While every prospective study abroad student weighs a number of factors when preparing to live in a new and unfamiliar country, underrepresented student groups must ask themselves a unique set of questions when considering what external factors may impact their overall experience and safety abroad. Students should have equal access to study abroad regardless of race, ethnicity, religion, disability, financial background, sex, gender identity, or sexual orientation. Studying abroad can be not only a life-changing educational experience, it can also present an opportunity to further awareness and acceptance of your community on a global scale. Our goal is to provide all students with the resources required to facilitate the safest and most fulfilling international education experience possible.
Students should research relevant laws (where applicable) and attitudes in their host country prior to departure to best prepare themselves for the day-to-day realities of life on-site and identify support resources available to them. In addition to the resource pages provided below, all approved Tulane study abroad students will be required to attend a Pre-Departure Orientation (PDO). The PDO will cover general logistics for all study abroad students but will also give students the option to attend a series of Identity-Based Pre-Departure Sessions which address various elements of identity and how they may influence your semester, summer, or year abroad.
Featured Student Stories - June
In honor of Juneteenth, we are highlighting resources, programs, scholarship opportunities, and student stories centering on race, identity, and heritage abroad. This information will remain linked on our Identity Based Resources page permanently.
Approved Programs in Africa and Countries of the African Diaspora. Visit our programs page for more program information:
- Exchange: Universidad de los Andes, Bogotá, Colombia
- SIT Kenya, Kisumu: Global Health and Human Rights
- CIEE Botswana: Gaborone - Arts and Sciences
- CIEE Botswana: Gaborone - Community Public Health Program
- CIEE Dominican Republic - Liberal Arts Program
- SIT Senegal: Dakar - Global Security & Religious Pluralism
- SIT South Africa: Durban - Community Health & Social Policy
- CIEE Ghana: Legon - Arts and Sciences Program
- CIEE South Africa: Cape Town - Arts and Sciences Program
- IES South Africa: Cape Town - Health, Culture & Development
- CIEE Argentina: Buenos Aires - Liberal Arts Program
- IFSA Argentina: Buenos Aires - Argentine Universities Program
- Middlebury Argentina: Buenos Aires - Schools in Argentina
- Middlebury Uruguay: Montevideo - School in Uruguay
Approved Programs Specifically Centering on Race, Identity, and Decolonization:
- CET Cali, Colombia: Race, Identity, and Ethnicity
- CET São Paulo, Brazil: Social Justice and Inequality
- Middlebury Brazil: Schools in Brazil
- NTC Summer in Senegal/Brazil/Dominican Republic - Atlantic Connections*
Scholarship Opportunities:
- *NTC OSA Summer in Senegal/Brazil/D.R. - Full scholarships plus airfare available! No additional application required! Applications typically due in March.
- CIEE Frederick Douglass Fellowship
- Even those who are not selected as fellows but meet requirements are awarded a $1500 grant toward a CIEE program
- Fund for Education Abroad
- Diversity Abroad Scholarships
- IES Diversity Scholarships
- IFSA Diversity Scholarship
- Diverse International Women of Color (DIWC)
- beGirl World
- Ced in the City Scholars Program
- Zeta National Education Foundation (ZNEF) Scholarships - Deborah Partridge Wolfe International Fellowship*
*You do not need to be a member of ZNEF to apply!
Student Stories:
- CIEE 2021 Frederick Douglass Fellows
- CIEE: Decolonizing Myself through a Journey in South Africa
- IFSA Red, White, Blue, and Black: Navigating my African-American Identity in London
- IFSA Race, Gender, Class, and Nationality in Buenos Aires
- CET: Impressions of Identity in Colombia
- CET Black Girl Abroad: How I Learned to Relinquish My Hold on Forced Identity
- IES Melanin in Milan: Finding my People Abroad
- Temple: Black Ubiquity
Other Resources:
Black and Abroad: Trusted Authority on Black Travel
CIEE City Diversity Guides
In honor of Pride month, we are highlighting resources, scholarship opportunities, and student stories centering on the LGBTQ+ experience abroad. This information will remain linked on our Identity Based Resources page permanently. Students can also visit our LGBTQ+ and Allies Abroad page for FAQs, research resources, and more.
