Ivies targeted in N.Y. study abroad program investigation

Officials at Harvard, Columbia and Brown remain tight-lipped after New York State Attorney General Andrew Cuomo expanded an investigation of study abroad programs and subpoenaed related information from the three universities last month.

Cuomo believes that international programs at the 15 institutions under investigation have improper affiliation agreements with study abroad providers. Under these agreements, study abroad companies provide college employees with kickbacks ranging from free travel to seats on advisory boards for enrolling students in their programs. Cuomo argues that these arrangements, which are rarely disclosed, create a conflict of interest, limit students’ options and raise the cost of available programs.

Princeton has not been included in Cuomo’s investigation, Study Abroad Director Nancy Kanach said in an e-mail. Though Princeton does work with certain third-party providers, the University “does not have exclusive agreements with any one in particular.”

At Princeton, students interested in studying abroad have the option of enrolling with approved third-party organizations but can also apply directly to foreign universities or petition for the approval of programs they choose, according to the University’s study abroad website.

Though the study abroad office has repeatedly denied involvement in benefit schemes, the University does have affiliations with several educational institutions abroad from University College London to the University of Melbourne in Australia. These agreements, however, simply involve direct relationships with universities’ international offices and serve to facilitate student exchanges, Assistant Director of Study Abroad Elena Uribe said in an e-mail.

“We are not committed to numbers, to paid visits, or to anything else. It’s a purely administrative arrangement,” Uribe said.

The ultimate goal of the investigation is to develop a code of conduct to govern relationships between universities and study abroad companies, a senior lawyer in Cuomo’s office told The New York Times. The code would mirror the rules that regulate the relationship between firms that provide student loans and university financial aid offices.

“I can confirm that we have been contacted by the Attorney General of New York and we are evaluating their request,” Harvard spokesman John Longbrake said in an e-mail.

Brown officials were not immediately available for comment. In a statement two weeks ago, Michael Chapman, Brown’s vice president for public affairs and university relations, noted his employer’s “long tradition of providing successful and fulfilling academic experiences for our students who choose to study abroad.”

“We are currently reviewing the subpoena and will be responding to the attorney general’s office,” Chapman said.

Columbia’s press office declined to comment on the matter.

Students at the Ivies under investigation were not concerned about the attorney general’s investigation.

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“The general consensus is it’s not a big deal at all, which is mostly due to the fact that Brown University has said they don’t have any issue with the inquiry,” Brown freshman Joshua Kaplan said.

Jessica Azani, a Harvard junior who recently returned from studying abroad, defended her university.

“Based on my experiences with the Harvard Office of International Programs, I do not have any reason to believe that Harvard is guilty of making such [affiliation] agreements,” she said. “While I did end up selecting a program from the pre-approved list, Temple University in Rome, I always knew that I had the option of finding alternatives if I so desired.”

Columbia is currently reviewing the subpoena and gathering the requested information, according to The New York Times.