To the Editor:
Recently, First Lady Michelle Obama visited Peking University to stress the importance for college students to study abroad. “Studying abroad isn’t just a fun way to spend a semester,” she said. “It is quickly becoming the key to success in our global economy.”
Mrs. Obama acknowledged that the majority of students who study abroad are affluent or attend colleges that cater to families with more than modest to high incomes. CNN reported that “as a student, Obama never considered studying abroad and noted that many young people struggling to pay for school today may also feel that way.” Mrs. Obama said, “That’s not acceptable, because study abroad shouldn’t just be for students from certain backgrounds.”
I agree wholeheartedly. It doesn’t seem fair that only students from families in the upper-income quartiles are able to study abroad and experience language and culture first-hand. And it isn’t just about the money. Students from upper-income families arrive on campus with the supports and expectation that they will travel and study abroad. They have the self-confidence as well as the resources needed to apply for such a program.
Mrs. Obama may not be aware that the federally funded TRIO Programs actively assist participants to study abroad. TRIO’s mission is to provide the much-needed academic support, such as academic advising and tutoring, for students who are either low-income, first-generation (where neither parent has earned a baccalaureate degree) or have a disability, so they enter, remain in, and graduate from college. As part of the academic-support services they provide, advisors and tutors work diligently to encourage students to apply for scholarships and study abroad opportunities. TRIO also works with students to help them build their confidence to envision these experiences as ones that they can actually attain.
At North Hennepin Community College, in Brooklyn Park, Minn., the TRIO Student Support Services program has helped send 22 low-income, first-generation students abroad for short-term international experiences in the last seven years. These study-abroad experiences have had a significant impact on improving participants’ academic achievement, increasing their retention, and also enriching them personally.
The First Lady has signaled the U.S. needs college graduates who are globally competent. We need to make sure that all students have access to study abroad.
Shelly Siegel
Director of TRIO Programs
North Hennepin Community College
Brooklyn Park, Minn.