Enhancing Contacts With The Cuban People

The United States government promotes educational exchanges around the world to increase global understanding and cooperation. Toward this end, action was recently taken to expand opportunities for American college students to live and study in Cuba.

Enhancing Contacts With The Cuban People

The United States Department of State on March 29 announced that educational agencies working in conjunction with accredited American colleges and universities are now eligible to receive specific licenses to offer educational programs for academic credit in Cuba. As part of President Obama’s commitment to increase engagement between the American and Cuban people, the administration amended regulations in 2011 that permit U.S. colleges to conduct exchange programs in the Caribbean island nation.

Relatively few colleges initiated programs in response, so many students who wanted to study in Cuba as part of their academic curriculum were left out. Now, through educational agencies, also known as academic service providers, there are more study abroad options for undergraduates and graduate students. That includes those whose university or college does not have a stand-alone Cuba program, but is nevertheless prepared to grant course credit for formal study in Cuba.

The Department of Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control will consider applications from academic service providers for such licenses on a case by case basis. One such program was approved in March.

The goal of expanding such programs is to benefit students in U.S. colleges and universities and civil society in Cuba through greater contact and mutual understanding.