FUND FOR EDUCATION ABROAD
Making life-changing, international experiences accessible to all.
Programs and results
What we aim to solve
FEA is increasing access to education abroad for those least likely to have an international education, and training our scholars to articulate the value of that experience to future employers.
Our programs
What are the organization's current programs, how do they measure success, and who do the programs serve?
FEA General Scholarships
Fund for Education Abroad general scholarships are intended to support students planning to participate in high-quality, rigorous education abroad programs. The awards aim to support students who represent a group that is traditionally underrepresented in education abroad. Groups typically underrepresented in study abroad include minorities, first-generation college students, and community college students.
Rainbow Scholarship
This scholarship will be awarded to a deserving LGBTQI student who aims to participate in a high-quality, rigorous education abroad program. Applicants must meet general FEA scholarship eligibility requirements & preferences. Students interested in being considered for this annual scholarship should indicate this through their application forms.
This scholarship is made possible by the generous support of a group of international education professionals who are committed to advocating on behalf of LGBTQI students. These professionals counsel international and study abroad LGBTQI students and support their LGBTQI colleagues in the field. Many of these educators have come together through groups created with the support of NAFSA and the Forum for Education Abroad.
BASAA Scholarship
This scholarship will be awarded to a deserving student who attends a US university/college located in the BASAA area (Massachusetts, Maine, Vermont, New Hampshire, Rhode Island or Connecticut). Applicants must meet general FEA scholarship eligibility requirements & preferences. Students interested in being considered for this annual scholarship should indicate this through their application forms.
This scholarship is made possible by the generous support and fundraising efforts of BASAA, the Boston Area Study Abroad Association. BASAA is a network of study abroad professionals based in and around the Boston area that meet regularly to discuss current issues in the study abroad field through meetings, conferences, and other professional development opportunities.
Minnesota Scholarship
This scholarship will be awarded to a deserving student who attends a US university/college located Minnesota. Applicants must meet general FEA scholarship eligibility requirements & preferences. Students interested in being considered for this annual scholarship should indicate this through their application forms. This scholarship is made possible by the generous support and fundraising efforts of international educators working in Minnesota.
Where we work
Awards
Innovation in Diversity 2020
GoAbroad
External reviews

Videos
Our results
How does this organization measure their results? It's a hard question but an important one.
Number of students who receive scholarship funds and/or tuition assistance
This metric is no longer tracked.Totals By Year
Population(s) Served
LGBTQ people, Ethnic and racial groups, Students
Related Program
FEA General Scholarships
Type of Metric
Output - describing our activities and reach
Direction of Success
Increasing
Total dollars received in contributions
This metric is no longer tracked.Totals By Year
Related Program
FEA General Scholarships
Type of Metric
Input - describing resources we use
Direction of Success
Increasing
Average number of dollars per person served
This metric is no longer tracked.Totals By Year
Type of Metric
Output - describing our activities and reach
Direction of Success
Increasing
Context Notes
Scholarship awards range from $1,250-$10,000 depending upon the number of weeks a recipient is abroad, averaging as indicated.
Average number of dollars received per donor
This metric is no longer tracked.Totals By Year
Type of Metric
Input - describing resources we use
Direction of Success
Increasing
Goals & Strategy
Learn about the organization's key goals, strategies, capabilities, and progress.
Charting impact
Four powerful questions that require reflection about what really matters - results.
What is the organization aiming to accomplish?
We envision a future in which any U.S. student who dreams of studying abroad will be able to participate. We believe the value of education abroad is so great that no barrier—financial, curricular, or personal—should be insurmountable. We foresee a future in which our scholars work to increase global understanding, give back to their communities, and mentor future generations of Fund for Education Abroad scholars.
The Fund for Education Abroad (FEA) was established in 2010 to address the need for an independent scholarship provider to enable more American college students to study abroad. FEA is a national nonprofit organization funded exclusively by philanthropic support, and the only organization dedicated to providing scholarships to students largely underrepresented in study abroad. FEA's focus is on increasing access for promising first-generation college students and students of minority background. FEA's awards of up to $10,000 offer one of the largest independent education abroad scholarships available.
