The University of Tulsa has been selected to receive an Institute of International Education (IIE) American Passport Project grant that will enable up to 25 TU students to obtain a U.S. passport and support their study abroad journeys.
In this third year of the program, 48 institutions in the IIENetwork have been awarded this opportunity, which will help up to 1,200 Pell-eligible U.S. students obtain their passports. “A passport is the first thing that opens up their world to the possibility of study abroad,” said Courtney Temple, IIE executive vice president and chief administrative officer.
As a key initiative under the institute’s newly launched Center for Access and Equity, the IIE American Passport Project represents a commitment to create access to international education opportunities and enable equity. For this program, IIE is removing an initial financial barrier for many – the cost of a U.S. passport – and increasing diversity and inclusion of students studying abroad. Through the IIE American Passport Project, the institute aims to empower 10,000 U.S. students with their passports by the end of this decade.
In addition, the grant supports the IIENetwork, a global membership association, in assisting students who would not otherwise participate in an international experience as part of their college education. The program prioritizes first-year students with limited financial means for whom this may be their first passport, and it makes global learning abroad a greater possibility with an earlier start. Awarded institutions will couple the grant funding with their engagement and outreach, advising, programming and additional support for the students they have identified for this program.
At TU, the grant will be managed by the Center for Global Engagement and benefit students participating in the JumpstartTU program as well as study abroad and travel courses. JumpstartTU is an award-winning travel program for incoming first-year students in the summer before starting college. During JumpstartTU, students get to know their classmates and faculty, learn about a different culture and open their eyes to global issues. This year, the program will travel to Panama and Mexico.
Please visit our JumpstartTU page to learn more.
IIE is the leader in designing and implementing international education strategies and program services. We work with governments, policymakers, educators and employers across the globe to prepare students and professionals for the global workforce and equip them to solve the increasingly complex challenges facing our interconnected world. With support from donors, we also create initiatives that assist students, scholars and artists whose lives and work are threatened; expand teaching and learning across cultures; and provide opportunities to underserved populations. A not-for-profit organization founded in 1919, IIE has a network of 16 offices and affiliates worldwide and more than 1,600 higher education partners.