St. Cloud State 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 SCSU students to obtain a U.S. passport and support their study abroad journeys.
SCSU is one of 48 institutions awarded this opportunity, which will help up to 1,200 Pell-eligible, U.S. students obtain their U.S. passports and start their study abroad journey.
“The Passport grant provided to St. Cloud State University by the Institute of International Education will help our students travel the world through the many Education Abroad programs that we offer,” said Shahzad Ahmad, Associate Vice President of Center for International Studies. “A passport is a first but important step for everyone to explore the world.”
The IIE American Passport Project represents IIE’s commitment to create access to international education opportunities and enable equity. For this program, IIE is removing an initial financial barrier for many of the cost of a U.S. passport, helping to increase diversity and inclusion of students studying abroad.
The program prioritizes first-year students, with limited financial means, for whom this may be their first passport and makes global learning abroad a greater possibility with an earlier start.
IIE is the leader in designing and implementing international education strategies and program services. It works to prepare students and professionals for the global workforce and equip them to solve the increasingly complex challenges facing our interconnected world.