The FEA Board and staff are judicious stewards of our resources, both human and financial, and as we continue to grow, we are committed to sustainably and intentionally (i) increasing the number of scholarship awards for underrepresented students with established financial need, (ii) delivering on high-quality programming to support our scholars and alumni, (iii) broadening brand awareness and reach, and (iv) enhancing and maintaining organizational, governance, and financial processes to ensure the fulfillment of the FEA mission.
After seven years of sustained growth, FEA is poised to invest more deeply in the international education of the next generation, sustainably scaling our efforts so that our scholars may work to increase global understanding, give back to their communities, and mentor future generations of FEA Scholars.
What are the organization's key strategies for making this happen?
The Board of Directors created a strategic plan in 2017, with the following four goals over the next five years.
GOAL 1: Deepen Access
FEA is a mission-driven organization focused on access and equity yet the dilemma remains that only 3% of applicants, or 50 students, received awards during the last cycle. Our top priority is to increase our capacity to fund a greater number of deserving applicants each year, raising the number of scholars funded and the amount of monies disbursed.
GOAL 2: Invest in Scholars Before, During, and After Study Abroad
As our earliest recipients begin to enter the workforce, and our scholar numbers grow each year, it is urgent that FEA create programmatic, long-term relationships with scholars before, during, and after they study abroad. Alumni programming will promote leadership opportunities, professional development opportunities, and a network of self-supporting alumni with the launch of the Alumni Council, co-chaired by two extant Alumni Members of the FEA Board. The Alumni Council will be charged with alumni communication and events, and engagement of alumni in fundraising to support their efforts. In addition, it will convene at an annual reunion and conference that is held in conjunction with the FEA Gala.
GOAL 3: Broaden Brand Awareness
Broadening brand awareness is the next step to creating a recognized national scholarship that conveys an enduring stamp of approval to the recipient, a value potentially greater than the financial award itself. Equally, broadening brand awareness will draw talented applicants to FEA, and encourage students with promise who might not have previously considered study abroad.
GOAL 4: Build a Sustainable Future
FEA is committed to financial sustainability, transparency, and the judicious use of resources to meet or exceed commitments to stakeholders. Over the next five years, FEA will develop operating fund resources sufficient to achieve the goals and objectives of the strategic plan, scaling to provide the resources to support scholarship growth and programming. FEA will intentionally work to minimize the vagaries of changing conditions by identifying multiple stable sources of income, and growing the community of donors who embrace the mission while intentionally minimizing reliance on any one funding source.
What are the organization's capabilities for doing this?
FEA has an affiliated Board of Directors which is responsible for much of the scholarship administration, dissemination of information about FEA, and fund raising on behalf of the organization. Reaching the organization's short- and long-term financial goals, including the establishment of an endowment for scholarships, necessitates increasing and diversifying fundraising sources. FEA has developed a five-year fundraising plan, identifying both short term and long term corporate and foundation prospects, and recruited a Campaign Steering Committee to lead a $10 million comprehensive campaign. FEA's Board of Directors and Campaign Steering Committee have members who are well-respected in the fields of international education and business, thus increasing its credibility and prestige with prospective donors.
In order to reach the organizational goals of disseminating information and becoming a leader in promoting diversity in study abroad, FEA is developing strategic partnerships with other organizations who work with our target populations. For example, a partnership with the Howard University has been developed in order to increase the number of HBCU students who consider study abroad an option and apply for FEA scholarships. Similar partnerships have been pursued with the Hispanic Association of Colleges and Universities, the American Indian Higher Education Consortium, and Asian American and Pacific Islander Scholarship Fund. Students in these underrepresented groups do not typically consider study abroad to be a part of their academic careers, and thus are not reached by the typical venues for advertising study abroad programs (such as informational fairs and meetings). Through partnerships with these associations, we are able to use their existing vectors for contacting these student populations and promoting the inclusion of study abroad in their academic plans.
