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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
CONTACT: Laura Ingalls (laura.ingalls@worldlearning.org) in Washington, 1.202.464.6973

SIT Study Abroad Announces New Pell Match Scholarship Program

WASHINGTON, DC (February 2, 2010) -- Good news for U.S. college students who want to see the world, attain an enriched cultural education and explore critical global issues. This fall, SIT Study Abroad—a program of World Learning—will begin matching funds for qualified Pell Grant recipients that enroll in a SIT semester abroad program.
 
The announcement follows the Obama administration’s release of its 2011 proposed budget, which calls for increasing the maximum annual Pell Grant from $5,350 to $5,710 to offer educational opportunities for more low- and moderate-income students.  SIT is the only major study abroad program provider to offer these scholarships.
 
"SIT is committed to matching Pell Grants at the higher level to make it possible for more students to experience the intensive, field-based programs  and undergraduate research opportunities that are hallmarks of our institution,” said Laurie Black, dean for external relations and enrollment at SIT Study Abroad and SIT Graduate Institute.
 
At a time when colleges nationwide are feeling the impact of the troubled economy and scholarships are growing more competitive, the SIT Pell Match Scholarship program significantly increases funds for students who want to fully immerse themselves in another culture, but lack the resources to do so.

"The global challenges we face are far too numerous and complex to ignore some of our nation's brightest minds, simply because of their socio-economic status,” said Adam Weinberg, president and CEO of World Learning and former provost of SIT. “Our Pell Match Scholarship will give these young people the high-quality, international education they need to help solve the critical issues of our time."
 
SIT Study Abroad provides field-based academic programs for college undergraduates in Africa, Asia and the Pacific, Latin America, Europe, and the Middle East which complement their study in U.S. university classrooms. The Pell Match Scholarship Program will cover 30 SIT programs ranging from Argentina: Regional Integration, Development, and Social Change to Vietnam: Delta Ecology and Resource Management. Last year, SIT sent approximately 2,000 students from over 250 U.S. colleges and universities abroad and awarded more than $750,000 in scholarships.
 
To learn more about financing a study abroad program with SIT, and for a list of other SIT Study Abroad scholarships, please visit the financial aid and scholarship sections of our website.

Learn more about World Learning:

SIT Study Abroad
SIT Graduate Institute
International Honors Program
The Experiment in International Living
International Development and Exchange