The Justice

Students visit the Study Abroad Fair in Levin Ballroom in Usdan Student Center.

The study abroad industry has recently come under fire, as college program providers are being investigated for offering universities so-called perks for exclusively sending students on their programs. Four of the five programs subpoenaed by the New York Attorney General's Office last month are programs approved by Brandeis, but the University's study abroad office says it hasn't been tainted by this scandal.

"None of the programs have made any type of qualifier in terms of our participation," Director of Study Abroad Scott Van Der Meid said.

After The New York Times reported Aug. 13 that officials from private study abroad companies offer university officials money and trips in exchange for exclusively directing students to their programs, Attorney General Andrew Cuomo decided to research various companies' business practices.

The Institute for Study Abroad affiliated with Butler University, the Institute for the International Education of Students, the Center for Education Abroad at Arcadia University and the Danish Institute for Study Abroad at the University of Copenhagen are University approved programs that have been subpoenaed. Brandeis sends 35 percent of its junior class abroad, many of whom travel on the four subpoenaed programs, Van Der Meid said.

The American Institute for Foreign Study was also subpoenaed, but the program isn't approved for Brandeis students.

Amy Bartnick-Blume, the vice president of Butler's study abroad program, told The Times they have "exclusive agreements" with certain institutions and provide around $500 to each student for maintaining that relationship.

Van Der Meid denied ever steering students toward a certain program for the University's gain and said Brandeis has never been offered travel or financial incentives.

"Any type of directing and advising that we're doing is more based on the student's criteria than any agenda that we have," Van Der Meid said.

Some of the University's larger programs, however, provide students studying abroad with $50,000 in scholarship money, Van Der Meid said. The scholarships, ranging from $250 to $1,000 each, wouldn't be enough to sell a program, he said.

"No student's going to pick a program over another over $1,000," he said. "This is a $25,000 expense."

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