What have they accomplished so far and what's next?
FEA is very proud of all that has been accomplished in its first seven years: instituting scholarship parameters, eligibility requirements, and processes; overseeing the review and selection of almost 100 scholarships for a total of almost $400,000; and motivating the private sector to support education abroad. We are excited to have launched a successful alumni program, providing positive engagement for new scholars and their alumni counterparts. Additionally, we have added our first FEA alum to FEA's ever-growing Board of Directors. Finally, our fundraising efforts have increased exponentially; our 2017 Annual Gala brought in $157,000 alone, as compared to $80,000 in 2016.
A paramount challenge the organization faces is the difficulty in identifying and reaching the types of students that FEA aims to engage (i.e. underrepresented students such as minorities, first-generation college students, and community college students). Historically these groups of students do not consider study abroad an option, for both financial and cultural reasons. Developing strategic relationships with universities and other higher education organizations allows FEA to expand our reach and join broader efforts to reach these students. A successful outreach program in the fall of 2014 increased our applicant pool by 85%.
FEA intends to pursue its long-term goals while continuing to serve its past, current, and potential scholars through its daily operations. We continually review the needs of our scholars and, based upon such assessments, seek to provide the services which will most benefit the students. During the current times of economic hardship, we are investigating how students can best showcase their time abroad to employers, to ensure that a study abroad experience can be an asset in the future, as well as an invaluable experience in the present.
How we listen
Seeking feedback from people served makes programs more responsive and effective. Here’s how this organization is listening.
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Who are the people you serve with your mission?
We serve students who are underrepresented in the U.S. study abroad population, and students who are underresourced who wish to study abroad.
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How is your organization collecting feedback from the people you serve?
Electronic surveys (by email, tablet, etc.), Focus groups or interviews (by phone or in person), Constituent (client or resident, etc.) advisory committees,
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How is your organization using feedback from the people you serve?
To identify and remedy poor client service experiences, To identify bright spots and enhance positive service experiences, To inform the development of new programs/projects, To identify where we are less inclusive or equitable across demographic groups, To strengthen relationships with the people we serve, To understand people's needs and how we can help them achieve their goals,
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What significant change resulted from feedback?
We received feedback from FEA Scholars (students studying abroad) that our blog platform was too limiting, and students wanted to be able to express themselves and reflections on their international experiences through video, social media stories, and other platforms. We now allow students to submit their reflections in all of these ways, and we also invite FEA Scholars to do "takeovers" of FEA social media to amplify their voices.
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With whom is the organization sharing feedback?
The people we serve, Our staff, Our board, Our funders, Our community partners,
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How has asking for feedback from the people you serve changed your relationship?
We did a survey of FEA Scholars and Alumni that indicated to us that the types of expenses we wanted to help them cover with our scholarships were too limiting; that there were other expenses related to study abroad that our scholarships weren't covering. We spoke with our accounting firm and our finance director, and learned that we could cover some of the "non-educational" expenses, like passport and visas, if we provided 1099s to students when these expenses totaled over $600. While it's slightly more work on our end, it has allowed students more flexibility and helped to cover many more expenses related to study abroad for them.
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Which of the following feedback practices does your organization routinely carry out?
We collect feedback from the people we serve at least annually, We take steps to get feedback from marginalized or under-represented people, We aim to collect feedback from as many people we serve as possible, We take steps to ensure people feel comfortable being honest with us, We look for patterns in feedback based on demographics (e.g., race, age, gender, etc.), We look for patterns in feedback based on people’s interactions with us (e.g., site, frequency of service, etc.), We engage the people who provide feedback in looking for ways we can improve in response, We act on the feedback we receive, We tell the people who gave us feedback how we acted on their feedback,
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What challenges does the organization face when collecting feedback?
It is difficult to get the people we serve to respond to requests for feedback, The people we serve tell us they find data collection burdensome, It is difficult to find the ongoing funding to support feedback collection, Staff find it hard to prioritize feedback collection and review due to lack of time,
Financials
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Operations
The people, governance practices, and partners that make the organization tick.
