"[T]he general consensus seems to be that the economic downturn, high fuel surcharges on airfares, and decline of the dollar's value internationally have had only minimal impact, if any, on enrollments of American students abroad so far - but that, looking to the future, there are real reasons for concern," Inside Higher Ed reports. "This potential damper lingers amid enormous growth in study abroad nationally. The number of American students studying abroad keeps rising, with ambitious national goals (including a more than-quadrupling of participation to a million students) always on the field's horizon."