The University of Texas at Arlington has pledged to join the Institute of International Education's new Generation Study Abroad initiative to double the number of American students who study abroad by the end of the decade.

Texas is among the top 10 states with institutions participating in the Generation Study Abroad initiative.

The program launched in March and includes 241 U.S. colleges and universities from 46 states. A major focus is on increasing the diversity of the students who study outside the U.S., ensuring quality and removing barriers to participation.

Among other commitments, partners to GSA agree to include new scholarships and financial assistance to help students pay for study abroad, and launch new initiatives to reach out to undeserved groups who less frequently study abroad.

UT Arlington has committed to increasing the number of study abroad students by 60 percent over the next five years. Currently, approximately 250 UTA students travel abroad to study each year.

"For today's college student a global education experience is no longer the icing, it's the cake," said Jay Horn, executive director of UT Arlington's Office of International Education. "Employers are seeking people with a global perspective who are prepared to work in the multicultural workplace and studying abroad is a great way to develop those skills."

According to a report released last November by the Institute of International Education with support from the U.S. Department of State's Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs, 295,000 students studied abroad in 2011-12 in credit-bearing and non-credit programs. Generation Study Abroad hopes to grow participation in study abroad so that the annual total reported will reach 600,000 by the end of 2020.

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