In the News: Millennials Volunteer, Dress Funny, and Help Each Other Study Abroad

Turns out Gen-Y is pretty darn awesome. 

The quintessential millennial brat pack complete with British accents - the cast of Harry Potter. 

We may have already thought they were the bees knees with their penchant for volunteerism, technological abilities, and their sense of style. (Okay, maybe not that last one so much.) But now we have even more reason to give this generation a round of applause.

Last year, the student body at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign voted on and passed a measure that would levy a $5 fee on all students which will help fund study abroad operations and scholarships for the university. Georgia State University, Kennesaw State University, and the University of Texas at Austin have instated similar fees. Inside Higher Ed has the full story. Click the link above. 

I don't know about you, but I think this is pretty freakin' awesome. Missouri Southern State University (where I started my college career, but I transferred to Northeastern after my freshman year), had a robust study abroad grant program when I attend where EVERY student received a $1500 stipend to apply to the cost of a study abroad program. This supported the university's unique international mission. However, MSSU's international mission has come under considerable scrutiny this year given the state-wide budget deficits. The grant program is still in place, but amounts are much less and much more competitive. Sad. 

Regardless, it's encouraging to hear about these types of institution-wide efforts to make study abroad more accessible AND get the entire campus invested (literally and figuratively) in international education. 

Do you know of other universities that have interesting campus-wide initiatives that help fund studying abroad?