As the 1,000,000 th participant to enroll with AIFS, Dooner receives a full scholarship to study at Richmond, The American International University in London. The daughter of a New York City bus driver and a Vietnamese immigrant, Dooner is typical of the growing number of young Americans choosing to study abroad each year. Once the province of wealthy and upper middle-class young women studying at exclusive schools, foreign study today attracts an increasingly diverse student population. One reason for the growing popularity of study abroad is the edge it offers young job seekers in today's highly competitive market. Study abroad has always been valuable on a student's resume.
Study abroad is one of the best ways to gain that experience.
Interest in AIFS study abroad programs grew rapidly. By 1970, programs for college aged students were added and more than 8,000 high school and college participated in the various programs both in the summer and during the academic year. Today, AIFS college students can spend a full school year, an academic semester, or a summer earning academic credit at one of 18 international universities on five continents. There are many more opportunities for students to study abroad today, notes AIFS President Robert J. Brennan. More institutions are offering foreign study programs, and countries abroad are more receptive.