Student Stories:
- CIEE Queer Identity in South Korea
- IFSA: Seeing through a Different Lens
- IES Intimacy Gender and Public Space in Rabat
- IES Ni él, ni ella: Being Nonbinary in Spain
- IES Queer life in the first country to legalize same-sex marriage
- USAC Breaking the Picture Frame: Studying Abroad While Trans
- CIS Black, Gay, and First Time Abroad
Scholarship Opportunities*:
- IGLTA Foundation
- Stonewall Foundation
- Asian-Pacific Islander Queer Women & Transgender Community
- Point Foundation
*Concerned about how scholarship names will show up on your Accounts Receivable page? Contact your OSA advisor for assistance before applying.
Tulane On-Campus Resources
- The Carolyn Barber Pierre Center for Intercultural Life (Multicultural Affairs, Gender & Sexuality, Religious Life)
- Newcomb-Tulane College's Center for Academic Equity
- Student Resources and Support Services
- The Well: The Well for Health Promotion
OSA Resources
After being approved to study abroad, students will attend both a general pre-departure session covering next steps in the application process, course registration, code of conduct, and other important logistics, as well as two identity-based sessions of their choosing.
See below for a list of our available sessions and accompanying online resources:
- What If? Health, Safety, Risk and Study Abroad
- Intersectionality of Identities: Traveling as People of Color
- Living Like a Local: Maximizing Immersion during Study Abroad
- Street Harassment and Gender in a Global Context
- LGBTQ+ & Allies Abroad: Navigating Identity and Expression in a Global Context
- Language Hacks
Diversity Abroad
Tulane is a member of Diversity Abroad. Diversity Abroad is the leading professional consortium of educational institutions, government agencies, for-profit and non-profit organizations dedicated to advancing diversity and inclusive good practices that increase access, achieve equitable diversity and foster inclusive excellence in global education. Diversity Abroad provides comprehensive student guides that are available to all Tulane students. If you would like to access Diversity Abroad student guides or other materials, please email osa@tulane.edu and we will gladly provide you with login credentials.
Resources by Identity
The following accordions link to outside resources that may be beneficial to you.
- Diversity Abroad: Students of Color Abroad -- Diversity Abroad’s mission is to create equitable access to the benefits of global education by empowering educators, engaging stakeholders, and connecting diverse students to resources and opportunity. The website also offers advice for heritage seekers traveling abroad. Here is a link to that page.
- Diversity Abroad: Black Student's Guide to Study Abroad (login required)
- Diversity Abroad: LatinX Student's Guide to Study Abroad (login required, print copies available at OSA)
- IES: Celebrating AAPI Heritage
- AllAbroad.us | Home | Your Study Abroad Resource to Find Answers, Funding, and Programs -- This site was created as a resource for students, parents, faculty, and administrators interested in study abroad. In it, you will find answers to common questions about study abroad given by our experienced mentors, including study abroad administrators, counselors, former study abroad students, and parents.
- Study Abroad as Neo-Colonial Tourism | Counter Punch Article
- 9 Truths for Black Students Traveling Abroad -- Tips and advice for Black students studying abroad and study abroad programs
- Black Abroad - Webinar series and resources for Black travelers.
- Navigating the Lack of Representation in International Affairs -- Abroad and international affairs experience from a BIPOC author
- TEAN -- This is a website that guides students in what questions to ask when studying abroad, and has many articles related to personal identities categorized by identity for students to look through to gain a better understanding of study abroad. Scroll down to open up even more articles.
- Travelling While Black -- A personal essay about the emotional and practical benefits of being Black abroad.
- Traveling While Arab -- Another personal essay about the author's experiences of navigating airports.
- Travel Noir -- A collection of blogs, city guides, and news stories surrounding Black travellers.
