UNO Selected to Receive the IIE American Passport Project Grant

The University of Nebraska at Omaha (UNO) has been selected by the Institute of International Education (IIE) to receive an IIE American Passport Project grant that will enable up to 25 UNO students to obtain their first U.S. passport and open the pathway to study abroad. In its sixth year, IIE has awarded 40 institutions in the IIE Network membership to help 1,000 Pell-eligible college students through this opportunity.

About the Passport Project

A key program under the IIE Center for International Opportunities, the IIE American Passport Project represents IIE’s commitment to promoting international education and exchange, so that all students can gain the academic and career benefits of international experiences. By removing the initial financial barrier associated with passport applications and prioritizing students early in their higher education experience, IIE and the institutions are collectively working to expand participation in study abroad at each campus. Through the IIE American Passport Project, IIE aims to grant 10,000 U.S. students their passports by the end of this decade.

The IIE American Passport Project aims to reach institutions that serve a variety of U.S. student populations that often may not be participating in study abroad. To date, the program has issued more than 260 grants to higher education institutions in 42 states and the District of Columbia. The sixth cohort includes four community colleges, and two new states represented through Montana State University and North Dakota State University. IIE selected the institutional recipients based in part on demonstrated efforts to prioritize student populations from low-income backgrounds, students who have not traveled abroad as an adult or in a learning environment, and students in their first year at the institution.

UNO was selected to receive the grant for the first time in 2021 and had the funding matched by UNO Academic Affairs and Michael Blakely, UNO study abroad alum and CEO of InterOperate, for a total of 75 passports sponsored. UNO Education Abroad is proud to be selected for the grant a second time and to bring the number of Maverick passports through the project up to 100. More details about how the program will be implemented in 2026 will be provided leading up to the fall 2026 semester.

About IIE

The Institute of International Education (IIE) is the leader in designing and implementing international education strategies and program services. We work with governments, policymakers, educators, and employers across the globe to prepare students and professionals for the global workforce and equip them to solve the increasingly complex challenges facing our interconnected world. With support from donors, we also create initiatives that assist students, scholars, and artists whose lives and work are threatened; expand teaching and learning across cultures; and provide life-changing opportunities. A not-for-profit organization founded in 1919, IIE has a network of offices and affiliates worldwide and over 1,600 higher education partners.

In its work around the world, IIE’s global offices and experienced staff have developed significant expertise, capabilities, and best practices in a set of core areas. Our cutting-edge approaches developed in these fields are formalized in a set of Centers of Excellence. The IIE Center for International Opportunities (CIO) aims to enrich and expand international education, exchange, and opportunity for all by providing expertise on education and skills development and leveraging thought leadership. Through dialogue and action and with a global lens, the Center leverages programs and partnerships across multiple sectors and a range of institutions; cultivates global learning to support the engagement and understanding of individuals and communities; and expands educational opportunities for all to maximize student potential and employability.

The IIENetwork is IIE’s global membership association supporting the strategic advancement of international education. Through the IIENetwork, IIE shares decades of experience and expertise, generates resources, and leverages knowledge and practices with members who are working to strategize and actualize international education efforts, including building international and academic partnerships, recruiting international students, and advocating for study abroad and student mobility.

For more information, contact IIE at Press@iie.org.