American Passport Project
Overview
Saint Mary's College of California is a proud recipient of the Institute of International Education's (IIE) American Passport Project grant. This grant allows Saint Mary's to award 25 first-year or first-year transfer students with funding to apply for a first-time United States passport.
Purpose
The Center for International Programs’ mission is to make the transformative experiences within international and intercultural education accessible to all Saint Mary's students. We are committed to diversity and inclusion as an essential aspect of our value system, and strive to further promote connections across borders in the pursuit of building a more equitable, understanding and just world. Through participation in the American Passport Project, the Center for International Programs hopes to increase access to and participation in study abroad programs, especially for underrepresented students and those who may not otherwise consider studying abroad as part of their college experience.
Student Eligibility for Nomination
- Must be a United States Citizen
- Must be 18 years old or older
- Must be a Pell Grant recipient OR be eligible to receive the Pell Grant
- Must be enrolled at Saint Mary's
- Must be a first-year or first-year transfer student during the 2025-2026 academic year
- Must not have a United States passport
Process
STEP 1: Complete the American Passport Project Interest Form
- Complete the form to express your interest in participating in the American Passport Project
- American Passport Project Interest Form
STEP 2: Selected students will receive an email notification
- After verifying that all interested students meet the eligibility criteria, the Center for International Programs will select 25 recipients to receive the American Passport Project award and will send an email notification to their Saint Mary's student email account
- The Center for International Programs will nominate these 25 recipients for the American Passport Project award to IIE
- If less than 25 students express interest in participating, then eligible students will be nominated on a first-come, first-served basis while supplies last
- If more than 25 students express interest, then the Center for International Programs will randomly select 25 eligible students for nomination
STEP 3: Complete the nomination process with the Institute of International Education (IIE)
- IIE will send all nominated students a nomination form via email
- Nominated students must complete this form and be approved by IIE to be awarded the American Passport Project funding
- Nominated students who are approved by IIE will receive email confirmation of their award
- Nominated students who do not complete the nomination form will not be considered for the American Passport Project award
STEP 4: Attend a Passport Application Workshop hosted by the Center for International Programs
- Dates, times and location of Passport Application Workshops are to be determined
STEP 5: Submit a passport application
- The Center for International Programs will support students with scheduling an appointment
- Submit a passport application to the nearest passport application acceptance facility
Timeline
Fall 2025
- Submit American Passport Project Interest Form
- Complete IIE nomination form
- Attend a Passport Application Workshop
- Submit passport application
Passport Application Workshops - Fall 2025
When: Wednesday, October 08
Time: 11 AM
Where: Dante Hall, 110
When: Thursday, October 09
Time: 4 PM
Where: Dante Hall, 110
When: Wednesday, November 05
Time: 12 PM
Where: Dante Hall, 110
When: Thursday, November 13
Time: 10 AM
Where: Dante Hall, 110
When: Tuesday, November 18
Time: 5 PM
Where: Dante Hall, 110
Spring 2026
- Complete IIE nomination form
- Attend a Passport Application Workshop
- Submit passport application
Passport Application Workshops - Spring 2026
TBD - Check back in February 2026
Enter to Win
Contact Information
Ashley Cross
Director
Center for International Programs
arm11@stmarys-ca.edu
Dante Hall, 110