Washington — Legislation that would expand the number of American students studying overseas to one million within a decade, a nearly fivefold increase, was reintroduced today in the U.S. Congress.
The Senator Paul Simon Study Abroad Foundation Act, named for the late Illinois Democrat who was a champion of overseas study, would create an independent government entity and would authorize $80-million in grants to individual students, colleges, and nongovernmental institutions that provide study-abroad opportunities. The measure is sponsored Sen. Richard Durbin, a Democrat of Illinois, and Sen. Roger Wicker, a Republican of Mississippi.
The legislation passed the House of Representatives in 2007 but failed to overcome procedural hurdles in the Senate. Some supporters of the bill hope it will have an easier time advancing this year because President Obama, who previously co-sponsored the measure, has advocated strong international engagement.
But other observers worry that the legislation could be overlooked among all the urgent measures stemming from the recession and financial crisis that face Congress and the president. As a further hurdle, funds for the new foundation and for the grants would have to be approved separately through the appropriations process.
Although the number of American students studying abroad has risen steadily, still just 1 percent of undergraduates have an overseas-education experience. —Karin Fischer
