UniversityTravel is a new project being built to help solve a common problem in faculty-led study abroad: some qualified students can’t join simply because they can’t afford it. The platform (UniversityTravel.org) will be a crowdfunding site where professors create and lead verified campaigns for real educational trips, giving donors confidence that funds support an actual program and cohort.
The design focus is on group-based fundraising (the trip and cohort, not isolated student campaigns) and on creating sponsor pathways for destination partners—airlines, hotels, museums, and institutions—who benefit from hosting high-quality university groups. We believe even “small support” from travel partners (like Turkish Airlines) can unlock participation for a few students and make the whole trip more inclusive, while staying transparent and ethical with clear student-consent rules.
UniversityTravel is being developed by Prof. Charlotte Kunkel (Luther College, Sociology), Prof. Scott Hurley (Luther College, Paideia / Religion), and Fethi Karatas (The Other Tour, Istanbul), based on real experience running multi-day educational programs in Istanbul. Right now, the domain is secured and the site is under construction; the team is actively working on campaign verification, fund handling and reporting, fee structure, and sponsor/consent policies. We invite professors planning faculty-led trips and destination partners interested in supporting verified student groups to get in touch.