Temple's Office of the Provost has announced a new program to help qualified Temple undergraduate students study abroad.

Each year, the Diamond Ambassadors program will invite Temple rising sophomores to apply for approximately 50 Diamond Ambassadors Scholarships of $2,500 to support a study-abroad experience at almost any point in their undergraduate years at Temple. The scholarship may be used to fund participation in any study abroad program, including Temple's programs in Italy, Japan, Spain and England, as well as approved Temple and non-Temple study abroad programs in countries across the globe.

Invitations to apply for Diamond Ambassadors Scholarships are being sent to rising sophomores who meet the highest standards of academic achievement (as measured by cumulative grade-point average at the end of their freshman year) and have the greatest financial need.

"I'm thrilled that we can help Temple students have transformative educational experiences abroad," said Provost and Senior Vice President for Academic Affairs Lisa Staiano-Coico. "What excites me the most about the Diamond Ambassadors program is the idea of reaching outstanding students who, because of their great financial need, might not otherwise consider studying abroad. It's a perfect convergence of Temple's traditional mission of access and President Hart's bold new mission of internationalization."

To be eligible for a Diamond Ambassadors Scholarship, students must be full-time, matriculated undergraduates; have a minimum cumulative GPA of 3.0 at the end of their freshman year; meet financial need requirements; be a U.S or a permanent resident; and be in good academic and disciplinary standing. (For complete eligibility requirements and additional information about the program, go to www.temple.edu/vpus.)

Applications, which will be solicited only by invitation, must include an essay and a letter of support from a faculty member. Selected students will be required to consult with an academic advisor to establish the extent to which the proposed study-abroad experience will affect the student's academic progress.

The Office of the Provost, which created the program in collaboration with Temple's Office of International Programs, stressed that students are not required to have been accepted into a study abroad-program at the time of application.
The first invitations to eligible sophomores are already being issued. Invitations to current freshmen likely will be issued in the fall and summer of 2008.