As many as a million American students could be studying abroad by 2020 if a bill designed to offer $80 million in grants to students, colleges and

nongovernmental institutions is approved by the Senate.

The Senator Paul Simon Study Abroad Foundation Act is part of the Foreign Relations Authorization Act for Fiscal Years 2010 and 2011. A similar bill was approved by the House in 2007 but failed to win Senate approval. If passed by the Senate, the new program will have to be approved separately through the appropriations process in order to gain funding.

Ursula Oaks, director of media relations at the National Association of Foreign Student Advisers, an organization that promotes international education, said the legislation will be an educational opportunity for American students.

“When you think about college, you don’t necessarily think globally,” she said. “But this gives American students the opportunity to understand

the world.”

Oaks said, if passed, the bill will increase students studying abroad from 200,000 a year to one million in 10 years.

Tanya Saunders, dean of the Division of Interdisciplinary and International Studies, said she hopes the college will receive additional funds.

“If it’s funded, I’m hoping Ithaca College will be in a position to request funds to support study abroad for our students,” she said.

Oaks said since the bill has not received funding yet, which institutions will receive funding, and how much they will receive, is unknown.

While the college does not set aside money specifically for study abroad programs, students are able to carry over their personal financial aid package to the affiliated programs of their choice, Saunders said. This helps lift the financial barrier that may otherwise prevent students from traveling abroad.

Sophomore Sarah Stapperfenne said she is planning to study abroad next fall. The cost is her largest concern, especially with the exchange rate of the euro.

“I’m sure I would save money if I didn’t go abroad for a semester,” she said. “If the money from the bill were to come to Ithaca and if I were to receive any of it, that would definitely be really helpful because studying abroad will end up adding to

my debt.”

Rachel Cullenen, director of study abroad programs, said it should not cost much more for students to study abroad for a semester than to spend a semester at the college, especially if a student participates in an affiliated program. This estimate, she said, does not take into account extra individual expenses the student may accrue during the semester, such as personal travel or

leisure activities.

During the 2007-08 academic year, a total of 521 students at the college traveled abroad, including summer, fall and spring semesters. That number dropped to 481 students last year. Saunders said she thinks the 40-student decrease was caused by  financial troubles.

This past summer, 105 students traveled abroad, which is a 30-student decrease from the previous summer. But Cullenen said there was actually an increase in students studying abroad this fall compared to last fall, with 130 students studying abroad this semester. This is a 12-student increase from last fall’s number of 118 students.

Cullenen said the numbers of students traveling abroad in the spring are going to exceed any previous spring on record. Cullenen said 145 students applied for the London semester alone. Throughout her 10 years working at the college, she said she has never seen as many applications to the London Center as there are for this spring. There are actually more applicants than spots available in the program.

“I don’t think the economy is having a tremendous impact,” she said.

Saunders said while she has seen students defer studying abroad for a year because of financial causes, there is still a large interest in studying abroad.

“Students are trying to figure out a way to make the dream of overseas study possible,” she said. “They’re not giving up the notion of overseas study, so that’s a good sign.”

Sophomore Brianne Cordima was recently accepted to study in France for the spring semester with the affiliated program Institute for American Universities.  She said she is glad her financial aid at the college will transfer to her program.

“There’s already so much to do while you’re studying abroad, so it definitely makes it a lot easier,” she said.

Cullenen said there are usually only one or two endowed scholarships for study abroad students, which are usually given to London Center or summer semester applicants. She said she hopes if the bill gets passed, it will give more students the opportunity to study abroad.

“If more funding becomes available, then that will open the door to study abroad for some students who perhaps think it’s not a financially viable possibility,” she said.