The legislation aims to rename and enhance a competitive grant program run by the Department of State, encouraging higher education institutions to provide sustainable study abroad opportunities to underserved American undergraduate students.
The legislation aims to rename and enhance a competitive grant program run by the Department of State, encouraging higher education institutions to provide sustainable study abroad opportunities to underserved American undergraduate students.
United States Senate-Majority Whip Dick Durbin and Senator Roger Wicker have reintroduced the bipartisan Senator Paul Simon Study Abroad Program Act.
The legislation aims to rename and enhance a competitive grant program run by the Department of State, encouraging higher education institutions to provide sustainable study abroad opportunities to underserved American undergraduate students, as per a report from Language Magazine.
The bill pays tribute to the late U.S. Senator Paul Simon, who believed in equipping the next generation of Americans with global knowledge and skills for an interconnected world.
He highlighted that the bill expands on Simon’s vision by creating opportunities for students from diverse backgrounds to experience the world.
“By giving the next generation of students the chance to study abroad, they will be better prepared to lead successful lives and expand their worldview,” said Durbin in the report.
Wicker, meanwhile, also expressed appreciation for the bill, recognizing the importance of study-abroad experiences for future American leaders.
He commended the effort to broaden access to study abroad for thousands of undergraduates who would not have otherwise had the opportunity.
U.S. Representatives Brad Schneider and Brian Fitzpatrick have introduced a house companion legislation.
Schneider emphasized the significance of international experiences for students in competing for jobs in the future economy, while Fitzpatrick stressed that study abroad programs enrich academic and cultural education.
The Senator Paul Simon Study Abroad Program aims to enable one million students from all backgrounds to participate in international education programs over the next decade.
It targets underrepresented groups, such as students of color, first-generation college students, community college students, and students with disabilities, who are less likely to study abroad.
The legislation sets three main goals, namely, increasing the number of undergraduate students studying abroad annually to one million within 10 years, prioritizing grants for Historically Black Colleges and Universities, Minority Serving Institutions, and institutions eligible for the Department of Education’s Strengthening Institutions Program to ensure greater diversity, and encouraging study abroad in nontraditional destinations, particularly economically developing countries, while maintaining safety guidelines based on Department of State advisories.
The bill also takes inspiration from the recommendations of the 2004 Commission on the Abraham Lincoln Study Abroad Fellowship Program, which aimed to expand study-abroad opportunities for American undergraduates, particularly in economically disadvantaged countries.
The legislation has garnered support from various organizations, including Language Magazine, NAFSA: Association of International Educators, American Association of Community Colleges, American Association of State Colleges and Universities, and many others.
