University of Texas – Austin: First Abroad Initiative Provides Comprehensive Support to First-Generation College Students

The mission of the University of Texas at Austin is to achieve excellence in the interrelated areas of undergraduate education, graduate education, research and public service. The university provides superior and comprehensive educational opportunities at the baccalaureate through doctoral and special professional educational levels. 

Describe your initiative/project.

Our goal is to increase study abroad participation by addressing financial, academic and cultural capital barriers, particularly among underrepresented groups.  Not only is this a question of equality, but a growing body of research suggests that studying abroad leads to greater academic success. Improved retention rates, higher GPAs, and a greater global awareness are just some of the ways that studying abroad impacts students. Academically at-risk students are particularly likely to benefit from the study abroad experience.

As a result, Study Abroad launched the First Abroad Initiative, an innovative approach for reaching first-generation college students. The misconception that studying abroad is too expensive prevents a disproportionate number of minority and first-generation college students from participating.  The First Abroad Initiative is one of the first efforts of this kind in the nation, and includes a proactive approach: early awarding of scholarship funds, increased mentorship; and partnerships with academic support units on campus.

Which student group(s) did your institution target as part of your initiative/project?

First generation students

Why did your institution feel that it was necessary to target this group?

First-generation college students have lower study abroad participation rates than their peers whose parents completed college.  On average, only 9% of first-generation students who graduate from UT study abroad, compared to over 20% for the institution as a whole.  This disparity pointed to a need for new approaches in order to better support these students. The institutional priority on preparing students for global citizenship, plus increased efforts to involve more students in enriching educational experiences, has made the First Abroad Initiative highly successful with students and partners on campus.

Tell us step by step the process taken to implement this initiative/project? 

We began the initiative with the Hutchison International Scholars Program, which awards scholarships to newly admitted students should they matriculate at the university.  We partner with Admissions each year to identify the new cohort, assign them to a staff mentor, and communicate with academic success programs and academic advisors across campus to ensure that everyone is aware of the additional support and resources available to these students.  The First Abroad Initiative now includes the First Abroad Scholarship as well, which allows first-generation college students to apply for funding in their first two years at UT, with two years to use the funds and plan academically and financially for study abroad.  We also initiated a First-Gen Study Abroad Reception for new freshmen each fall, which has increased substantial in each of the three years it’s been offered.

Each scholarship is awarded slightly differently. 

The Hutchinson Scholarship, awarded to 30-40 students,  – don’t want them to have to say yes or no- they pick a cohort, award letter, bring them to lunch (not all but most do go)
The First Abroad Scholarship is runs parallel with the Hutchinson Scholarship. The students let the office know they want to study abroad give an example of how their persistence in other areas to demonstrate that they are interested and dedicated to studying abroad.  There are currently two cohorts that are awarded in the spring and will be increasing the number of cohorts to three soon.  The students have two academic years to use the funding.

Part of the process of receiving advance funding for students has also been developed to support expenses that come before the students go abroad.  The students complete a claim form that outlines the upfront costs (i.e., plane tickets, passports) for which they need assistance.  This requires them to do research and budgeting early on in the process.  They are then awarded the funding as a loan and are required to pay a portion of the funding back.

Which faculties, departments, centers and/or student groups on campus were involved in the process?

Over time, our partnerships have grown to include: Admissions, the Office of Student Financial Services, the Division of Diversity and Community Engagement, the School of Undergraduate Studies, the College of Liberal Arts, and numerous academic advisors across the colleges and schools.

Developing partnerships with these offices, particularly with the advisors, was imperative to reaching out to the students early on in their undergraduate experience.  These partners had an established trust relationship with the students, which helped push the early messaging from trusted sources that study abroad was accessible to all students on campus.  These partners included people from the academic success and retention programs particularly in the Longhorn Center for Academic Excellence and the Discovery Scholars Program.

