Study abroad programs offer a transformative experience that gives participants the skills and knowledge they need to solve global challenges. However, some U.S. colleges and universities are unable to offer diverse study abroad experiences to their students, and some foreign institutions would like to host U.S. students but do not have the capacity to do so.
To help address these challenges, USA Study Abroad provides small grants and resources to help U.S. higher education institutions grow and diversify study abroad programs for their students. These grants are designed for U.S. higher education institutions to create or expand study abroad programming and to create more inclusive, dynamic study abroad programming. USA Study Abroad then also works with foreign institutions to increase their capacity to better attract and host U.S. study abroad students. Both of these projects directly support the USA Study Abroad Branch’s mission of increasing participation and diversity in study abroad among U.S. students.
Domestic Capacity Building Initiatives
Our Capacity Building Program for U.S. Study Abroad, also known as the IDEAS Program (Increase and Diversify Education Abroad for U.S. Students), provides resources and awards grants to U.S. colleges and universities to help them increase and diversify their population of U.S. students who study abroad and the destinations where they study.
Overseas Capacity Building Initiatives
Our Overseas Capacity Building Initiative awards grants to U.S. embassies and Fulbright Commissions for creative projects that strategically engage or support Americans studying abroad. Proposed projects need to be directly related to increasing and/or diversifying U.S. study abroad opportunities in the host country.
Building Study Abroad Capacity MOOC
Our free MOOC (Massive Open Online Course) is designed for internationally-minded faculty, staff, and administrators working in US higher education institutions who would like to increase rates of study abroad participation. This course is also for people who aspire to work in international education and would like an orientation to the field.