Increasing National Diversity in Education Abroad Using the Gilman International Scholarship and Others

Increasing National Diversity in Education Abroad Using the Gilman International Scholarship and Others The Benjamin A. Gilman International Scholarship program’s goal is to diversify the kinds of students who study abroad and the countries and regions where they go. For the Gilman Program diversity factors include gender, race/ethnicity, study abroad destination, area of study, and especially financial need. Institutions must be actively engaged in increasing not only the numbers of students who participate in education abroad but also the types of students who are able to study abroad and the kinds of programs and country options we offer to them. There are opportunities for every type of institution to diversify study abroad, whether it is a small private liberal arts college, a top engineering school, a large public university or a minority-serving institution. All institutions should be actively promoting diversify in study abroad in some way. Many students report that they do not choose to study abroad due to financial barriers. Some universities are now beginning to address this problem by using scholarship programs as a way to market study abroad. To reach under-represented students who might feel that study abroad is beyond the realm of possibility, we must do more than wait for students to find us and instead look for them in places such as financial aid offices, student affairs departments, multicultural services, disability services, and student organizations that attract the kinds of students we aim to reach. Scholarship programs such as the Benjamin A. Gilman International Scholarship, sponsored by the U.S. Department of State, Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs and administered by the Institute of International Education, have been developed to increase the participation of historically under-represented communities. The Gilman Scholarship Program The representation of minority students among Gilman recipients well exceeds that of the overall U.S. study abroad population during the 2004-2005 academic year. It is important to note, however, that diversity is defined much more broadly than just by ethnicity/race: Gilman recipients exceed national percentages of African-American students by 13%, Hispanic students by 4%, and Asian students by 3%. The number of applicants with disabilities rose by 59%. The number of scholarship recipients with disabilities rose by 73% over last year. The percentage of Gilman recipients going to Western Europe is dramatically lower than that of the overall U.S. study abroad population. Nationally, 60% of all U.S. study abroad participants went to Western Europe during the 2004-2005 year. This year 25% of Gilman recipients studied in the region. However, it is important to highlight that Western Europe is certainly not excluded from the Gilman Program. There are many reasons why Western Europe is the best choice for some students. The percentage of Gilman recipients going to non-traditional countries well exceeds those of the U.S. study abroad population. Gilman recipients exceed national percentages in Africa by 9%, in Asia by 14%, in Eastern Europe by 3%, in Latin America by 10%, and in the Middle East/North Africa by 7%.