Texas State honored by IIE for exceeding increased Study Abroad goals

By Jack McClellan
Office of Media Relations
December 4, 2017

Texas State University has been honored by the Institute of International Education (IIE) for achieving the university’s goal to increase scholarship funding for its study abroad programs.

Texas State committed to the increase in 2014, when it joined the IIE’s initiative. Texas State committed to increase scholarship funds for study abroad students by $95,000 per year for five years and to allocate $15,000 per year for five years to support new program models and new faculty participation.

All colleges at the university agreed to support the goal of Generation Study Abroad.

“This award represents a collaborative effort of the entire Texas State University community, with participation by many different offices, such as financial aid, student business services, the registrar’s office, academic affairs and student affairs, which have provided the collaboration and support necessary to make the study abroad experiences available to all our students,” said Ryan Buck, assistant vice president for international affairs at Texas State.

As a result of the initiative, the Study Abroad Office has significantly increased student participation. In the 2011-2012 school year, 462 students studied abroad. Based on Texas State participation when the university signed the pledge, the goal was to reach 750 study abroad students by 2020. By the 2016-2017 academic year, more than 890 students studied abroad, nearly doubling study abroad enrollment. In 2016-2017, Study Abroad awarded approximately $300,000 in scholarships to study abroad.

“This increase was the result of a robust marketing campaign and campus-wide engagement to internationalize Texas State,” Buck said. “Texas State is one of the very few Generation Study Abroad partners that have reached their goals before the commitment date. The university is proud to expand the opportunities available to study abroad, and make them more accessible to our students.”

The Institute of International Education (IIE) is a world leader in the international exchange of people and ideas. It is an independent, not-for-profit organization founded in 1919. The IIE-led Generation Study Abroad initiative, with the mission to double the number of U.S. students who study abroad by the end of the decade, now includes more than 700 partner organizations, including U.S. and foreign colleges and universities.

About Texas State University

Founded in 1899, Texas State University is among the largest universities in Texas with an enrollment of 38,694 students on campuses in San Marcos and Round Rock. Texas State’s 181,000-plus alumni are a powerful force in serving the economic workforce needs of Texas and throughout the world. Designated an Emerging Research University by the State of Texas, Texas State is classified under “Doctoral Universities: Higher Research Activity,” the second-highest designation for research institutions under the Carnegie classification system.