The Fund for Education Abroad Doubles Commitment to Increasing Access to Study Abroad with 51 Scholarships Totaling $225,000

WASHINGTON, DC, March 30, 2017 – The Fund for Education Abroad (FEA) has increased access to international education by granting a record-breaking 51 scholarships totaling $225,000 to US students consistently underrepresented in study abroad. These figures represent a doubling of the number of scholarships and a $75,000 (50%) increase over funds granted last year.

The students come from a variety of racial, ethnic and socioeconomic backgrounds and represent higher education institutions across the country. Students will be studying across the globe, from a minimum of four weeks to a full academic year. FEA funds scholarships of up to $10,000 for study abroad.

With this year’s scholars, a total of 168 students, including minority, LGBTQI, first-generation, community college, and students studying in non-traditional destinations have benefited from over $700,000 in scholarships granted since FEA’s inception in 2010. This year, 90% of the students are of minority backgrounds, and a large majority of scholars (84%) are first-generation college students. Almost all (96%) awardees will study the host country language. Additionally, 46% of all the FEA scholars have a community college background.

“Investing in international education is investing in our nation’s future,” said Adam Cooper, Senior Vice President of the US division of STA Travel, which funds a dedicated scholarship for FEA. “Students who travel abroad have formative experiences that influence the course of their lives.” The STA Travel Start the Adventure scholarship provides for individual students and gives discretionary, capacity-building grants to international education departments to strategically fund another student.

“We are tremendously grateful for the continued and ever-increasing support of FEA donors. Their generosity has helped us augment our giving each year, making the life-enhancing dream of study abroad come true for more students,” said FEA Executive Director Jennifer Calvert. “FEA scholars and all students who study abroad grow to be some of our nation’s best public diplomats.”

The 2017 FEA scholarship winners were selected from a pool of nearly 1,500 applicants representing approximately 440 colleges and universities across the country. A team of 102 volunteer reviewers individually read and reviewed each application.

The 2017 Fund for Education Abroad Scholars include:

Mirza Ahmed (SUNY – New Paltz)
Germany, Academic Year 2017-18

Astra Armstrong (Norfolk State University)
South Africa, Summer 2017

Valerie Avellino (CUNY -Hunter College)
Latvia, Summer 2017

Leonard Ayala (University of Texas – Dallas)
Mexico, Summer 2017

Nannette Boakye (Columbia University)
Tanzania, Summer 2017
*STA Travel Start the Adventure Scholar

Valencia Briseus (University of South Florida)
Japan, Fall 2017
*Rainbow Scholar

Andrew Castellanos (University of Montana)
Russia, Summer 2017
*STA Travel Start the Adventure Scholar

Colter Christensen (Utah State University)
Japan, Academic Year 2017-18
Amy Co (Ohio University)
India (AIFS), Fall 2017

Sean Coffman (University of Washington, Bothell)
Jordan, Spring 2018

Sacharja Cunningham (Hamilton College)
Senegal(SIT) & Ghana (CIEE), Academic Year 2017-18

Robert Davis (Kalamazoo College)
Italy, Fall 2017

Emmylou de Meij (Lawrence University)
Russia, Fall 2017

Jacquelyn DeLauder (Columbus State University)
Mexico, Summer 2017

Ugochinyerem Krystal Ejesieme (University of Virginia)
France (CEA), Summer 2017
*Student Athlete Scholar

Matthew Falsetta (Temple University)
Spain, Spring 2018

Gabriela Fuentes (Georgetown University)
Ecuador, Summer 2017
*DC Area Scholar

Anthony Galura (University of California – Berkeley)
Singapore, Summer 2017
*Rainbow Scholar

Selaem Hadera (Emory University)
India (SIT), Fall 2017

Areli Hernandez (Santa Clara University)
Ecuador, Fall 2017

Diana Inguito (Pepperdine University)
Argentina, Fall 2017
*Jane Gluckmann & Carol Rausch Go Global Scholar

Kurtis Klein (San Diego State University)
Germany, Academic Year 2017-18

Vivien Le (California State University, Los Angeles)
Thailand (CIEE), Summer 2017

