Studying abroad is a unique experience and gives many students the opportunity to experience a different culture for the first time. The University’s study abroad program is vast. Students can further their education on nearly every continent. 

All students are required to pay UT tuition to study abroad. Even though many countries offer their citizens the opportunity to study in their home countries for practically free, dual citizens at UT are denied these discounted rates.

UT’s strict tuition rule is unaccommodating for multinational students, and dual citizens should be able to utilize their home countries’ tuition laws while studying abroad. 

Europe contains the most popular destinations for UT students studying abroad. Unfortunately,  European dual citizens are locked into Texas tuition while entitled by their countries to an affordable public education. I’m a German, out-of-state dual citizen, and would have to pay $17,131 in tuition for an exchange program — at the minimum. This does not include the presumed airfare, registration fee, insurance or countless other expenses incurred during the study abroad trip.

In contrast, at Heidelberg University in Germany, I would pay 171.80 euros for the semester. This is consistent for most public universities, and all EU citizens are entitled to these discounts. 

“It’s just a money grab,” Aidan Eliasson, a Swedish-American dual citizen and business sophomore, said. “I think it’s completely unnecessary, and it’s something that should be looked into, because I feel like it’s such a waste for someone who’s native to the EU or to any other country that (offers) a free education there.”

Dual citizen students from countries outside the EU would also benefit. Public universities in Mexico, Canada, South America, Asia and Africa also offer heavily subsidized education for citizens. 

Thomas Ward, director of education abroad, provides insight into this policy.

“When we’re running our programs, we have to make sure that we meet Department of Education standards,” Ward said “By doing so, it gives access to things like financial aid that they can use that are done through a U.S. federal financial aid system.”

Setting the Department of Education’s standards aside, taking the time to devise a way for dual citizens to take advantage of their citizenship would be a worthwhile effort. Although there are some technical complications regarding a tuition transfer, prohibiting certain students their right to an affordable education is not fair.

Technically, dual citizens can withdraw from enrollment at the University, enroll at an international university at a lower rate, then come back to UT a semester later with readmission. However, this would take even more time, effort and money for hundreds of students.

If universities across the world would partner on ways to better help their global citizens, they could remove some of the barriers stopping students from experiencing new cultures. If the University is persistent on making study abroad accessible to all, it should start with its dual citizens. 

Laky is an economics sophomore from Chicago, Illinois.