Contact: Brad Heegel, Director of College Relations
Phone: (605) 351-3602
Fax: (605) 274-4903
www.augie.edu

December 15, 2004

Commission Addressing Study Abroad Issues

SIOUX FALLS - A national commission formed to advise Congress on study abroad issues held its first meeting last week in Washington, D.C.

Former Senate Minority Leader Tom Daschle appointed Brad Heegel, Director of College Relations at Augustana, to the commission.

The Abraham Lincoln Study Abroad Fellowship Program was formed in October 2004. The commission, which was created by federal law, will make recommendations to the President regarding the expansion of study abroad for U.S. higher education, including funding for study abroad scholarships. Heegel's appointment was a bipartisan effort of U.S. Senate and House Leadership and the White House. The 17-member Lincoln Commission was the vision of the late Senator Paul Simon, who proposed expanding study abroad opportunities to as many as 500,000 students per year at a cost of $7,000 per student or $3.5 billion a year.

"I look forward to working with other members and universities across the nation to develop ideas that will be embraced by Congress and drastically increase the number of students in high-quality study abroad programs," Heegel said. "A study abroad experience is critical as we seek to prepare college students to compete in the global marketplace, and continue to deal with security issues both at home and abroad."

The commission has established an ambitious agenda with hopes to have recommendations formed by July 1, 2005.