STUDY ABROAD
Vanderbilt
supports federally-funded study abroad programs
By Linda Vongkhamchanh
STAFF
REPORTER
The Office of Study Abroad Programs supports legislation that would
reform Vanderbilt’s programs in an effort to increase the number of students
that travel abroad each year.
Sens. Richard Durbin, D-Ill., and Norm
Coleman, R-Minn., introduced the bill on July 26 to
establish the Abraham Lincoln Study Abroad Program in order to make study
abroad programs more available to low income, minority and community college
students.
With the passing of the legislation, at least one million students will
be able to study abroad in the 10 years following the bill’s enactment.
“This program would significantly expand the number of students who
could participate in study abroad programs, thereby strengthening their
personal, first- hand experiences in other parts of the world,” said Jeff
Vincent, Vanderbilt’s assistant vice chancellor for Federal Relations.
“This is an important ingredient in building cultural understanding,
diplomacy, foreign language skills, national security and
While 30 percent of Vanderbilt students in the
“We try and assist lower income students to go abroad and participate in
our programs wherever possible,” said Gary Johnston, director of the Office of
Study Abroad Programs.
“Any financial aid a student receives on the home campus will be fully
applicable to a Vanderbilt study abroad program with the exception of work
study. The opportunity to study abroad should be available to all regardless of
level of income. I absolutely applaud the recent federal initiative to
establish the Lincoln Scholarships for Study Abroad.”
According to the American Council of Education (ACE), the legislation
recognizes the importance of study abroad programs to broaden cultural
understanding, strengthen foreign language skills and increase global literacy.
The ACE also supports the bill and said that it was important because
the