Will Study Abroad Programs Get A Boost From New Legislation?

Travel Blog  •  Julia Ross  •  09.06.07 | 12:03 PM ET

imageYears ago, a bad experience with a university counselor—who all but assured me credits earned while studying abroad wouldn’t transfer—led me to drop the idea of taking a semester in the UK, a decision I have long regretted. So I was encouraged to read in Time this week that a bill pending before the Senate would give a much-needed boost to study abroad programs, helping universities eliminate the financial and curricular barriers that many students face when considering a year in Beijing or Barcelona.

According to the article, 206,000 students studied abroad in 2004-2005, a number representing just 1 percent of all Americans enrolled in higher education. The proposed legislation, which would provide more than $80 million in grants to eligible universities, aims to send one million students overseas each year by 2017.

Time notes that three years ago, the 9/11 Commission recommended increased funding for foreign study and exchange programs as a way to fight global terrorism. Of the bill under consideration, one official with the Association of International Educators says, “We view this as first and foremost a measure that is good for the foreign policy, national security and international leadership in the United States long-term.”

Amen to that.

Photo of Oxford by wit, via Flickr (Creative Commons).

Tags: Global Village

Julia Ross is a Washington, DC-based writer and frequent contributor to World Hum. She has lived in China and Taiwan, where she was a Fulbright scholar and Mandarin student. Her writing has appeared in the Washington Post, Time, Christian Science Monitor, Plenty and other publications. Her essay, Six Degrees of Vietnam, was shortlisted for "The Best American Travel Writing 2009."


4 Comments for Will Study Abroad Programs Get A Boost From New Legislation?

Maribel Lopez 09.07.07 | 2:53 PM ET

As a second-year student at Wartburg College, I have been fortunate to have tons of opportunities thrown at me to study abroad, and so far I have plans to do so every year I am still in college, but as far as financial assistance goes, I have received decent assistance, but I know plenty of students who simply can’t because of costs. It’s really sad actually because these opportunities are something that shouldn’t be decided on because of costs. Having more government assistence would be wonderful for the students as well as our country because it would help eliminate the ideas some other countries have of the US not being as cultured as the rest of the world.

Alexandra Ante-Marandi 11.05.07 | 6:56 PM ET

I did a year abroad with the University of Portland in Salzburg, Austria in 1977. The program was very self contained and only the boldest students really experienced the “real” Austria; I was not one of those.  Now, I have 3 kids in Universities in Georgia and I have sent them to local Language schools in Barcelona, Nice, Montpellier & Florence at a fraction of the cost of an American program and most times they were the only Americans in the schools.  They had a wonderful time, met many locals & other Europeans and were able to challenge their freshman foreign language req. at their Universities.

Cristian 04.17.08 | 11:11 AM ET

You must be very careful when choosing an university abroad because if you don’t have your credits transfered and recognized, you will get a bitter taste in your mouth and a real diploma that equals a fake diploma.

Fake Diploma 04.17.08 | 11:12 AM ET

You must be very careful when choosing an university abroad because if you don’t have your credits transfered and recognized, you will get a bitter taste in your mouth and a real diploma that equals a fake diploma.

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