Study Abroad November Update

I've just returned from CIEE Annual Conference in Brooklyn where we announced that 42 College Presidents at Minority Serving Institutions have pledged to support their students by matching the 2020 Frederick Douglass Summer Scholars grant of $1,500. This means that hundreds of students will now have $3,000 in grants to attend a life-changing summer study abroad program in 2020.

This exciting news could not have come at a better time as our conference theme was “Opening Doors to Increase Diversity in Study Abroad” and these college leaders have just opened the door for scores of their exceptional students to study foreign languages, leadership and intercultural communication, and dozens of other academic topics like international business, science, technology, and math.

In addition to these college presidents pledging funds to support diverse students, once again, the funds generated from our conference sponsors, advertisers and exhibitors will underwrite the 2020 cohort of Frederick Douglass Global Fellows. We extend our sincere appreciation for their support. This year we expect over 1,000 applications for 10 Global Fellows who will study leadership and intercultural communication in Cape Town in summer 2020.

The deadline for applications for both the Global Fellows and Summer Scholars grants is February 14, Frederick Douglass' chosen birthday. Eligibility requirements and application details are at ciee.org/fdgf.

Plus, ALL qualified applicants will receive a $1,500 Frederick Douglass Summer Scholar Grant that can be used toward any CIEE summer program. In summer 2019, these grants enabled 60 MSI students to study abroad, many of whom received an additional $1,500 matching grant that 18 college presidents awarded CIEE Frederick Douglass Summer Scholars from their institution.


On behalf of all of us at CIEE, I extend our best wishes for a peaceful and healthy holiday season for you, your family, and all those important people in your life.