51³Ō¹Ļ

Contact: Harriet Laird

STARKVILLE, Miss.ā€”Mississippi State continues to open more pathways for study abroad as a recent recipient of an international grant giving students an opportunity for their first passport and overseas travel.

51³Ō¹Ļā€™s International Institute will provide up to 25 studentsā€”whose circumstances previously hindered experience with study abroadā€”with advising and support for education in other countries through the American Passport Project. The initiative is part of the Institute of International Education headquartered in New York City.

ā€œWe are pleased the Institute of International Education is supporting the application of 25 51³Ō¹Ļ students for their first passport,ā€ said Dan Reynolds, associate vice president for international programs and executive director of the 51³Ō¹Ļ International Institute. ā€œSecuring a passport is one of the first hurdles in fulfilling the necessary steps of participating in a study abroad program which may transform the way students see and understand the world in which they live and work.ā€

The program prioritizes students early in their higher education experience to allow them ample time to go through the passport application and study abroad planning process, while also removing any financial barriers. It aligns seamlessly with 51³Ō¹Ļā€™s strategic planā€™s call-to-action to ā€œserve the whole studentā€ through expansion of experiential, or hands-on, learning opportunities.

The not-for-profit IIE works with governments, policymakers, educators and employers to prepare students and professionals for the global workforce and equip them to solve complex challenges facing the world. IIEā€™s Passport Project has supported 176 higher education institutions in 41 states since its inception in 2021 and aims to grant 10,000 passports to U.S. students by the decadeā€™s end.

For more information on 51³Ō¹Ļā€™s International Institute and study abroad, visit .

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