Carleton receives American Passport Project grant to fund passports for low-income students studying abroad
The grant is awarded by the Institute of International Education.
Carleton has been selected by the Institute of International Education (IIE) to receive an IIE American Passport Project grant that will enable students to obtain their first U.S. passport and open the pathway to study abroad.
According to Helena Kaufman, director of Off-Campus Studies, funds will cover U.S. passport application fees for up to 25 Carleton students, with priority given to first-years who are interested in studying abroad.
A key program under the IIE Center for International Opportunities, the IIE American Passport Project represents IIE’s commitment to promoting international education and exchange, so that all students can gain the academic and career benefits of international experiences. By removing the initial financial barrier associated with passport applications and prioritizing students early in their higher education experience, IIE and the institutions are collectively working to expand participation in study abroad at each campus. In its sixth year, IIE has awarded 40 institutions in the IIENetwork membership to help 1,000 Pell-eligible college students through this opportunity. Through the American Passport Project, IIE aims to grant 10,000 U.S. students their passports by the end of this decade.
The IIE American Passport Project aims to reach institutions that serve a variety of U.S. student populations that often may not be participating in study abroad. To date, the program has issued more than 260 grants to higher education institutions in 42 states and the District of Columbia. The sixth cohort includes four community colleges, and two new states represented through Montana State University and North Dakota State University. IIE selected the institutional recipients based in part on demonstrated efforts to prioritize student populations from low-income backgrounds, students who have not traveled abroad as an adult or in a learning environment, and students in their first year at the institution.