Northern Michigan University has been selected by the Institute of International Education (IIE) to receive an IIE American Passport Project grant that will enable up to 25 NMU students to obtain their first U.S. passport and open the pathway to study abroad. In its fifth year, IIE has awarded grants to 45 institutions in the IIENetwork membership to help 1,275 Pell-eligible college students through this opportunity.
"Through the IIE American Passport Project, we hope to initiate a cultural shift at NMU which celebrates international education and encourages all students to plan on having an experience abroad," said Rebecca Ulland, head of NMU's Languages, Literatures and International Studies Department. "By covering the application fees for a U.S. Passport ($165), this program will remove one barrier to study abroad for Pell-eligible students and create excitement on campus and at recruitment events about the international experiences NMU offers. The IIE American Passport Project grant helps us strengthen the university's efforts to achieve its core values of opportunity, inclusion and innovation.”
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.
Through the IIE American Passport Project, IIE aims to grant 10,000 U.S. students their passports by the end of this decade. It also 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 grants to 220 higher education institutions in 40 states and the District of Columbia. In this fifth cohort, seven of the institutions are community colleges – the most awarded in a year; two institutions have teamed up to maximize their effort; and one is a university educating “the deaf and signing community on a national and global scale.”
IIE selected the institutional recipients based in part on demonstrated efforts to prioritize student populations from low-income backgrounds and students who have not traveled abroad as an adult or in a learning environment.
According to its overview, IIE is the leader in designing and implementing international education strategies and program services. It works with governments, policymakers, educators and employers worldwide to prepare students and professionals for the global workforce and equip them to solve the increasingly complex challenges facing an interconnected world.