UAlbany Receives Grant to Increase Study Abroad Opportunities for Underrepresented Students

The Institute of International Education's Generation Study Abroad® initiative has awarded a grant to the University at Albany to support new scholarships.

ALBANY, N.Y. (July 2, 2015) -- The University at Albany has been awarded $7,500 to support new study abroad scholarships from the Institute of International Education's (IIE) Generation Study Abroad® initiative. The IIE initiative is designed to help make study abroad opportunities accessible to all students, especially those that are typically underrepresented in U.S. study abroad.

UAlbany will match the award money to fund six new $2,500 student scholarships which can be used toward the cost of tuition, books, and travel related to study, service learning or internships abroad between the summer of 2015 and spring of 2016.

IIE chose UAlbany as a recipient based on its progress in establishing the World Within Reach Scholarship Fund, developed to support efforts to double the number of UAlbany students studying abroad within five years. Since the inception of the World Within Reach fund in 2014, the office of Study Abroad and Exchanges has awarded more than $200,000 in scholarships to students studying abroad in calendar year 2015.

The additional funds from IIE will be targeted to further diversify the University’s participant pool by including STEM, LGBTQ, disabled and working students, as well as minorities, veterans, and student athletes who often do not qualify for financial aid.

"The Study Abroad experience is rewarding for students, enriches the intellectual life of our campus, and provides a solid foundation for the global education that is essential today. We are thrilled to be able to offer study abroad experiences to a wide and diverse range of students," said James Pasquill, director of Study Abroad and Exchanges.

With less than 10 percent of American college students studying abroad – and few of those students from underrepresented groups -- IIE is taking action to make it possible for more U.S. students from a broad range of backgrounds to participate in an academic, internship, or service-learning experience abroad. Among this year's recipient campuses are several minority-serving institutions, historically black colleges and community colleges.

"The IIE Generation Study Abroad Scholarships will give more students – and more underrepresented students -- the opportunity to gain international experience, which is one of the most important components of a 21st-century education," said Institute of International Education President and Chief Executive Officer Allan E. Goodman.

IIE’s Generation Study Abroad is a five-year initiative to mobilize resources and commitments with the goal of doubling the number of U.S. students studying abroad by the end of the decade, leading up to IIE’s Centennial celebration in 2019. Launched in March 2014, the network continues to gain momentum and now has over 600 partners from the U.S. and abroad. As part of their commitments, Generation Study Abroad partner campuses have pledged to raise money and give scholarships, and a number of study abroad program providers and host campuses outside of the United States have pledged to award scholarships toward the cost of their programs.

UAlbany students can take advantage of more than 600 study abroad opportunities in more than 50 countries through UAlbany and SUNY's networks, offering valuable opportunities for young scholars to enhance their education, increase independence and self-awareness, and gain international experience that prepares them for today's global marketplace.

Learn more about UAlbany's many study abroad options here.

The Institute of International Education (IIE) is a world leader in the international exchange of people and ideas. An independent, not-for-profit organization founded in 1919, IIE has a network of 19 offices and affiliates worldwide and over 1,200 member institutions. 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. IIE also conducts policy research and program evaluations, and provides advising and counseling on international education and opportunities abroad.

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