The Forum on Education Abroad

What The Forum on Education Abroad does

The Forum on Education Abroad is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit membership association and the recognized Standards Development Organization (SDO) for Education Abroad, designated by the U.S. Department of Justice and Federal Trade Commission. It serves U.S. and international higher education institutions, education abroad providers, charitable foundations, community colleges, and reciprocal associations through a multi-tier institutional membership structure. The organization is operationally hosted by Dickinson College in Carlisle, Pennsylvania, which provides strategic and administrative infrastructure.

The Forum's core product portfolio includes the Standards of Good Practice for Education Abroad, the Professional Certification in Education Abroad program, the peer-reviewed Frontiers: The Interdisciplinary Journal of Study Abroad, the Quality Improvement Program (QUIP) for institutional assessment, the Standards in Action book series, and a calendar of conferences (Annual, EMEA, and CIGL) and institutes alongside online courses, webinars, and podcasts. Technology infrastructure is a member portal (Atlas), event registration, and survey software — standard association tooling without proprietary AI or platform IP.

Revenue is generated across diversified streams: recurring annual institutional membership dues on a July–June cycle, event registration fees, Professional Certification enrollment, QUIP consulting engagements, publications sales, and tax-deductible donations supporting fellowships, grants, and the open-access journal. Go-to-market is event-driven and community-centric rather than product-led or sales-led, and member-segment differentiation spans seven explicit categories, reflecting deliberate horizontal coverage of the education abroad field.

Name

The Forum on Education Abroad

Legal name

The Forum on Education Abroad

Website

https://forumea.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2001

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

The Forum on Education Abroad is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit membership association recognized by the U.S. DOJ and FTC as the Standards Development Organization for Education Abroad, serving U.S. and international higher education institutions, providers, and related organizations through membership, certification, conferences, and consulting.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Education Abroad Professional Association

NAICS

Educational Support Services (611710)

SIC

Services-Membership Organizations (8600)

akta.pro primary industry

Study Abroad Provider Networks, Consortia & Membership Organizations (EDAIAAAK)

akta.pro secondary industry

International/Transnational Education Authorities (e.g., cross-border recognition) (EDADAAAJ)

Keywords

• Education abroad standards
• Study abroad membership
• Professional certification education
• International education conferences
• Study abroad research

Headquarters

HQ city

Warren

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Institutional Membership Dues: The Forum operates on an institutional membership model where all staff, administrators, and faculty at member institutions can access benefits through individual member portal accounts. Membership year runs from July 1 to June 30, with proration for new members joining partway through the year.
2. Event Registration Fees: Revenue generated from conference registrations including the Annual Conference, EMEA Conference, Careers Internships and Global Learning Conference, as well as Institutes (European Institute, Health and Safety Institute), Regional Seminars, and workshops. Events are held in-person, virtually, and in hybrid formats.
3. Professional Certification Program: Revenue from the Professional Certification in Education Abroad Program, including the Accelerated Residency and Beyond Polarization Residency, as well as competency credentials and related professional development offerings.
4. Publications and Resources: Sales of scholarly publications including the Standards in Action Book Series, the Frontiers: The Interdisciplinary Journal of Study Abroad (open-access journal published by The Forum), and other educational resources and toolkits.
5. Consulting Services: Fee-for-service consulting engagements covering health, safety and well-being, leveraging the Standards of Good Practice, strategy, and supporting teaching and learning abroad. Also includes customized workshops.
6. Donations and Grants: Tax-deductible donations supporting Forum Fellowships, Membership Pathways Grants, Sustainability Initiatives, Conference Attendance Grants, and Frontiers journal open-access mission. The organization is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels6 records

Marketing channels11 records

Core offering

The Forum on Education Abroad is a nonprofit membership association that develops and disseminates the Standards of Good Practice for Education Abroad and delivers a portfolio of professional certification, conferences, institutes, peer-reviewed research and publications, consulting, and toolkits to institutions and professionals working in the field of education abroad. Its membership model gives all staff and faculty at member institutions access to benefits through individual portal accounts, supported by events, the Frontiers journal, the QUIP quality improvement program, and the Atlas member portal.

