MSU could be at the forefront of a rush to grab federal dollars that would help send students overseas.

Legislation to get one million U.S. college students to study abroad over the next 10 years is moving through the U.S. House of Representatives and would provide universities with funds to increase their programs and also allow individual students the money to participate.

The Senator Paul Simon Study Abroad Foundation Act of 2007 aims to create an independent entity within the federal government to administer fellowships and grants to pay for study abroad costs.

"We would be well positioned to grab some of that money since we are one of the leading study abroad programs," economics Professor Charles Ballard said.

Ballard has taught study abroad classes in London.

"Due to President McPherson, MSU has put a lot of emphasis on study abroad. He pushed it to prominence, and it has remained a large part of our program," he said. "There's greater visibility for MSU. It shows our flag in a different way."

The legislation was created by the National Association of State Universities and Land Grant Colleges, a public university association that former MSU President M. Peter McPherson heads.

"This is the way to stimulate competition for more universities to send more students," McPherson said.

Universities will compete for the money to create and expand study abroad programs, which will be 75 percent of the total money provided if the legislation passes.

The remaining 25 percent will be used to create fellowships for individual students.

About 200,000 U.S. college students study abroad annually. If the act passes, that number would increase five-fold over the next 10 years. At MSU, more than 2,280 applications were received by MSU's Office of Study Abroad before March 1.

Not everyone thinks the program would result in additional funding for the university, however.

Kathleen Fairfax, director of MSU's Office of Study Abroad, said it's difficult to determine how the bill could impact the university because the legislation is so broad right now.

"No one will disagree with the goals," she said. "Debate will come with how to achieve these goals, scholarships and programs. Until we see what really comes out of it, we won't know how it will affect MSU."

Fairfax said pressuring politicians to create more study abroad opportunities for students around the country will help put a national focus on getting more undergraduate students into the programs.

"Schools that aren't sending very many (students) might see an increase," she said. "We won't see that much of a change."

That's because MSU has one of the largest study abroad programs in the nation as more than 2,000 students, such as physiology sophomore Brittany Janer, travel around the world.

In June, Janer is heading to in Paris to study biology through a Lyman Briggs School program and said the legislation might have a positive outcome.

"It could be beneficial," Janer said. "They could get more graduates and more participants."

MSU President Lou Anna K. Simon said she welcomes it with open arms because it affirms the direction the university has been taking all along with a strong study abroad program.

"It provides support for students who want to study abroad beyond institutional financial aid," Simon said.