02/03/2026
SUNY Cortland’s International Programs Office hopes to encourage more Red Dragons to give study abroad a try with its new, free passport program — offering to cover the $165 fee for a U.S. passport for qualifying students.
The university will provide up to 20 grants this semester in the pilot program’s application process. More will become available next semester if the program succeeds. Grant applications are due by Thursday, Feb. 26.
This deadline allows students enough time to be ready for summer or fall study abroad programs.
Students can learn more about the Red Dragons Global Passport Program by attending the Study Abroad Fair from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. on Friday, Feb. 6, in Corey Union lower lobby.
Or they can contact [email protected] visit the International Programs Office in Old Main, Room 219.
The program serves to remove both financial and logistical obstacles for select students with limited funds. Selected applicants must be eligible for a Pell Grant or TAP or a first-generation college student.
“Even though a fee of $165 might not seem like the biggest barrier, for some students with high financial need it can be,” said Julian Findlay, assistant director of study abroad.
Approximately 50% of SUNY Cortland students who wish to study abroad do not yet have a U.S. passport, highlighting the need for such program.
“Recognizing that this barrier has affected many of our students, we developed the program to directly address this challenge,” said Daniela Baban Hurrle, the university’s director of international programs.
Eligibility criteria includes:
- current SUNY Cortland students who are eligible for an adult U.S. passport
- degree-seeking students in good academic standing
- those eligible for a Pell Grant or TAP; or a first-generation college student
- those planning to study abroad while enrolled as a SUNY Cortland student
- application for a passport during the term in which the award is granted
Priority will be given to:
- students who may not be able to study abroad without this assistance
- students who have never had an adult U.S. passport
- first-year students who will have more time to use their passport and study abroad
“By prioritizing students who have not previously studied abroad and who do not yet hold a passport, the program expands access to global experiences and helps ensure that study abroad is attainable, inclusive and equitable for a broader range of SUNY Cortland students,” Baban Hurrle said.
In addition to the financial support, International Programs Office staff will help students through the process of applying for their passport, Findlay said.
“We are working with Career Services to take passport photos, eliminating another step for the students to go get photos taken elsewhere,” they said.
“The more red tape we can remove or alleviate, the more accessible study abroad becomes to students who may have not previously considered or been able to travel outside the country.”
The entire program provides step-by-step guidance over an extended period, recognizing that obtaining passports is often taking longer than expected, Baban Hurrle said.
“Preparing in advance helps alleviate additional stressors for students and increases confidence in completing all necessary steps,” she said.
Annually hundreds of universities across the U.S. compete for the Institute of International Education’s IIE American Passport Project to underwrite campus programs to give students passports.
Findlay’s research found that Boston University, University of California at Davis, Ohio University and Oregon State University already offered similar programs to SUNY Cortland.
For more than 15 years, the university’s International Programs Office has regularly hosted an on-campus Passport Fair in collaboration with the United States Postal Service to assist students with the passport application process.
“While this model provided valuable access, the Global Passport Program builds on those efforts by offering more sustained and targeted support,” Baban Hurrle said. “By reducing obstacles and providing comprehensive guidance, the program motivates students to take the first critical step toward international experiences.”
Three of SUNY Cortland’s four initial applicants plan to study abroad during the summer.
“The award would have an immediate impact for them,” Findlay said.