What AIFS Abroad does

AIFS Abroad, a program of the American Institute for Foreign Study (AIFS) founded in 1964, provides credit-bearing study abroad and international internship programs for U.S. undergraduate and graduate students across 18+ countries in Europe, Asia, Australia, South Africa, and the Americas. The company operates a platform-plus-modules architecture: core offerings include semester/summer study abroad, full-time internships, combined study+internship, study+travel, and virtual internships, delivered through a mix of partner universities and AIFS-operated Global Education Centers (GECs) in London, Florence, Rome, Salzburg, and Stellenbosch. Course transcripts for GEC programs are issued by Fairfield University as School of Record, enabling U.S. credit transfer; integrated services include CISI travel/medical insurance (owned in-house since 1992), Gallup CliftonStrengths career readiness programming, carbon offsetting, and optional Eurail passes.

The business monetizes primarily through comprehensive per-program tuition-style fees (e.g., $14,990 for a Buenos Aires semester), with ancillary revenue from a $95 non-refundable application fee, a $500 confirmation deposit, transcript fees, optional flight packages, and excursions. Go-to-market combines (i) a direct Partnership & Enrollment team working with university study abroad offices, (ii) inside-sales Global Program Advisors guiding students through enrollment, and (iii) a direct-to-consumer online portal. Pricing is USD-guaranteed with no currency surcharges, and over 50% of participants receive financial support. The company is privately held by the UK-based Cyril Taylor Charitable Foundation, is BBB accredited, complies with The Forum on Education Abroad's Standards of Good Practice, and has delivered 1.6 million+ lifetime participants, including 13 of the top 20 U.S. community colleges as institutional partners.

Name

AIFS Abroad

Legal name

American Institute For Foreign Study

Website

https://aifsabroad.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1964

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

101–250 employees

Short description

AIFS Abroad provides credit-bearing study abroad, internship, and customized faculty-led programs for U.S. undergraduates in 18+ countries, operating Global Education Centers, Fairfield University transcripting, and integrated insurance and career readiness services under the charitable Cyril Taylor Charitable Foundation.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Stamford

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices9 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Supply Chain, Others

Revenue model

1. Study Abroad Program Fees: Comprehensive semester, summer, January term, and academic year program fees covering tuition, housing, on-site support, cultural activities, insurance, and emergency services. Fees are guaranteed in U.S. dollars with no currency fluctuation surcharges. Students enrolling for a full year at the same campus receive a $1,000 reduction on the second semester.
2. Internship Program Fees: Fees cover internship placement, global career readiness programming, coaching calls, professional document review, midpoint site visits, and social/excursion activities. Starting summer 2026, all interns receive a three-credit course included in program fees.
3. Optional Travel Package: Round-trip airfare from major U.S. cities and airport transfers, offered as an add-on to base program fees. Subject to fare adjustments for fuel surcharges and government charges.
4. Optional Excursions: Pre-arranged optional excursion packages to points of interest during independent travel time, priced separately from program fees. Subject to minimum enrollment of 10 participants.
5. Application and Enrollment Fees: Non-refundable $95 application fee and $500 confirmation deposit (applied toward tuition). $75 transcript fee and $45 translation fee for non-English transcripts. $250 late transportation fee for late flight requests.
6. Customized Faculty-Led Programs: Custom programming for colleges and universities where AIFS provides facilities, cultural engagement practices, and support for institutionally branded or faculty-led programs. Revenue is generated through institutional partnerships with partner colleges.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels6 records

Marketing channels12 records

Core offering

AIFS Abroad provides credit-bearing study abroad, international internship, and virtual internship programs in 18+ countries for U.S. college students. Programs combine tuition, on-site housing, CISI health/insurance, excursions, 24/7 support, and CliftonStrengths-based career readiness coaching, and are delivered in partnership with universities (including Fairfield University for transcripts).

Product overview

AIFS Abroad offers a comprehensive portfolio of international education programs organized as a platform-plus-modules architecture. The core offerings include Study Abroad Programs, Full-Time Internship Programs, Study + Internship Programs, Study + Travel Programs, and Virtual Internships, all supported by Global Education Centers in key destinations. Add-on modules include Customized Faculty-Led Programs for institutional partners, the optional AIFS Abroad Travel Package for flight arrangements, and CISI travel insurance. Cross-cutting services include the Global Career Readiness Program featuring CliftonStrengths coaching and the Green Initiative sustainability program. Programs span multiple terms (Fall, Spring, Summer, January Term, Winter Quarter, Spring Break) across 20+ destinations in Europe, Asia, Australia, South Africa, and the Americas, with transcripts issued through School of Record Fairfield University.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Semester Study Abroad Programs Credit-bearing semester study abroad programs in 18+ countries for U.S. college students, including tuition, housing, excursions, CISI insurance, and 24/7 support, delivered through on-site Global Education Centers and in partnership with U.S. universities for transcript issuance.
• Summer Study Abroad Programs Short-duration summer study abroad programs in 18+ countries for undergraduate and high-school students (15–18), bundling academic study, excursions, housing, CISI insurance, and 24/7 support.
• Full-Time International Internship Programs Full-time international internship placements in 18+ countries for students and young professionals, packaged with housing, excursions, CISI insurance, and 24/7 support via on-site Global Education Centers.
• Study + Internship Programs Hybrid study abroad and internship programs in 18+ countries combining credit-bearing academic coursework with supervised professional internships, bundled with housing, excursions, insurance, and 24/7 support.
• Study + Travel Programs Credit-bearing study combined with structured multi-city or multi-country travel itineraries in 18+ countries, including tuition, housing, excursions, insurance, and 24/7 support.
• Virtual Internship Program Fully online international virtual internship placements for U.S. students and young professionals, with career-readiness support and CliftonStrengths-based coaching.
• Customized Faculty-Led Programs (CFL) B2B offering where AIFS Abroad handles logistics, transcripts (through partners like Fairfield University), CISI insurance, 24/7 support, housing, and excursions, while university faculty teach the course abroad on a turnkey basis. Designed for short-term or semester university-led cohorts.