Tierra Lu (Middlebury College)
South Korea, Academic Year 2017-18
*BASAA Scholar

Colton Lynn (University of North Texas)
Spain, Summer 2017

Francis Miyata (Knox College)
Japan, Academic Year 2017-18

Yahaira Morales Castro (University of Texas – Austin)
Mexico, Summer 2017

Yuliena Mosquera (Florida International University)
Japan, Summer 2017

Kevin Ngo (Portland State University)
Japan (IE3 Global), Academic Year 2017-18
*PDX Abroad Scholar

Cindy Nguyen (California State University – Los Angeles)
Thailand (CIEE), Summer 2017

Dieu Thao Nguyen (University of Georgia)
Vietnam, Summer 2017
*Hiliary Echo Douglas Memorial Scholar

Ivan Olivas (Eastern Kentucky University)
Argentina (SOL Education Abroad), Summer 2017

Olivia Orosco (Willamette University)
Bolivia, Morocco and Vietnam (SIT), Fall 2017
*Student Athlete Scholar

Chance Overberg (Miami University)
Japan (CIEE and ISEP), Academic Year 2017-18

Timothy Paczynski (Gustavus Adolphus College)
Hungary, Academic Year 2017-18
*Minnesota Scholar

Kevin Pham (Vassar College)
Jordan, Summer 2017
*Rainbow Scholar

Ivan Pineda (University of South Florida)
China, Summer 2017

Tiffany Richards (Portland State University)
Japan, Fall 2017
*PDX Abroad Scholar

Christopher Robinson (Harvard University)
Chile (Sage Corps), Summer 2017

Paisley Sato (University of Puget Sound)
Mongolia, South Korea, Japan, China, Thailand, India and Malaysia, Academic Year 2017-18

Immaniah Shlemah (Trident Technical College)
Ghana (CIEE), Fall 2017

Temperance Talley (California State University – Fresno)
Japan (University Studies Abroad Consortium), Academic Year 2017-18

Tan Vu (University of California – Berkeley)
Hong Kong, Academic Year 2017-18

Vanessa Watson (Fashion Institute of Technology)
Hong Kong, Spring 2018
*Rainbow Scholar

Lauren Workman (Hobart & William Smith Colleges)
Vietnam, Spring 2018

Zhaoyi Yan (CUNY-Hunter College)
South Korea, Summer 2017

Chi-Yen Yao (University of Maryland)
United Kingdom, Academic Year 2017-18
*DC Area Scholar

Rose Yeh (University of Texas – Austin)
Chile (IES Abroad), Summer 2017

Jae Yu (University of California – Santa Barbara)
Thailand, Academic Year 2017-18

Kazandra Zelaya (Claremont McKenna College)
Argentina (Sage Corps), Summer 2017

Bemnet Zewdie (Boston College)
Ghana (CIEE), Spring 2018
*BASAA Scholar

FEA offers general and dedicated scholarships. Dedicated scholarships include numerous regional scholarships, the Hiliary Echo Douglas Memorial scholarship, which is dedicated to those who wish to travel to Vietnam, the Jane Gluckmann & Carol Rausch Go Global scholarship, for students studying abroad in Mexico, Central America, South America, France, or Germany, and a Rainbow scholarship for students nationwide who self-identify as LGBTQI.

The mission of the Fund for Education Abroad (FEA) is to increase opportunities for dedicated American students to participate in high-quality, rigorous education abroad programs by reducing financial restrictions through the provision of grants and scholarships. FEA aims to make the demographics of U.S. undergraduates studying abroad reflect the rich diversity of the U.S. population. FEA won the 2015 Diversity Abroad Excellence in Diversifying International Education Award and GoAbroad.com’s 2015 Innovation in Philanthropy Award.

About the Fund for Education Abroad

The Fund for Education Abroad (FEA) is a 501(c)(3) whose mission is to increase the opportunities for dedicated U.S. students to participate in high-quality, rigorous education abroad programs by reducing financial restrictions through the provision of grants and scholarships. FEA’s goals include assisting committed students in the acquisition of critical foreign language skills and cultivating U.S. students’ world awareness and appreciation of cultural differences through academic and experiential opportunities. Scholarships are awarded with a preference for under-represented students in study abroad programs, including minorities, first-generation college students, community college students and those choosing to study in non-traditional countries. FEA is a Guidestar Gold participant, and  won the 2015 Diversity Abroad Excellence in Diversifying International Education Award and GoAbroad.com’s 2015 Innovation in Philanthropy Award.  Follow FEA at www.fundforeducationabroad.org, and on Facebook, LinkedIn, Tumblr and on Twitter: @FEAScholarships.