Mission
The mission of the Fund for Education Abroad (FEA) is to provide scholarships and ongoing support to students with financial need who are underrepresented among the U.S. study-abroad population. FEA makes life-changing, international experiences accessible to all by supporting students of color, community college, and first-generation college students before, during, and after they participate in education abroad programs.
Vision
In today’s inter-connected world, we believe education abroad is an integral component of higher education. We envision a future in which all U.S. students are given equal access to education abroad experiences, regardless of socio-economic status. We foresee a future in which our scholars work to increase global understanding, give back to their communities, and mentor future generations of Fund for Education Abroad scholars.
JEDI Statement
FEA was born of the imperative to increase access to education abroad. Our call to action is Justice, Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion and has been since day one. We provide access to students who represent the rich diversity of our nation yet who are underrepresented in study abroad. In our day-to-day work we are grounded in these principles. FEA is committed to the ongoing development and implementation of inclusive best practices in scholarship awarding, student support, nonprofit governance, and organizational development and management.
History: The Why
Through the generous support of Academic Travel Abroad (ATA), the Fund for Education Abroad was established in 2010 as a 501(c)3 non-profit organization to address the need for an independent scholarship provider to enable more American college students to study abroad. Applicants from groups underrepresented in study abroad are given preference, in an effort to make the demographics of U.S. undergraduates studying abroad reflect the rich diversity of the U.S. population. Since 2010, FEA has awarded over $2.1 million in scholarships to 614 undergraduates, helping students from all over the United States follow their dreams of studying abroad.
FEA remains the only national non-profit study abroad scholarship provider funded exclusively with philanthropic support, and the only independent organization dedicated to providing scholarships to students who are least likely to study abroad.
Learn more in FEA’s Strategic Plan (updated in 2019).
