In light of the current political climate, as well as growing international tensions, many American students are rethinking their plans for international travel as U.S. institutions temporarily pause or reevaluate their international programs. Still, some students are opting for CIEE programs despite concerns about the state of U.S. foreign relations and the challenges presented by border control policies.

The Council on International Education Exchange (CIEE) is a nonprofit organization that offers study abroad programs to students, providing a unique opportunity to experience new cultures and education systems. CIEE representatives have been going to schools across the globe, introducing study abroad opportunities to students like Sophia Ferris, a senior at Waterville Senior High School in Maine. The representative who visited her school made the opportunity seem more affordable and accessible than Ferris had initially thought.

“I’d always thought that studying abroad was something that was out of my tax bracket, so to speak,” Ferris said. “I’d only ever met one other person who’d done it, and I only learned that she had [travelled] after I had applied. But a CIEE representative came to my school in central Maine and held an assembly for our junior and sophomore-year language students, in which they presented their study abroad programs as affordable opportunities to travel and learn.”

Ferris applied for a scholarship and was able to attend a creative writing and mythology program in Rome, Italy, in the summer of 2024. The financial viability of the program made it a unique and valuable experience for her.

“I wound up being the only person in my class to apply for any of the programs, and I received a several-thousand-dollar scholarship that made studying abroad possible,” Ferris said. 

However, Ferris explained that she has been affected by the current political climate in the U.S., especially given her identity as a person of color, put together with her political views. She expressed concern about the challenges that U.S. citizens may face when traveling abroad due to increased scrutiny at the borders.

“I probably will not make any plans that involve going through border customs at any point within the next four years unless absolutely necessary,” Ferris said. “As a brown girl with extremely outspoken political views, the recent conduct of the United States with regard to its treatment of its own citizens coming through customs lately has scared me off a little.”

Ferris worries that the unpredictable nature of U.S. border policies could make future international travel difficult. According to her, how the U.S. is perceived abroad and its political tensions are affecting relationships with other nations.

“The ever-changing nature of our conduct regarding border customs stresses me out,” Ferris said. “I’m not sure I’d feel comfortable trying to get back into the country after studying abroad.”

Lily Wilcox, a sophomore at LASA, is also participating in a CIEE program for the summer of 2025. Despite her growing concerns about the effects of the political climate internationally, she plans to study engineering in Berlin, Germany, for three weeks.

“I just wanted to visit a fun place, learn something new, and go to a camp that seemed exciting,” Wilcox said. “I thought it’d be a great way to experience another culture while doing something productive.”

Wilcox chose to study abroad because she found a program that interested her. She hopes to use the experience to further her understanding of engineering and explore new opportunities.

“I’m interested in engineering, so I looked for programs focused on that,” Wilcox said. “I knew I wanted to go to Europe because it just seemed more fun. When I found an engineering program in Berlin, Germany, I was like, ‘Okay, that’s the one.’”

Although Wilcox had already decided to study abroad before she felt the political climate become tense, she admitted that the current environment has made her more anxious about her plans. Despite her concerns, she remains determined to follow through.

“I had already decided to study abroad before all the recent political craziness happened,” Wilcox said. “But hearing about everything going on has definitely made me more nervous.”

Wilcox is less concerned about how she might be received abroad and more worried about people trying to enter the U.S. She believes that most countries are not turning away American students, regardless of the political tensions.

“Other countries might be annoyed at the U.S., but they’re not really stopping us from going there,” Wilcox said. “Honestly, I’m more worried for people trying to get into the U.S. than for myself.” 

When it comes to how Americans are viewed abroad, Ferris expressed a different view from Wilcox. Ferries believes that the U.S.’s actions in terms of its foreign policies have led to negative stereotypes and how she may be viewed. She fears that other countries might generalize the American population into one group of people with the same ideals.

“I feel like many countries’ ideas of Americans have already been tainted by the image of your average disrespectful tourist,” Ferris said. “Our executive branch’s recent decision to completely torch our international relations with tariffs and rude accusations only stands to significantly worsen this stereotype. 

Barak Shraga, a sophomore at LASA, is also planning to go to Berlin through the same CIEE program as Wilcox. As a native-born Israeli and Jewish student, Shraga explained how he is increasingly aware of how rising anti-Semitism in Europe, combined with shifting political tensions and travel policies, might impact his experience abroad. Despite this, he noted that participation in CIEE is too valuable an experience to let pass by because of the current security confusion.

“The program in Berlin would give me a good foundation and a unique experience that not many others could have,” Shraga said. “The CIEE representative came to talk to everyone at school, and I was interested. So I asked around to see who might wanna do it with me.”

According to Shraga, the current political climate in the U.S. has made him concerned about how he, as an American tourist, will be received. However, it’s also made him cautious, especially as new international policies and shifting attitudes towards Americans and Jews gain traction globally.

“The political climate in the U.S. definitely made me more open to the idea of stepping outside the bubble and experiencing another country’s perspective,” Shraga said.

Shraga is aware that heightened restrictions, surveillance, and anti-Semitic incidents abroad could make the experience less safe, which worries him. However, he doesn’t believe U.S. travel policies will directly prevent him from studying in Germany or affect his time there.

“I don’t think that there are currently any policies specific to Germany, but there are definitely more restrictions and security when leaving or entering the U.S.,” Shraga said.

While he feels relatively safe as an American student, it’s his identity as a Jew that raises concerns, especially in light of global tensions and the ongoing Israel-Palestine conflict. For Shraga, the rise in hate has become personal, and the implications for his identity, along with international conflicts, worries him more than the current U.S. politics.

“As an American, I do feel safe, but as a native-born Israeli and Jew, I think it’s scarier to travel to Europe, especially,” Shraga said. “There have been rising cases of anti-Semitism every day, even before October 7, and tensions right now are just as high as they’ve been in the past year and a half.”

Shraga’s family has asked him to downplay his identity while abroad, which he finds upsetting, but understandable given recent events and how they may influence foreign perceptions and treatment of Jewish travelers. His concern isn’t just about physical safety, it’s also about being asked to hide who he is.

“My parents have told me specifically not to speak Hebrew or ‘advertise’ my Judaism while I’m there, which is very upsetting,” Shraga said. “I’m not that religious of a person, but the principle that people are yet again blanketing their hate and rage over one group of people who have no say in what happens in foreign affairs.”

Still, Shraga believes it’s important to distinguish between being American and agreeing with American policies, especially in politically charged times. He wants his travel experience to reflect his values, not those of any government.

“Being from America or American does not equate to agreeing with American policy or American leadership,” Shraga said. “We do not wish to represent our country, but rather to represent our own values as students who are unable to vote.”