Press Release For Immediate Release March 3, 2009	MEDIA CONTACTS: Mike Liberty American Institute For Foreign Study River Plaza, 9 West Broad Street Stamford, CT 06902-3788 (203) 399-5187 mliberty@aifs.com www.aifsabroad.com

Surging Dollar, Employability Boosts Summer Study Abroad Interest in UK, Europe

STAMFORD, CT – As college students begin to make their summer plans, the American Institute For Foreign Study (AIFS) is reporting a marked increase in interest for their European summer study abroad destinations, especially the United Kingdom.

AIFS, a leader in study abroad for more than 45 years, attributes part of this increased interest to the dollar as it continues to rally against the pound and the euro. Students studying abroad this summer will have marginal need for extra money as AIFS programs are all-inclusive, but will soon find that any dollar they do spend will go farther while studying in popular locations like the U.K. In addition, AIFS’ fees are guaranteed in dollars and immune to currency fluctuation.

Further boosting interest for this summer’s programs in the U.K. and Europe is the U.S. job market. As more and more Americans find themselves unemployed, college students eye the market with trepidation, looking for ways to make themselves more marketable to employers. A recent study conducted by Global HR News found that nearly three in four (73%) human resource executives “cited study abroad as important when evaluating the resume of a job candidate for a junior-level position.”

In addition, AIFS’ high school study abroad program, Summer Advantage, is seeing a similar surge in interest in these locations. High school students are not only studying abroad in greater numbers due to economic reasons, they are also choosing to go abroad to increase their chances at college and university acceptance.

“AIFS allows students to choose their ideal experience today while enhancing their resume and college credentials for tomorrow,” says William Gertz, President and CEO of the Stamford, CT-based AIFS. “And with today’s strengthening dollar, there is no better time than this summer for students to get their global education.”

This summer, Germany joins an already impressive list of countries offered by AIFS that includes Australia, Austria, China, Costa Rica, the Czech Republic, England, France, India, Ireland, Italy, Peru, Russia, South Africa and Spain. Students can choose the location that will serve as the backdrop to their life-changing summer experience, earning college credits while spending between a month and nine weeks abroad. Scholarships and financial aid are also available.

To learn more about college study abroad with AIFS or high school study abroad with AIFS Summer Advantage, contact David Mauro at (800) 727-2437, ext. 5163 or email info@aifs.com, or visit www.aifsabroad.com or www.summeradvantage.com.

About AIFS:

As a leader in cultural exchange, AIFS sends more than 5,000 students abroad each year. Since its founding in 1964, AIFS has been committed to providing students with the safest, most enjoyable and highest quality educational programs. AIFS celebrates a proud history of providing opportunities to the international education community. Over one million people from more than 500 colleges and universities have participated in AIFS programs.