Need-based Aid, Participation in Education Abroad, and Program Type Choice

Although education abroad in the US offers participants demonstrable ben fits, direct and opportunity costs are cited as primary barriers to broader participation. Yet the degree to which low-income status deters studying abroad and whether additional need-based aid beyond Pell Grants encourages participation remain uncertain. Moreover, not all education abroad programs are equivalent in terms of costs. This study is the first to examine whether need-based aid recipients differentially choose programs of varying duration or programs offered by various provider types. The sample consisted of 221,981 students from 36 institutions of the Consortium for Analysis of Student Success through International Education (CASSIE). Within that sample, 60,477 received Pell grants. Of those recipients, 39% received additional need-based aid. Regression models controlling for student background and context indicated that Pell grant recipients were 3% less Rely to study abroad than peers receiving no such aid, and receipt of additional aid increased likelihood by 1% relative to Pell-only recipients. While aid was unrelated to study abroad duration, low-income students were less Rely to study with third party providers. The findings invite financial aid officers to determine thresholds of additional aid necessary to increase participation and to collaborate more systematically with counterparts in international education.