The Division of Continuing and Global Education has announced a new program that will provide one-time grants for studying abroad in 2024.

Taking Flight is an initiative that will provide up to $4,000 for students who study abroad for an entire semester, and up to $2,500 for summer study abroad programs.

“My hope is that the Taking Flight initiative will help more students participate in the life-changing experience of studying abroad. Very often I hear that students want to go abroad, but are prohibited by the cost. With the new initiative, I hope students will see that it can be affordable and accessible to everyone,” said Catherine Kuchar, an academic counselor in the Craig School of Business.

The funding is coming from the Passport Place and is designed to encourage students to study abroad, especially after the pandemic caused international travel to shut down, according to Rishad Gandhi, a coordinator in the study abroad office.

The Passport Place is an office on campus located in the Kremen School of Education and Human Development that provides all passport services except photos on campus for students.

The main goal of the office is to encourage students to study abroad by eliminating some of their obstacles.

“In an environment of social and economic global connection, it is imperative that our students experience international culture both in and out of the classroom,” according to the Passport Place website.

According to Gandhi, some of the requirements to take advantage of the Taking Flight initiative include:

• Have a minimum of a 2.5 GPA.
• Must be in good academic standing with the university.
• Have 30 college credits complete.
• Must be admitted to an approved study abroad program.

“All Fresno State matriculated students can take advantage of the Taking Flight initiative grant money. They need to apply and be accepted to one of our Fresno State approved programs,” Gandhi said.

Taking Flight differs from regular study abroad grants because there is no application required. As long as students meet the requirements, they will receive the money.

The money goes to lower the cost of the program. It is not a direct payment to the student. The Division of Continuing and Global Education pays the vendor on behalf of the student.

The study abroad office wants to demonstrate that studying abroad is not impossible. In order to generate future funds, Taking Flight can only be successful if students take advantage of it.

“If the Taking Flight initiative is successful, I hope it will reinforce that financial help is being put in the right place. If we have a large group of students participate, it would show that we can help more students go abroad with the right funding model,” Kuchar said.

Taking Flight will be available to all students who study abroad in 2024. The office is hopeful that they will be able to extend it to 2025.

Gandhi said that the study abroad office is continuously working to make studying abroad more accessible for all students.

“We are trying to encourage students to study abroad again and we have always known that the biggest hurdle for our students to study abroad has been their financial limitations,” he said.