Durbin and Coleman Praise Committee Passage of Legislation to Assist Students in Studying Abroad

Press Release

The U.S. Senate Foreign Relations Committee today passed a bill that promises to build global awareness and international understanding by encouraging one million students each year to spend part of their undergraduate careers studying abroad in non-traditional destinations. The Paul Simon Study Abroad Foundation Act, introduced by Senators Dick Durbin (D-IL) and Norm Coleman (R-MN), was inspired by the work of the late Senator Paul Simon and is based on recommendations published by the bipartisan Lincoln Study Abroad Commission. The bill will now go to the Senate floor for consideration.

"Senator Paul Simon was one our nation's great public servants. He had a vision -- to strengthen the role of the U.S. as a world leader by investing in the education of our young people," said Durbin. "Because of his dream and the committee's action today, we have an opportunity to send the next generation of Americans out into the world with open minds and they will come back home with new ideas, compassion, and understanding. I hope that the Senate takes advantage of the opportunity with swift passage."

"I have long been a proponent of study abroad programs - they allow students the opportunity to grow and gain skills to help our nation compete in the globalized world," said Coleman. "Studying abroad also strengthens international diplomacy by bringing American and foreign students together to exchange ideas, forge friendships and promote understanding among each other. The advancement of this bill is a true win-win for America as it enriches not only our students but also our relationships with other countries. It is also a fitting tribute to the late Rep. Tom Lantos, without whose leadership this bill never would have come this far."

Over the next 50 years, the majority of the world's population growth will occur outside of the United States and Europe. Yet, only 1% of undergraduate students study abroad and 2/3 of that small percentage study in Western Europe. The goal of the Paul Simon Study Abroad Foundation Act is to make study abroad in high-quality programs in diverse locations around the world the routine, rather than the exception, for American college students. The changes implemented through the program will allow the U.S. to sustain a steady growth in the number of students who experience other countries as part of their undergraduate education.

The bill authorizes $80 million for grants to individual students, colleges and universities and nongovernmental institutions that provide study abroad opportunities. It creates an independent government entity, the Senator Paul Simon Foundation, to administer the program. It will also be able to leverage funds through support from the private sector.

Today's legislation will:

* Help at least 1 million undergraduates study abroad annually within 10 years
* Expand study abroad opportunities for students who are currently underrepresented
* Increase the number of students that study abroad in non-traditional destinations

The Commission on the Abraham Lincoln Study Abroad Fellowship Program established in the 2004 budget, presented recommendations for greatly expanding the opportunity for college students to study abroad, with special emphasis on studying in developing nations. In addition, the 9/11 Commission Report recommended that the United States should increase support for scholarship and exchange programs. The Paul Simon Study Abroad Foundation Act of 2007 has the support of the academic and educational-exchange communities.

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