The Institute of African Studies is proud to share how students have benefited from the Emory Free Passport Initiative, an impactful program led by the Office of Global Strategy and Initiatives.

This program was designed to remove financial barriers that may prevent students from participating in activities such as study abroad. The program covers U.S. passport application and renewal fees for a limited number of Emory students receiving financial aid. Supported by Emory Global Student Travel Support and Delta Air Lines, this program opens the opportunity for students to engage in international education, research, and cultural exchange.

Akosua Opoku, a student interested in African Studies learned about this initiative from an IAS email, followed up, and was one of the recipients to receive assistance. Akosua is now closer to realizing her dream of exploring Africa and the world. “I am incredibly grateful for the opportunity to be selected by the Free Passport Initiative. Getting a passport was a goal for my family, however, it has been put on hold because buying all our passport booklets was expensive. But now that I have one, my family’s overall spending will be reduced”.

We are thrilled to see our students seize opportunities like this and thank the Office of Global Strategy and Initiatives for championing equitable access to global education.