A new scholarship has launched to expand access to study abroad opportunities to community college students in the US – a population starkly underrepresented in global learning initiatives.

The Community College Access Scholarship (CCAS), led by the Forum on Education Abroad, aims to reduce barriers to study abroad opportunities providing financial support to community college students to participate in faculty-led, short-term, semester or summer programs.  

The Forum CEO Melissa Torres said community college student “too often face insurmountable hurdles to education abroad opportunities”. 

“At a time when the career and workforce benefits of education abroad are becoming increasingly clear, we are heartened that more students will be able to gain from the career-defining skills they will develop while abroad,” she said. 

While community college students make up nearly 40% of America’s undergraduate population, last year they accounted for just 1.6% of those who studied abroad.  

What’s more, a recent study of internationalisation at community colleges revealed 38% of colleges offered study abroad programs. Of the remainder, 42% did not report any initiatives and for 21% it was unverifiable due to limited or outdated information.  

Torres said she was “grateful” to the American Institute for Foreign Study (AIFS) for its $50,000 commitment to the scholarship, supporting study abroad programs between June 2026 and May 2027.  

In the scholarship’s first year, up to 15 students will be selected to receive $3,000-$5,000 in funding to put towards program fees, travel, passport and visa costs, among other expenses.  

Scholarship applicants must demonstrate economic need through Pell eligibility, financial aid documentation or explanation of financial circumstances, with the first round of applications opening on May 1. 

AIFS Chairman William Gertz said his education at Sullivan County Community College in upstate New York had directly influenced his career and role as global leader of AIFS: “The individual attention I received at this small institution was invaluable,” he added. 

Torres highlighted recent studies from the Forum showing the clear link between education abroad and career success, with business school students who study abroad earning, on average, 6% more than their peers in their first post-graduate job. 

Meanwhile, 96% of US businesses recently reported performance would improve with greater international experience among employees. 

Community college students too often face insurmountable hurdles to education abroad opportunitiesMelissa Torres, The Forum on Education Abroad

Though demand for study abroad continues to grow, rising costs and financial pressures at US colleges are putting up increased barriers for many students.  

According to a 2025 survey of four-year college students, over three-quarters of respondents said they hoped or planned to study abroad.  

Yet finances remained the main concern for 80% of students and nearly half of those not planning to study abroad said the cost prevented them from doing so. 

And while community college students are severely underrepresented in study abroad programs, recent years have seen marked growth in international enrolments at community colleges.  

Last year’s Open Doors data revealed international enrolments rise by 8% at community colleges, compared to overall international undergraduate levels rising by 4% and graduate student numbers dropping by 3%.  

Meanwhile, the internationalisation report by the Community College International Education Research Initiative (CCIERI) revealed 82% of community colleges enrolled international students while 11% did not, with the remaining 7% undetermined.  

https://thepienews.com/scholarship-targets-study-abroad-gap-for-us-community-colleges/