Diversity

We believe that most students should have a study abroad experience at some point during college.

This is a far cry from the situation today in the United States. Currently only about 10% of 4 year college students and 1% of 2 year college students study abroad. These figures are even lower for minority and lower income students.

We invest a significant amount of our time and resources in improving access to study abroad.

Specifically, we:

• Aim to maintain affordable study abroad options within our network of programs
• Are providing meaningful levels of financial support to promote diversity in study abroad
• Are helping US colleges and universities build their capabilities in study abroad, particularly in terms of advising and supporting their students

Our latest initiative, the Hispanic Global Alliance, deals with the underrepresentation of Hispanics in study abroad and aims at actively decreasing the gap.

The Hispanic Global Alliance

To become the global leaders that the United States and the world need, Hispanic students need to be prepared for the opportunities and challenges that globalization presents. Right now, Hispanic college students study abroad at about 50% the rate of non-Hispanic students. Over the next ten years, the goal of our partnership is to reduce this gap by 50% and help tens of thousands more Hispanic students study abroad.

The barriers to study abroad for Hispanic students are complex and multi-faceted. This is why the Hispanic Association of Colleges & Universities (HACU) and Global Learning Semesters, Inc. have launched the Hispanic Global Alliance, a groundbreaking initiative to address the root causes of the gap in Hispanic study abroad.

The Alliance consists of three initiatives that address the root causes of the gap in Hispanic Study Abroad:

• Financial Support
• Institutional Capacity Building
• Program Development

If you are a Hispanic student, click here to learn more about the Hispanic Study Abroad Scholars scholarship program.

If you are an advisor at a HACU Member Institution, click here to learn more about the Hispanic Global Alliance and how to join us in this effort.

For a more comprehensive overview of the Hispanic Global Alliance, please visit the HGA website at www.HispanicGlobalAlliance.org.

Global Learning Semesters and DiversityAbroad.com

Global Learning Semesters is a member of DiversityAbroad.com and the Diversity Abroad Initiative (DAI). The goal of DiversityAbroad.com and the DAI is to increase the number of under-represented students, particularly minority and low income students, who pursue education abroad programs. In conjunction with the DAI, DiversityAbroad.com provides scholarships to students going abroad and participates in campus outreach to make students, parents and faculty more aware of the benefits of education abroad.

Students applying for Global Learning Semesters programs are eligible for scholarships from the Diversity Abroad Initiative.