Elevate USAC is a 12‑month journey that showcases the lifelong value and growing necessity of study abroad. Through bold advocacy, meaningful storytelling, and purposeful fundraising, we are committed to elevating international education in the year ahead.
At the University Studies Abroad Consortium (USAC), we believe international education elevates how students see the world and their place within it. Like mountains rising to a higher perspective, study abroad invites students to climb beyond what’s familiar and reach new personal heights, expand their global understanding, and summit ambitious academic goals. Through the journey, students are transformed — returning home grounded in confidence, curiosity, and a renewed sense of purpose.
As part of this effort, we have launched the Elevate and USAC Presidential Scholarships to expand access to study abroad, directly supporting students’ educational journeys while amplifying awareness of the enduring value, impact, and necessity of international education.
We invite you to be part of this journey as we champion the power of global academics and invest in the future of study abroad.
As higher education funding declines and financial aid pressures increase, students are facing growing barriers — not only to earning their degrees, but to accessing the immersive, hands-on learning and cultural integration that study abroad provides.
These constraints threaten students’ ability to engage deeply with the world at the very moment global learning is most essential.
By supporting, sharing, engaging, or fundraising in our mission, you are directly elevating students to greater opportunities, career paths, and skill sets. Your involvement strengthens the field of international education and ensures the transformative power of study abroad remains within reach for future generations.
accelerates through study abroad, and students who major in foreign languages experience some of the lowest unemployment rates in the job market — demonstrating the tangible economic value of global fluency.
consistently emerge as the top two core skills gained through study abroad, reflecting the power of immersive, cross-cultural learning to sharpen both logic and innovation.
Analytical and creative thinking
Foreign language proficiency
of students return from study abroad having strengthened both soft and hard skills, including communication, adaptability, empathy, problem-solving, and technical competencies that translate directly to the workplace.
of participants say study abroad is a defining moment in clarifying career direction, helping students identify professional pathways, goals, and industries they are passionate about pursuing.
[Study abroad] has helped shape my vision for life. ... I am more aware of the food I eat, the media I consume, and the culture I am actively a part of. Knowing that there is life beyond what I knew in the U.S., my family has now come to terms with the fact that I am a global citizen whose heart belongs to no one singular country.
Cy S., USAC Khon Kaen
Studying abroad in Maastricht was an experience I'll never forget. I had the opportunity to immerse myself into Dutch culture which gave me a different perspective to view the world. ... After finishing the program I feel more academically prepared and confident traveling by myself, if someone would ask me if I would like to study abroad again, l would definitely say, 'yes!'
Lizbeth P., USAC Maastricht
USAC’s long-standing commitment to global communities, meaningful academics, and immersive cultural experiences is being featured on “All Access with Andy Garcia.”
The nationally aired public broadcast segment highlights USAC’s mission to inspire international learning and global citizenship through affordable, culturally authentic academic experiences.
Airing on PBS and additional networks — including Fox Business and the Travel Channel — through January 2027, the program showcases innovative stories with social impact across education, travel, technology, and health. Featuring Alyssa Nota, USAC President and CEO; Dan Durbin, Visiting Professor; and Colin Proctor, USAC Torino alumnus and donor, the segment demonstrates how investment in study abroad creates lasting academic impact and transforms students’ lives long after the experience ends.
GoAbroad 2025 data insights report
Federal Reserve Bank of New York - The Labor Market for Recent College Graduates
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