Palm Beach Atlantic University Awarded the IIE American Passport Project Grant
West Palm Beach, Fla. (June 23, 2025) — Palm Beach Atlantic University (PBA) was one of 45 higher education institutions in the U.S. awarded an Institute of International Education (IIE) American Passport Project grant from the IIE Center for International Opportunities (CIO). The grant allows institutions to cover the costs of students’ U.S. passport applications, and it empowers them to disburse the funds among Pell-eligible college students who aspire to study abroad.
IIE is a global not-for-profit organization that creates and implements international education programs, conducts research, and provides life-changing opportunities for students, scholars, and artists worldwide. Now in its fifth year, the CIO program has reached the half-way mark to IIE’s goal of enabling 10,000 U.S. students to obtain their passports by the end of this decade. Through the grant, each institutional recipient this year will support up to 25 students on their respective campuses.
“This is a significant award for PBA that will allow us to further invest in our students and their holistic experience,” said PBA President Dr. Debra A Schwinn. “This grant removes a financial barrier for students who might not have the opportunity to travel abroad otherwise. We are deeply grateful to IIE for helping us open more doors for students to immerse themselves into new cultures, and grow, serve and lead on an international scale.”
The IIE American Passport Project advances IIE’s commitment to promoting international education and exchange, so that all students can gain the academic and career benefits of international experiences. The program helps to remove the initial financial barrier associated with passport applications. In addition, it prioritizes students early in their higher education experience, providing them ample time to go through the study abroad planning process with advising and support from their home institutions.
About the Institute of International Education
The Institute of International Education (IIE) is the leader in designing and implementing international education strategies and program services. We work with governments, policymakers, educators, and employers across the globe to prepare students and professionals for the global workforce and equip them to solve the increasingly complex challenges facing our interconnected world. With support from donors, we also create initiatives that assist students, scholars, and artists whose lives and work are threatened; expand teaching and learning across cultures; and provide life-changing opportunities. A not-for-profit organization founded in 1919, IIE has a network of offices and affiliates worldwide and over 1,600 higher education partners. Visit iie.org.
About Palm Beach Atlantic University
Palm Beach Atlantic University, founded in 1968, is a private, Christian university, offering 100 different programs and pathways, including undergraduate degrees, graduate degrees and professional degrees. The university has two campuses in West Palm Beach, Florida—19-acres downtown and a 78-acre Marshall and Vera Lea Rinker Athletic Campus provides facilities for training and hosting intercollegiate sports. Sailfish athletes compete in 18 NCAA Division II and Sunshine State Conference varsity sports. PBA affirms the values that have built American society, including religious liberty and the free enterprise system. The university is dedicated to the integration of biblical principles to prepare students for learning, leadership, and service. Learn more at www.pba.edu.
