Alverno College Receives IIE American Passport Project Grant

Alverno College has been selected by the Institute of International Education (IIE) to receive an IIE American Passport Project grant that will enable up to 25 Alverno students to obtain a U.S. passport and support their study abroad journeys. In the second year of the program, IIE awarded 40 institutions for this opportunity, which will help 1,000 Pell-eligible, U.S. students.

It has long been part of IIE’s mission to increase participation and diversity in study abroad, so that all students can gain the academic and career benefits of international experience. The IIE American Passport Project grant is intended to promote diversity, inclusion, access and equity in study abroad and to support the IIE Network, IIE’s global membership network, in efforts to encourage students who would otherwise not participate in an international experience as part of their college education. For students of limited means, studying abroad can require long-term planning and involve financial hurdles, like the cost of a passport, which could bar them from moving forward.

Through the IIE American Passport Project, IIE plans to have enabled 10,000 students to have passports by the end of this decade. Each year, IIE will help 1,000 college students obtain a U.S. passport by awarding funds to approximately 40 U.S. colleges and universities in the IIE Network. Each institution will identify up to 25 of their first-year, Pell-eligible students to participate.

For the 40 institutions selected, the IIE American Passport Project provides one critical piece of the multi-faceted effort needed to reach students who are traditionally underrepresented in study abroad: a passport. The selected institutions will provide the innovative programming, engagement efforts, advising, and support for those students they have identified with the goal of sending them on a study abroad program during their college experience.

With 63% of Alverno’s undergraduate student body identifying as a person of color and 53% of undergraduate students being Pell-eligible, Alverno has great potential to help diverse students study abroad. Various programs offered throughout the year engage students in conversations about study abroad, while travel grants and one-on-one assistance applying for study abroad scholarships help ease the costs. “This is a great opportunity for our students, and we are thrilled to receive this grant and help them obtain a passport,” said Rachel Haos, assistant dean of students. “We know from experience that study abroad enriches the lives of our students, opening them up to a world of opportunities. This grant will allow us to get our students one step closer to that possibility.”

About IIE

The Institute of International Education (IIE) is a world leader in helping people and organizations leverage the power of international education to thrive in today’s interconnected world. As a not-for-profit with 17 offices and affiliates worldwide, IIE manages 200+ programs with participants from 180+ countries. Each year, tens of thousands of people participate in IIE-managed programs. IIE collaborates with a range of corporate, government and foundation partners across the globe to design and manage scholarship, study abroad, workforce training, and leadership development programs.

The IIE Network is the global membership network connecting more than 10,000 professionals from over 1,500 organizations to resources, including IIE’s extensive knowledge and decades of experience supporting student mobility and exchange, campus internationalization, and international partnerships.