Product overview

The Forum on Education Abroad is a professional association (501(c)(3) nonprofit) that serves as the Standards Development Organization for Education Abroad, recognized by the U.S. Department of Justice and Federal Trade Commission. The organization operates a platform-plus-services model centered on its Standards of Good Practice, which serves as the foundational reference for quality assurance in education abroad. The core offerings include the Professional Certification in Education Abroad program with competency credentials and residencies, the peer-reviewed Frontiers journal (the only open-access scholarly journal in the field), and Forum Fellowships supporting professionals from minority-serving institutions. The organization delivers value through in-person, virtual, and hybrid events including the Annual Conference, EMEA Conference, Careers/Internships/Global Learning Conference, and specialized Institutes (European Institute, Health and Safety Institute). Additional services include consulting (health/safety, strategy, standards implementation), toolkits (EDI, Foundations, Short-Term Programs), the Atlas member portal, the Quality Improvement Program (QUIP), and the Education Abroad: The Career Catalyst research campaign. The Forum is hosted by Dickinson College and maintains an institutional membership model serving U.S. institutions, non-U.S. institutions, education abroad providers, and affiliates.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Standards of Good Practice for Education Abroad

Quantifiable outcome

• Students who studied abroad earned an average of $4,159 more in their first job—a 6.3% salary boost
• +2 more outcomes

Segments7 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• Dickinson CollegecoreOthersDickinson College serves as the strategic partner hosting The Forum on Education Abroad. The Forum's administrative operations are based at Dickinson College, with data stored on Dickinson College Technology Services infrastructure under contractual agreement. The organization is c/o Dickinson College at P.O. Box 1773, Carlisle, PA.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• NAFSA: Association of International Educators: NAFSA is the largest U.S.-based membership association for international educators, with a comparable nonprofit model, institutional membership, annual conference, professional development, and policy/advocacy function. It is the most directly comparable peer to The Forum on Education Abroad, though with a broader internationalization remit.
• Institute of International Education (IIE): IIE is a nonprofit that runs international exchange programs, administers the Fulbright Program, and publishes the Open Doors report — the field's primary data source. It shares The Forum's mission of advancing international education and producing standards-aligned research.

Others

• API (Academic Programs International): API is a U.S.-based study abroad provider offering programs in multiple countries. It sits in the same provider community The Forum's membership serves and is comparable as a member-type organization within the Forum's constituency.
• CIEE (Council on International Educational Exchange): CIEE is a nonprofit study abroad provider with global programming, faculty development, and research. It overlaps with The Forum on Education Abroad in the program provider and policy/standards domains and is a member of the broader education-abroad ecosystem the Forum serves.
• IES Abroad: IES Abroad is a major study abroad program provider operating centers in multiple countries. The Forum's current CEO Melissa Torres previously served as VP for Academic Programs at IES Abroad, making it the closest provider-side peer and a natural partner or pipeline for Forum membership.
• NASPA (Student Affairs Administrators in Higher Education): NASPA is a membership association for student affairs professionals in higher education, offering conferences, credentialing, and resources. The Forum's Director of Professional Learning previously served at NASPA, and the two organizations share a higher-education professional association model.
• American Council on Education (ACE): ACE is the major U.S. higher-education umbrella association representing presidents and senior leaders. While broader than The Forum, it shares the nonprofit membership-association model, advocacy function, and convening role across U.S. higher education.
• AACRAO (American Association of Collegiate Registrars and Admissions Officers): AACRAO is a higher-education membership association that provides standards, professional development, and credentialing for registrars and admissions officers. Its membership-association, standards-setting model parallels The Forum's structure within an adjacent segment of higher education.
• AIFS (American Institute for Foreign Study): AIFS is a study abroad and cultural exchange provider with a long-standing Foundation arm. It is a relevant peer as a provider organization within the education-abroad ecosystem The Forum serves, with a special collection housed with The Forum.
• CEA Study Abroad (Cultural Experiences Abroad): CEA is a study abroad provider offering programs across multiple destinations. It is a comparable provider-type peer within The Forum's Education Abroad Providers membership category.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/forum-on-education-abroad

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles16 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about The Forum on Education Abroad