Southwestern University was one of only five schools given full membership to the Institute for the International Education of Students (IES). IES consists of 64 Member and 87 Associate institutions.

Formed in 1950, IES is a nonprofit organization for global study abroad. The Institute has 29 academic centers in 15 countries around the world. IES annually enrolls more than 4,400 undergraduate students from member and associate institutions. The organization also provides more than $1.25 million a year to students in scholarships and financial aid.

Southwestern University believes that cross-cultural awareness is an integral part of a liberal arts education. It therefore strongly encourages its students to study abroad and maintains two study abroad scholarship funds: the Lokey Scholarship for Study Abroad and the Kahler Scholarship. Reserved for summer study, Lokey Scholarship Awards range from $200-$500 and are made on the basis of academic merit and financial need. Kahler Scholarship Awards, for semester and yearlong study abroad, typically range from $1,000-$3,500. These awards are made primarily on the basis of financial need.

During the 2004-05 academic year, 170 of Southwestern’s students will study abroad. Approximately 50 percent of the University’s 1,277 students study abroad while enrolled at Southwestern.