Connect with nonprofit leaders
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- Analyze a variety of pre-calculated financial metrics
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- Compare nonprofit financials to similar organizations
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Connect with nonprofit leaders
SubscribeBuild relationships with key people who manage and lead nonprofit organizations with GuideStar Pro. Try a low commitment monthly plan today.
- Analyze a variety of pre-calculated financial metrics
- Access beautifully interactive analysis and comparison tools
- Compare nonprofit financials to similar organizations
Want to see how you can enhance your nonprofit research and unlock more insights? Learn More about GuideStar Pro.
FUND FOR EDUCATION ABROAD
Board of directorsas of 03/09/2022
Mark Lenhart
CET Academic Programs
Term: 2022 - 2023
Errick L. Greene
Detroit Public Schools
Cynthia Banks
Foundation for Global Scholars
Gail Gugel
Prem Manjooran
Tantallon Capital Asia
Joanely Alvidrez
MSU Denver
Keshia Abraham
The Abraham Consulting Agency
John Christian
CAPA
Gretchen Cook-Anderson
Ignite
Joan Gore
J.E. Gore International Consultants
Anne Haberkern
Portland Community College
Heather Jacobs
Delaware North
Stephanie Lewin
Lewin Immigration Law
Tonija Hope
Howard University
Danelle Radney
DaVita
Amar Rewari
Luminis Health
Paisley Sato
Mitzi Short
New Season Consulting
Allison Spector
Nuveen
Brad Stepan
DIS Abroad
Ellen Yui
Yui & Co, Inc
Board leadership practices
GuideStar worked with BoardSource, the national leader in nonprofit board leadership and governance, to create this section.
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Board orientation and education
Does the board conduct a formal orientation for new board members and require all board members to sign a written agreement regarding their roles, responsibilities, and expectations? Yes -
CEO oversight
Has the board conducted a formal, written assessment of the chief executive within the past year ? Yes -
Ethics and transparency
Have the board and senior staff reviewed the conflict-of-interest policy and completed and signed disclosure statements in the past year? Yes -
Board composition
Does the board ensure an inclusive board member recruitment process that results in diversity of thought and leadership? Yes -
Board performance
Has the board conducted a formal, written self-assessment of its performance within the past three years? Yes
Organizational demographics
Who works and leads organizations that serve our diverse communities? Candid partnered with CHANGE Philanthropy on this demographic section.
Leadership
The organization's leader identifies as:
Race & ethnicity
Gender identity
Sexual orientation
Disability
Equity strategies
Last updated: 03/09/2022GuideStar partnered with Equity in the Center - an organization that works to shift mindsets, practices, and systems to increase racial equity - to create this section. Learn more
- We review compensation data across the organization (and by staff levels) to identify disparities by race.
- We ask team members to identify racial disparities in their programs and / or portfolios.
- We analyze disaggregated data and root causes of race disparities that impact the organization's programs, portfolios, and the populations served.
- We disaggregate data to adjust programming goals to keep pace with changing needs of the communities we support.
- We employ non-traditional ways of gathering feedback on programs and trainings, which may include interviews, roundtables, and external reviews with/by community stakeholders.
- We disaggregate data by demographics, including race, in every policy and program measured.
- We have long-term strategic plans and measurable goals for creating a culture such that one’s race identity has no influence on how they fare within the organization.
- We use a vetting process to identify vendors and partners that share our commitment to race equity.
- We have a promotion process that anticipates and mitigates implicit and explicit biases about people of color serving in leadership positions.
- We seek individuals from various race backgrounds for board and executive director/CEO positions within our organization.
- We have community representation at the board level, either on the board itself or through a community advisory board.
- We help senior leadership understand how to be inclusive leaders with learning approaches that emphasize reflection, iteration, and adaptability.
- We measure and then disaggregate job satisfaction and retention data by race, function, level, and/or team.
- We engage everyone, from the board to staff levels of the organization, in race equity work and ensure that individuals understand their roles in creating culture such that one’s race identity has no influence on how they fare within the organization.