The Commission on the Abraham Lincoln Study Abroad Fellowship Program was a Congressionally-appointed commission based on the vision of the late Senator Paul Simon. It was created to examine the concept of dramatically increasing the number of Americans studying abroad and fulfilling Senator Simon’s dream of “millions of American undergraduates studying abroad and carrying the name and values of Abraham Lincoln with them.” 

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The Lincoln Commission report outlines the current state of study abroad, the challenges that lie ahead, and makes detailed recommendations for a national undergraduate study abroad fellowship program to dramatically increase and diversify study abroad participation in the United States. 

The goals of the program outlined in this report are to: 

  1. Create a more globally informed American citizenry. 
  2. Increase participation in quality study abroad programs. 
  3. Encourage diversity in student participation in study abroad. 
  4. Diversify locations of study abroad, particularly in developing countries. 
  5. Create an innovative partnership with higher education to open more doors for study abroad. 
  6. Internationalize U.S. higher education by making study abroad a cornerstone of undergraduate education. 

The Commission on the Abraham Lincoln Study Abroad Fellowship Program was the basis for what would become the Senator Paul Simon Study Abroad Program Act.