Miami, April 9, 2018 – Miami Dade College (MDC) has been recognized by the U.S. Department of State for sending the most students overseas on the Benjamin A. Gilman International Scholarship Program during the 2016-17 academic year. MDC has been successful in making international study and internships more accessible and inclusive for students of all backgrounds through the Gilman Program.
“Being recognized as a Top Producing Institution is confirmation that our hard work of advising and supporting students throughout this process has been well worth it! We are proud to be doing our small part to increase access and reduce barriers to study abroad for our students,” said Carol Reyes, Director of MDC’s Global Student Programs.
The State Department’s Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs, in collaboration with the Institute of International Education, compiles the list of Gilman top producers by institution size and type.
“Miami Dade College serves over 160,000 students, who are predominantly first-generation, low-income, minority students,” Reyes said. “Without the support of the Gilman Scholarship, study abroad would be impossible for many of our students to attain. In addition, Gilman has helped many of our most outstanding students leave the U.S. for the first time, motivating them to reflect on their diverse cultural backgrounds as well their academic and professional goals.
About the Benjamin A. Gilman International Scholarship Program
The Benjamin A. Gilman International Scholarship Program, with the support of the U.S. Congress, is reshaping study abroad to make it more accessible and inclusive for American students. The Gilman Program broadens the U.S. student population that studies and interns abroad by providing scholarships to outstanding undergraduates who, due to financial constraints, might not otherwise participate. Since the program’s establishment in 2001, over 1,300 U.S. institutions have sent more than 25,000 Gilman scholars to 145 countries around the globe.
About Miami Dade College
Miami Dade College is the nation’s largest, campus-based institution of higher education with an undergraduate enrollment of more than 165,000 students. It is also the nation’s top producer of Associate in Arts and Science degrees and awards more degrees to minorities than any other college or university in the country. The college’s eight campuses offer more than 300 distinct degree pathways including several baccalaureate degrees in biological sciences, engineering, data analytics, information systems technology, education, public safety, supervision and management, nursing, physician assistant studies, film and others. MDC is the recipient of top national awards. As Democracy’s College, MDC changes lives through accessible, high quality-teaching and learning experiences. It houses the Miami Culinary Institute, the Miami Animation & Gaming International Complex, the Miami Fashion Institute, the Eig-Watson School of Aviation, the Idea Center, the School of Advance Studies, the New World School of the Arts, to name a few. MDC has been named among the nation’s “Great Colleges to Work For” by The Chronicle of Higher Education. The College embraces its responsibility to serve as an economic, cultural, and civic leader for the advancement of our diverse global community. Its alumni and employees contribute more than $6 billion annually to the local economy, and MDC graduates occupy top leadership positions in every major industry. MDC is also renowned for its rich cultural programming. It is home of the Miami Book Fair, Miami Film Festival, the MDC Live! Performing Arts Series, the National Historic Landmark Miami Freedom Tower, the Tower Theater, Dyer Building, Koubek Center Mansion and Gardens, the Lynn and Louis Wolfson II Florida Moving Image Archives, a sculpture park and a large art gallery system. MDC has admitted more than 2,000,000 students and counting, since it opened its doors in 1960. For more information, visit www.mdc.edu.
For a full list of the institutions by category, please visit the Gilman Scholarship website at www.GilmanScholarship.org/TopGilman.
Interested media should contact the Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs at eca-press@state.gov.