One approach used to develop buy-in among advisors and other campus partners included making the case for study abroad based on data and existing research on the benefits and student outcomes of study abroad.  The following areas were highlighted in communication with other departments on campus. 

• Improving graduation rates:  Study Abroad had data that demonstrated that study abroad was contributing to improved graduation rates, particularly among students who were academically at-risk.
• Addressing Issues of Cultural Capital:  The program was linked into the overall university initiative for retention and provided assistance and support to students who may not have come in with the knowledge or understanding of what study abroad entailed. 

Were there any new assessments and/or procedures produced due to the initiative/project?

Yes. We have learned a tremendous amount about the barriers which challenge many of our first-generation college students when they consider studying abroad.  We have added information sessions for new travelers, revised our information on costs and financial aid, and significantly increased outreach to first-year students to give all students, but particularly first-generation college students, a head start on planning.  These efforts also align with institutional efforts to increase four-year graduation rates, and we monitor participation rates, student retention, and graduation rates for First Abroad Initiative recipients as part of our assessment of program success.

Was there any new curriculum developed due to this initiative/project?

Yes.  We received a grant from The Coca-Cola Foundation to support study abroad in China for first-generation college students with need.  To support the grant, we developed a new Maymester Abroad course on Social Entrepreneurship in the U.S. and China.  The program was tremendously successful in its ability to engage students in the topic and enroll a very high proportion of first-generation college students (55% of a group of 38).

Was there any professional development available to staff in conjunction with this initiative/project?

Yes.  Three years ago, we started a diversity professional development series for Study Abroad staff to develop our collective understanding on issues of equity and diversity, and to facilitate our own ability to discuss and address issues of privilege and equity.  In addition, we host a biennial symposium, Creating Access to Global Education, where we invite internal and external experts to present on issues which further our mission of equal access to study abroad. This helps the campus community learn about our efforts and partner with us more successfully.  Our second symposium, on September 20, 2013 will include sessions on first-generation college students, academic integration of study abroad, best practices in advising & programming to foster diversity in study abroad, and ways to engage men in study abroad.  The schedule is available here: http://world.utexas.edu/abroad/vision/globalaccess/sao.

What role did administrators from your institution take on within this initiative/project?

We have support for this initiative from the Office of the Executive Vice President & Provost, the Vice Provost for International Programs, the Senior Associate Dean of the College of Liberal Arts, the Vice Provost and Director of Admissions, and the Director of the Office of Student Financial Services.  Each area has given us critical approvals, partnered with us to develop/award scholarships, or in other ways made it possible to initiate and expand this initiative.

How would your institution approach this initiative differently if you were to start over?

I’m honestly not sure we’d do anything different.  We have certainly learned many things through the development of this initiative, and we improve our practice continually.  We’ve had such success though in building partnerships and facilitating study abroad for students who were highly unlikely to participate that to us, even the wrong turns have become successes.

Key Considerations for Developing the Program

The financial assistance and support came primarily from an endowment that was developed specifically for the purpose of increasing participation in study abroad.  This funding has been critical to providing the sustained support for the scholarship programs.  

It is important to note, however, that even though the funding was important to get the program started, the shared vision of increasing access for the benefit of the students has been the most important piece of the puzzle. The partnerships that have been developed have contributed greatly to increasing students’ awareness of study abroad opportunities, and many students who would not have considered study abroad are now participating without receiving scholarship funds from the endowment.

Key Milestones in the Program

Over the course of the last three years the response to the Annual Reception has increased exponentially each year.  The first year had 75 participants.  Year two saw an increase to 150, and this last fall saw a record of 300+ participants at the reception.  This is, in part, attributed to the repeated messaging from multiple sources telling students that study abroad is accessible and valued.

There has been amazing support from study abroad providers who also see the value in bringing on more students from these populations.  Most of the providers with whom the office works have agree to match funding for students.  This has demonstrated their commitment to increasing access to study abroad.

Additionally, the office has developed “top off” awards for students participating in China programs.