IES Abroad Leadership in the study abroad field includes:

Scholarships and Financial Aid
Our program awards more than $2 million annually to IES Abroad students.

IES Abroad MAP© Series (Model Assessment Practice)
The first widely accepted standard in the field for setting standards for designing and evaluating study abroad programs, as well as language and intercultural communication.

Ethical Principles
These principles show the transparency in the organization’s governance, academic programs, tuition prices, philosophy and other policies.

Making Study Abroad Accessible to All Students

  • Students from underrepresented racial or ethnic minorities, first-generation students and/or those with economic need make up 19 percent of the IES Abroad student body
  • IES Abroad has had steady annual increases in enrollment by students from underrepresented racial or ethnic minorities in the last 4 years, including a 9.4 percent increase for the Fall 2009 term and a 13.5 percent increase for the Spring 2010 term
  • IES Abroad Think Tank on Diversity in Education Abroad, 2008 – brought together national educators, corporate executives and NGOs to identify barriers to studying abroad for underrepresented students along with ways to overcome them and increase participation
  • Materials – career related information and financial planning brochures in English and Spanish are part of the IES Abroad Global IDEAS series (Initiative for Diversifying Education Abroad)
  • Outreach programs – early outreach to underrepresented high school students is conducted and IES Abroad works with organizations including National Association of Black Accountants, Association of Latino Professionals in Finance and Accounting, LINK Unlimited, and others to reach a diverse audience
  • IES Abroad is the only third-party provider of international education programs that employs a full-time diversity coordinator.
  • More information on the IES Abroad Diversity Initiative

Impact of Study Abroad on Students

  • A recent graduate survey found that students who study with IES Abroad find jobs sooner and at a higher starting salary.
  • IES Abroad surveyed its alumni who studied abroad between 1950 and 2000. More than 3,700 alumni responded, providing input on the personal and professional impact of international study.

Advocacy for National Study Abroad Policy
IES Abroad President Mary M. Dwyer, Ph.D., was one of two study abroad professionals appointed by the U.S. Congress to serve on the 17-member Abraham Lincoln Commission on Study Abroad, which aimed to expand study abroad opportunities for U.S. students to study abroad.

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