The director and associate director of Project Pericles at Elon University shared an analysis of relationships between study abroad participation and institutional Pell Grant recipient data.
Elon University Director of Project Pericles and Professor of Psychology Mathew Gendle and Associate Director of Project Pericles and Senior Lecturer in Public Health Studies Amanda Tapler offered a presentation at the inaugural AAC&U Conference on Learning and Student Success, held in San Juan, Puerto Rico on April 3.
The presentation, titled “Associations between rates of undergraduate participation in study abroad and institutional percentages of student receiving Pell Grants,” examined common assumptions about the relationships between these metrics.
The abstract for their presentation was as follows:
“Participation in study abroad positively impacts student development and is heavily emphasized within U.S. higher education. Yet, the overall proportion of undergraduates who study abroad is small as multiple barriers to participation remain. This study examined the relationship between institutional rates of study abroad participation and percentages of undergraduate Pell Grant recipients. Significant relationships between these two variables were not found in the overall dataset (p = 0.71), or for doctoral universities (p = 0.14), masters colleges/universities (p = 0.81), or baccalaureate colleges (p = 0.82). These findings contradict assumptions about study abroad participation rates within student populations of significant financial need. Potential barriers to study abroad are many and understanding the factors that inhibit study abroad is critical to ensure equitable access.”
The conference website can be accessed online.