Frontlines: November + December 2017

In this issue: why study abroad is so crucial and how to tackle the ISSS challenge.

Making the Case: Why Study Abroad is So Crucial

By Jill Welch, NAFSA Deputy Executive Director for Public Policy

As the nation debates what skills and knowledge are needed to prepare tomorrow’s workforce, the need for greater global competencies, intercultural skills, critical thinking, and language skills has become more apparent. Ensuring that many more American college students have access to study abroad as part of their academic preparation is vital to U.S. competitiveness and should be a national priority. Facts to keep in mind include: 

Study abroad is good for students, leading to higher graduation rates, higher GPAs, and greater employability:

• Four-year graduation rates are 18 percent higher for those who study abroad.
• Studying abroad has been shown to increase a student’s grade point average.
• 75 percent of companies surveyed said study abroad is important for management and entry-level staff. Study abroad is good for the nation.

Study abroad is good for the nation:

• 23 million jobs in the United States are tied to international trade.
• 80 percent of companies surveyed believe business would increase if staff had more international experience.

Americans support study abroad:

• 90 percent of voters agree that our nation needs an education system that produces educators, business leaders, and diplomats who understand other cultures and languages.
• 83 percent of voters agree that our nation is better off when more of our students are internationally educated and understand other cultures and languages.
• 75 percent