On Feb. 20, the University notified eligible students that the Travel Pilot Program would end this year. Founded in 2020, the program covers one round-trip flight per academic year for international students receiving financial aid.
Starting in the 2026-27 academic year, eligible students will receive travel support through the University’s Cost of Attendance framework, which outlines estimated costs at Brown, Associate Dean of the College for International Students Chia-Ying Pan wrote in an email to The Herald.
The amount of aid given will be determined by airfare data that was gathered during the pilot program and the individual’s home region, Pan added.
The Travel Pilot Program launched amid the COVID-19 pandemic when “global travel was highly disrupted and airfare pricing was volatile,” Pan wrote. It guaranteed that international students receiving financial aid could travel “safely and reliably,” she added.
“As global travel systems have stabilized, the direct-booking structure is no longer necessary to achieve the purpose for which the pilot was originally created,” Pan said.
After learning about the changes to the program, several students shared their thoughts about the new travel support system.
Antonio Furleo Semeraro ’29, an international student from Italy, believes the change is “just another thing that is adding up to the billion things that international students have to take care of,” noting that international students have to prepare visas and file paperwork.
Felipe Barbosa ’27 also noted that the transition to the new system would make booking “not as convenient as it was before.” But he added that the flexibility of the new program would balance out those concerns.
With the stipend, Barbosa said he might try to book cheaper flights to campus and use the remaining money to cover traveling home for break. Under the Travel Pilot Program, one round trip was covered and an outside agency selected students’ flights.
“I’m happy that it gives us more flexibility,” Barbosa said.
Daniyal Suleimen ’28, who has used the program for the past two years, expressed similar sentiments, explaining that the Pilot Program only allowed for travel to or from Boston.
“I’m glad this change happened because it will make it easier for me to apply to internships and other opportunities outside of the New England area,” he added.
But Suleimen and Semeraro both expressed concerns about the extent of the program’s consideration of students’ home regions.
Semeraro was concerned about differences in cost within regional boundaries. Within the same country, some students may have to pay more to reach the nearest international airport than others, he explained.
“The intent of the pilot program was great because it would give everybody (the) same opportunity to get home, to get back on campus,” Semeraro added.
“I hope Brown takes potential travel restrictions and other difficulties into account when deciding how much funding to provide,” Suleimen said, noting that students who travel through or from the Middle East may face greater complications and costs in light of current travel restrictions.
According to Pan, travel costs that exceed the allowance will be handled using the COA budgeting framework, which says that if indirect costs of attendance — which include transportation costs — exceed the amount accounted for by a student’s financial aid package, students can request a loan from the Office of Financial Aid.
Pan encouraged students to speak with the Office of Financial Aid to discuss case-by-case situations when “students face unusually high travel costs due to their specific circumstances.”
When it comes to actually booking the flights, some students are also worried about the allowance being granted too late to be beneficial.
“This could be difficult for incoming freshmen from households that can’t afford to pay for travel tickets upfront,” Suleimen wrote. “They would have to cover the cost of their first flight out of pocket, and they would not yet have the chance to work on campus.”
Pan noted that “the University will continue to purchase airline tickets for $0 Parent Contribution students who are unable to front the cost.”
While Semeraro noted that flights from Italy are more readily available, students hailing from other countries “really have to look into flight months in advance and take a million layovers all around the world.”
The fact that he didn’t have to worry his parents “about tickets and the whole booking process was definitely something that pushed our decision towards Brown,” Semeraro said.
Pan wrote that the University remains committed to meeting international students’ demonstrated financial need.
As the University transitions to the new travel framework, departments including the Office of Financial Aid, the international student advising team and the International Student and Scholar Services will continue to support and advise students, Pan wrote.
“We recognize that international travel planning involves multiple considerations,” Pan wrote. “The goal of the new model is to provide students with greater flexibility while maintaining advising support across offices.”
Zarina Hamilton is a university news editor covering activism and affinity & identity. She is sophomore from near Baltimore, Maryland and is studying mechanical engineering. In her free time, you can find her reading, journaling, or doing the NYT mini crossword.
