International Student Travel Assistance (ISTA)

International student Travel Assistance (ISTA) is a Frequent Flyer Mileage donation program created by the Office of Admissions and Alumni Relations.

Each year Concordia College enrolls nearly 100 international students from over 25 countries. These students bring immeasurable academic and cultural values plus add diverse perspectives to our campus.  We recognize the unique contributions international students bring to our community and we aspire to strengthen our diverse community by supporting them to the best of our ability.

One of the many additional expenses international students accrue is their transportation to Minnesota. The cost of travel can get very expensive and Concordia does not have sufficient funds to support the student travel expenses.

In order to make the international students’ experience more feasible, the Office of Admission has established the International Student Travel Assistance program. This way, Concordia alumni and friends of the College can donate Frequent Flyer Miles directly to a student which will substantially reduce the students’ travel expenses. The ISTA program will match donors with students that require travel assistance.

Remember: The vast majority of airlines require a minimum donation of 25,000-30,000 miles to purchase an international flight. The best way to donate your miles without any charges is to directly book the ticket for the student. The Office of Admission will help facilitate this process with the donors and select students for whom to purchase the tickets.