Quantifiable outcome

• Over 1.6 million students have traveled abroad with AIFS since 1964
• +6 more outcomes

Named customers10 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Partnerships

19 partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• The Forum on Education AbroadcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 6 May 2026AIFS Abroad announced a partnership with The Forum on Education Abroad to launch the Community College Access Scholarship, a $50,000 initiative providing $2,000–$5,000 awards to enable community college students to participate in education abroad. The scholarship addresses a significant disparity: while community colleges educate approximately 40% of U.S. undergraduate students, only 1.6% of students who studied abroad in 2023–2024 were enrolled in associate's degree programs. AIFS currently partners with 13 of the nation's top 20 community colleges.
• EurailcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2025AIFS Abroad is the first study abroad program to partner with Eurail to provide a free Eurail Global Pass (~$500 value) for students on select European programs. Since Spring 2025, over 400 students from 130 universities have benefited from this partnership. The partnership supports sustainable travel by encouraging train use over flights, with 299 students in the pilot year traveling approximately 770,000 kilometers by rail.
• Fairfield UniversitycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerFairfield University serves as AIFS Abroad's School of Record, with its faculty School of Record Committee reviewing all courses offered at AIFS Abroad Global Education Centers (GECs) in London, Florence, Rome, and Salzburg. Students who study at a GEC receive a Fairfield University transcript including course numbering and departmental assignment. Starting summer 2026, all AIFS Abroad interns will receive academic credit through Fairfield University.
• The American College of GreececoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe American College of Greece is accredited by the New England Association of Schools and Colleges, providing U.S.-recognized transcripts for AIFS Abroad students studying in Greece. This partnership facilitates credit transfer for U.S. students on AIFS programs in Athens, Greece.
• The Carbon FundcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerAIFS has partnered with The Carbon Fund to offset carbon emissions from AIFS Abroad operations and programming. The company has offset 62,725 tonnes of carbon since 2021 from international flights for participants. Carbon offset projects span India (solar power), Thailand (wind power), Turkey (hydro power), Florida (N2O abatement), South Korea (waste energy recovery), Canada (forest conservation), Mexico (forest restoration), and other global locations.
• Times Higher Education Top 100 UniversitiescoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerAIFS Abroad holds long-time intentional partnerships with innovative global universities, including several ranked in the Times Higher Education top 100 Global University rankings and ten universities that hold AACSB and/or EQUIS Business Accreditation. These partnerships provide academic rigor and facilitate credit transfer for U.S. students.
• DA Global RoadmapminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerAIFS Abroad Program Standards align with The Forum on Education Abroad's Standards of Good Practice and DA Global Roadmap. DA Global is a network of education abroad providers sharing best practices and quality standards.
• Association of International Education Administrators (AIEA)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerAIFS Abroad is affiliated with the Association of International Education Administrators (AIEA), the professional association for individuals leading, managing, or directing international education programs at colleges and universities.
• Better Business Bureau (BBB)minorOthersAIFS is BBB Accredited Business, demonstrating commitment to transparency and consumer trust.
• Fund for Education AbroadminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerOne of the 30 nonprofit recipients of CTCF funding in 2025. The Fund for Education Abroad supports scholarships for underserved students pursuing study abroad.
• Cultural VistasminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerOne of the 30 nonprofit recipients of CTCF funding in 2025. Cultural Vistas is an international education organization providing exchange programs.
• AFS International Intercultural ProgramsminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerOne of the 30 nonprofit recipients of CTCF funding in 2025. AFS is a global interculturally focused organization that runs exchange programs for students, young people, and adults.
• Agahozo-Shalom Youth VillageminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerOne of the 30 nonprofit recipients of CTCF funding in 2025. ASYV is a youth village in Rwanda providing education and support to vulnerable youth.
• Global GlimpseminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerOne of the 30 nonprofit recipients of CTCF funding in 2025. Global Glimpse provides short-term international programs for high school and college students.
• Institute of International Education (IIE)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerOne of the 30 nonprofit recipients of CTCF funding in 2025. IIE is a leading organization supporting international education and scholarship programs.
• UK-US Fulbright CommissionminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerOne of the 30 nonprofit recipients of CTCF funding in 2025. The UK-US Fulbright Commission supports educational exchange between the United Kingdom and the United States.
• Gallup Education (CliftonStrengths)coreTechnology or IntegrationAIFS Abroad integrates the CliftonStrengths assessment (developed by Gallup Education) into all study abroad and internship programs. This includes one-on-one coaching calls with certified Gallup coaches, professional document review, and midpoint employer check-ins using Strengths-based reports. The partnership provides foundational career readiness programming for all participants.
• Chapman UniversityminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerAIFS program partner for the Cannes Semester. Chapman University in the U.S. issues transcripts for the Cannes Semester programs.
• Club for UNESCO FlorenceminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerAIFS Abroad offers a Service Learning program for UNESCO in Florence, Italy, each spring semester in partnership with the Club for UNESCO Florence. As a UNESCO World Heritage city, Florence provides an experiential learning setting for cultural preservation, mass tourism, environmental impact, and overconsumption topics.

Scale indicators9 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

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Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles7 records

Subsidiaries3 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

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

Frequently asked questions about AIFS Abroad