network agencies and 15 country partners. The initiative highlights IIE’s commitment to study abroad and to encouraging purposeful, innovative action to get more Americans to undertake a meaningful international experience through academic study abroad programs, as well as internships, service learning, and non-credit educational experiences.
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