This collection compiles research on the relationship between grit and study abroad. Grit, defined as "perseverance and passion for long-term goals" (Duckworth, Peterson, Matthews, & Kelly, 2007), has become a buzz word in higher education, as many cite this trait as the key to student success. Researchers almost unanimously agree that grit is cultivated through experience. Therefore, study abroad programs, which afford experiential learning opportunities, may help students develop higher levels of grit—and, in turn, higher levels of success. 

However, grit is not without controversy. Critics argue that the focus on grit (which is sometimes seen as an innate trait that one either "has" or "doesn't have") detracts from higher education's systemic inequities that disadvantage marginalized students. Therefore, this collection also presents research on the negative aspects of grit as well as the challenges that marginalized students confront when deciding to study abroad.