- Black&Abroad -- Black and Abroad provides stories, tips, and journeys from a community of Black travellers.
- PLATO Project (globaled.us) -- Ten reasons for Black students to study abroad.
- PLATO Project (globaled.us) -- This answers questions related to discrimination abroad, specifically for African-American students.
- Traveling with Natural Hair | IES Abroad | Study Abroad -- Black students studying abroad frequently ask what to do with their hair. Five women share their experience and their tips on how they managed their hair and what you can do.
- Realizing My Skin Color While Studying Abroad | Diversity Abroad -- Blogger, Kimberly Mukuriah discusses her study abroad experience as a black woman in Japan. From Southern California, her diverse background didn’t always call for her to look at how others perceived her skin color and why it made a difference.
- A Racial Awakening in France, Where Race Is a Taboo Topic -- With an eye on the United States, children of immigrants from Africa and the Caribbean are bringing race into the public discourse, in a perceived challenge to France’s universalism.
- Living While Black, in Japan (video) -- Black Americans who moved to Japan long term talk about how they navigate their identity compared to America, specifically focusing on police brutality in America compared to Japan.
- Reasons to Study Abroad -- Lists some of the most compelling reasons that inspire Hispanic and Latinx students to study abroad, and addresses some of the challenges that students may face.
- Meaningful Travel Tips Latinx Traveler Perspectives -- Only 8.8 percent of U.S. students studying abroad are Hispanic or Latinx (compared to nearly 73 percent of white students) while 15.2 percent of international students in the U.S. are from Mexico, Central America, and South America.
- A Latina's Study Abroad Journey -- Personal experience and advice of Latina woman studying in London, England
- Latinas Who Travel -- Latinas Who Travel is a Bilingual Travel Community and Movement which was not only created to encourage and empower Latinas to travel more, but we also empower women of color and honorary Latinas.
- Latinx Student's Guide to Global Programs -- In this guide, we are focusing on Latinx students (a gender-inclusive term referring broadly to those of Latin American heritage) and what it can be like to go abroad with this identity. We’ve created this guide for Latinx students based on real experiences of living, working, and studying abroad while being part of the Latinx community.
- 10 Reasons for Hispanic-American Students to Study Abroad -- Identifies benefits to studying abroad as a Hispanic-American student
- Top Study Abroad Scholarships for Hispanic Students (goabroad.com)
- Latinx Experience Abroad - YouTube -- Latinx students sharing their experience abroad
- PLATO Proposal (globaled.us) -- Lists resources and scholarships for Hispanic/Latino students
- 7 things only Latino travelers understand
- IES: Notitieboekje Gedachten/Notebook Thoughts
- IFSA: Mooncakes and Macaroni and Cheese - A Chinese-American in Ireland
- GoAbroad's LGBT Student Guide
- State Department's Travel Guide
- Diversity Abroad LGBTQ+ Student Guide
- LibGuide: LGBTQ+ Identities Around the World
- Traveling While Transgender
- Air Travel Tips for Trans Students
- ILGA Trans-Legal Mapping Report
- ILGA Sexual Orientation Laws
- The Trevor Project and TrevorSpace - TrevorSpace is an affirming international community for LGBTQ young people ages 13-24.
- IFSA LGBTQ Archive
- IES LGBTQ Resource Page
- IES Abroad's Finding Community
- Middlebury's LGBTQ Guide
- CET: Diversity and Inclusion Network
- CET Identity Abroad Support Network: A group of students who have volunteered to discuss their identity-related experiences by location. This is a volunteer-based program that started in 2019--all CET applicants have access
- The Advocate
- NAFSA The Rainbow SIG
- Scholarships for LGBT Students
- Global Pride Calendar
Some students may choose to study in a country that is somewhat familiar to them due to ancestry or cultural heritage. For these students, described as heritage seekers, study abroad can be an opportunity to connect with family and personal history and/or gain insight into their home culture or ancestry. While it can be fulfilling to find connection in a foreign community, it may also be difficult to navigate cultural distinctions and identity. To help cope with the mix of emotions and experiences heritage seekers may face, we have provided these resources.
