by Courtney Van Hoosen | Office of Global Strategies
Last September, the Education Abroad Office launched an exciting new initiative with the UNL Passport Office to cover the fees for up to 100 first-time passport applications from UNL undergraduate students.
Now, as students await their finished passports in March, many are looking forward to studying abroad and experiencing new cultures.
“I know that study abroad is a very important thing for me in my college career,” said nutrition and health sciences freshman Grace Gawecki. “I hope to gain a greater understanding of the world and people with many different cultures from many different places. A passport is the key to unlocking this dream of mine.”
Inspired by similar events across the U.S., such as the Passport Caravan sponsored by the Council on International Educational Exchange (CIEE), the Husker Passport Giveaway aimed to break down one financial and logistical barrier to studying abroad. Although students who applied for the Giveaway are not required to study abroad, many are motivated to do so and are grateful for the opportunity to check another item off their list and have the cost covered. The cost of obtaining a passport is approximately $160 after factoring in applications fees, photos and shipping.
All undergraduate students who were U.S. citizens applying for their first passport and enrolled for the 2019-2020 academic year were eligible to apply for the Husker Passport Giveaway, though priority was given to first generation students with financial need and younger students planning to study abroad. Among those selected, 67% self-identified as first generation students. Nebraska’s affiliated partners API, DIS, ISA and SIT have each sponsored a passport in support of the initiative.
“For much of my life I have dreamed of being able to travel the world,” said Libby Shonka, a junior psychology major who plans to participate in the University of Minnesota Psychology and Research program in Madrid, Spain. “This coming summer [2020], with much excitement, I plan to study abroad in Spain. Having a passport would help lessen the financial burden of my study abroad program.”
Shonka, like many students, also noted that the Giveaway provided relief in having guidance on submitting the necessary paperwork and documentation for a passport application. Education Abroad staff supported Giveaway winners at each step—emailing tips and reminders, reviewing and photocopying application materials, and greeting them at the Passport Office in January with application fee checks. To date, 88 students have applied for their first passport, fully covered by the Giveaway, while additional winners are still pending.
The Giveaway winners can expect to have their passports in hand by late March. For Isaac Kramer, the timing is not a moment too soon as he prepares to study abroad in Japan this summer the UNL faculty-led program, Japanese Visual Culture in Context. During the three-week program, students will explore the contrast of traditional and futuristic in Kyoto and Tokyo, as well as learn about Japanese art and design via special lectures and trips to World Heritage Sites. Kramer, a computer science major with a business minor, is excited for the opportunity to learn new things and interact with another culture first-hand.
“Having a passport [will] enable me to explore new opportunities beyond the United States and expand my horizons as I engage with a variety of cultures and their history. I am fascinated by architecture, and I have always wanted to experience the architecture in Japan firsthand,” said Kramer. “Humans are fascinating creatures, and the cultures we develop, the technologies we design, and the memories we make can be incredible.”
The Education Abroad Office is grateful for the partnership of the UNL Passport Office in coordinating student photos and application submissions. For more information about the Husker Passport Giveaway, contact the Education Abroad Office at educationabroad@unl.edu.