Dive Brief:
- As the value of study abroad continues to be recognized by academic leaders, more institutions are offering younger students the opportunity to leave the country, including during or just before their first year.
- University Business reports Michigan State, Kent State, Florida State, American University, and the University of New Haven are among those with such offerings, including during the summer before freshman year.
- Targeted grant programs help expand the population of traditional study abroad candidates, and much of the recruitments goes through Admissions, considering the candidates are not officially students until the fall semester starts.
Dive Insight:
Increased retention and graduation rates have been attributed to study abroad programs, though critics point out the traditional study abroad student — wealthy white females — already have particularly high rates on both measures. Michigan State University has been offering Freshman Seminar Abroad opportunities since 2003, when first-year students had the opportunity to travel to Mexico and Quebec during spring break.
Without studying abroad, many colleges say their students get international experience from interacting with international students studying on their campuses. But a report out of the UK finds proximity isn’t enough for cultural exchange.