Study Abroad Bill Passes Senate Foreign Relations Committee
WASHINGTON, February 13, 2008 - The Senate Foreign Relations Committee today passed The Senator Paul Simon Study Abroad Foundation Act (H.R. 1469), further advancing a bill to establish study abroad as a national priority. The legislation calls for the creation of an innovative national program to dramatically increase the numbers of American college students who study abroad.
'We believe this bill will launch our country into a new arena when it comes to Americans' international knowledge and understanding,' said NAFSA Executive Director and CEO Marlene Johnson. 'We applaud Senators Dick Durbin and Norm Coleman for their strong bipartisan leadership on behalf of this historic piece of legislation. The committee's action is an important step for the bill, and we urge the full Senate to act as quickly as possible to pass and fully fund this initiative.'
Foreign policy leaders and national security experts have long pointed out the urgent need for more Americans to have foreign-language skills and an understanding of global issues. Many of today's most successful businesses, large and small alike, span international borders and operate in many languages. Students themselves recognize the need to gain valuable international skills, to become the '360-degree graduates' that employers are looking for. Yet only 1 percent of American college students participate in study abroad programs each year.
The Senator Paul Simon Study Abroad Foundation Act, through the establishment of a foundation that will partner with higher education to focus on advancing study abroad, would help to ensure that many more American college students have the opportunity to live and learn abroad during their undergraduate education. It sets out the goal that in 10 years' time, 1 million students, fully representative of the college demographic, will study abroad annually on quality programs in locations across the globe.
The bill, which passed the House last year under the leadership of the late Representative Tom Lantos and has already gained strong bipartisan support in the Senate, will now go to the Senate floor for a vote.