- Tips for Heritage Seekers
- CET Heritage Student Stories
- IFSA Heritage Student Stories
- GoAbroad Heritage Travel
- How Studying Abroad In Ghana Changed My Racial Consciousness
- African Americans in Africa
- I Thought Going to Korea Would Help Me Find Home | BuzzFeed News
- On Belonging: Studying Abroad in Asia as an Asian American/Heritage Learners | CET Academic Programs
- IFSA: Finding Identity as an Indian Heritage Student
- CIEE: Stories from Seoul
- CET: Immer-Asian
- CET: On Belonging - Studying Abroad in Asia as an Asian American/Heritage Learner
- Diversity Abroad: Why You Should Go Abroad (login required, print copies available at OSA)
- IES First-Gen Resources
- The First Generation Students Study Abroad Guide
- Diversity Abroad: Women Abroad
- State Department Information
- Journey Woman -- Advice for solo women travelers
- UMass Ability and Education Abroad
- University of Minnesota: Access Abroad
- Abilities.com Most Accessible Countries
- Mobility International USA | Advancing disability rights and leadership globally (miusa.org) MIUSA -- Mobility International USA (MIUSA) is your resource center for disability-related questions about your international study, work, volunteer, teaching or cultural program.
- Google Adds Wheelchair-Accessible Routes To Google Maps | Digital Trends -- Article on how to find wheelchair accessible routes through Google Maps
- Traveling with Disabilities (CDC) -- The Centers for Disease Control provides a useful suite of information and external resources for travelers with disabilities as well as recommendations for proper planning.
- Taking Animals and Animal Products across International Borders -- The US Center for Disease Control provides information on traveling abroad with a pet, requirements for entering the US with a pet, animal health certificates, and more.
- Pets and International Travel (US State Department) -- The State Department’s Travel site provides a substantial amount of information on traveling internationally with a pet, including quarantine and import restrictions, US airline pet policies, EU and UK pet policies, certification requirements, and more
- Mental Health & Study Abroad -- Short article outlining mental health resources for students studying abroad
- Managing Mental Health While Abroad -- List of tips and things to consider while studying abroad for taking care of students’ mental health
- US Gov Traveling with Disabilities -- This website has a database of information regarding enforcement of accessibility and other laws relating to persons with disabilities sorted by country, as well as other advice for people traveling with disabilities
- Diversity Abroad: Religious Diversity Abroad
- U.S. State Department Religious Freedom Reports
- Harvard University: The Pluralism Project
- Religious Guides:
- Humanists International - Humanist, rationalist, secular, ethical culture, atheist and freethought organizations
- World Buddhist Directory
- All Hindu Temples
- Islamic Finder
- Halal Restaurants and Stores
- Kahal: Your Jewish Home Abroad -- KAHAL aspires to give the tens of thousands of Jewish students studying abroad each year the resources, tools, and connections they need to meaningfully engage with the Jewish community and deepen their Jewish identity during one of the most important, meaningful, and enduring experiences of their lives.
- Most Accurate Prayer Times, Quran, Athan and Qibla Direction | IslamicFinder -- Identifies prayer times around the world
- Interfaith Calendar -- Primary sacred times for world religions
- International Religious Freedom -- The most recent report from the US State Department on religious freedom around the world
- Jewish Travel Advisor -- World-wide listing of kosher hotels and restaurants, synagogues, mikvaot, and Jewish communities around the world
International students are able to study abroad on short-term programs and semester/year-long programs. In order to maintain their student visa status in the U.S., international students must typically study abroad on Tulane-approved programs and not via a leave of absence. International students interested in study abroad should make an appointment with a Study Abroad Advisor and their advisor in the Office of International Students and Scholars to discuss the implications of study abroad on their F-1 or J-1 visa.
- Immigrant Legal Resource Center - Traveling outside the U.S. under DACA
