The Council on International Educational Exchange (CIEE) announced a commitment to tackle the major barriers that keep students from studying abroad—cost, curriculum, and culture—with a centerpiece pledge of $20 million in scholarships and grants to American students through the Generation Study Abroad initiative. CIEE will also sponsor passports for 10,000 students to enable participation and make an annual $20,000 grant to college faculty to support innovative approaches for custom study abroad programs.

"CIEE’s greatly expanded outreach and scholarship offerings will make a significant contribution to expanding and diversifying the population of students who have the opportunity to study abroad," said IIE President and Chief Executive Officer Allan E. Goodman.

"Faculty and students alike consistently report their study abroad experiences are full of life changing, ah-ha moments," notes James Pellow, Ed.D., president and chief executive officer of CIEE. "Part of that change includes the realization that people in different countries, with different cultures and customs, are in many ways very similar to themselves. They are striving for a better life, for healthier children, for a more a peaceful world. This revelation helps students broaden their worldview and become more effective leaders of business, education, healthcare, politics and government."

CIEE will announce complete details of its commitment to Generation Study Abroad at the CIEE Annual Conference, November 19–22, 2014, in Baltimore.