Today, NAFSA: Association of International Educators announced it has extended its partnership with the Fund for Education Abroad (FEA), committing $150,000 over the next three years to fund scholarships that enable African American undergraduate students to study abroad.
Founded in 2019, and renewed in 2021, the NAFSA Tamara H. Bryant Memorial Scholarship is named for the late Tamara Bryant who left Burma during World War II as a refugee, traveled more than 1,500 miles to India on foot, and settled in the United States in the 1960s. After experiencing and observing gender- and race-related obstacles in the workplace in her adopted homeland, she established an endowment at NAFSA to foster intercultural exchange. Per her vision, her scholarships are intended to assist promising, globally-minded students in achieving their career goals.
“Preparing the next generation with the intercultural skills, knowledge, and experiences they need be successful in today’s world is of vital importance to their future prospects, and ours as a nation,” said Fanta Aw, executive director and CEO of NAFSA. “Our society benefits when young people of all backgrounds are exposed to differing viewpoints, cultures, and languages and can constructively apply that experience to their classroom, workplace, and community. We are delighted to continue partnering with FEA to ensure more students may be inspired by her tremendous story and carry on her legacy of undaunted exploration and curiosity.”
The NAFSA Tamara H. Bryant Memorial Scholarship program has awarded more than $200,000 to students at more than 30 colleges and universities who embody her spirit of resilience and interest in international exchange.
“FEA is honored to play a role in continuing Tamara H. Bryant’s beautiful legacy,” said Angela Schaffer, executive director of FEA. “The scholarship has changed the lives of dozens of students and we look forward to supporting many more scholars in the coming years through this generous partnership with NAFSA.”
Members of the media are encouraged to explore audio and video recordings from recent Tamara H. Bryant Memorial Scholars at nafsa.org/Bryant.
FEA funds scholarships of up to $10,000 for study abroad to students from a variety of racial, ethnic, and socioeconomic backgrounds, representing higher education institutions across the country. Students who fit these criteria are eligible to apply through FEA. More information is available at www.fundforeducationabroad.org.
About NAFSA: Association of International Educators
Serving more than 10,000 members and international educators worldwide, NAFSA: Association of International Educators is the largest nonprofit association dedicated to international education and exchange. Visit us at www.nafsa.org/press. To learn more about our advocacy efforts on behalf of international education, visit www.nafsa.org/takeaction. Resources to guide our members on education abroad can be found at www.nafsa.org/ea.
About the Fund for Education Abroad
The Fund for Education Abroad was established in 2010 as a 501(c)3 non-profit organization to address the need for an independent scholarship provider to enable more American college students to study abroad. Since 2010, FEA has awarded over $3.4 million in scholarships to 1,091 undergraduates, helping students from all over the United States pursue their dreams of studying abroad. www.fundforeducationabroad.org.