Study Abroad Act of 2006

On July 26, 2006 Senators Richard Durbin (D-IL) and Norman Coleman (R-MN) introduced the Abraham Lincoln Study Abroad Act of 2006 (S. 3744), which calls for a national program to encourage study abroad.

The legislation carries on the legacy of the late Senator Paul Simon, who sought to promote peace and security through international understanding and global awareness. In the weeks before his untimely death, Senator Simon wrote, "This major national initiative ... can lift our vision and responsiveness to the rest of the world."

As outlined by the Commission on the Abraham Lincoln Study Abroad Fellowship Program, the program will create fellowships and scholarships for individual students and establish partnerships with colleges and universities. The goal of the program is to create and sustain annual growth rates to achieve 1 million students studying abroad annually by 2016-17.

A focus of the Act is to expand study abroad opportunities to new populations, such as minorities and students with disabilities; underrepresented fields such as science, mathematics engineering, and business; and community colleges, minority-serving colleges, and low-income-serving institutions. In addition, the program would encourage study in non-traditional and developing countries.

Finally, the Commission calls for "the most demanding quality control" for participating programs, which makes the Forum's Quality Improvement Program (QUIP) of vital importance to the field of education abroad.

The Forum will play a critical role in the further development and possible implementation of this proposed legislation. Please weigh in with your views by contributing to our Forum Discussion!

What are your views of the proposed Abraham Lincoln Study Abroad Act of 2006?

What are its strengths and weaknesses?

What improvements, if any, would you like to see in this Act?

Will it help to bring to fruition Senator Simon's vision?