A Kansas University business graduate and his wife have donated $500,000 to help students afford the costs of studying abroad, KU announced Tuesday.

The Horner Study Abroad Scholarship Fund, created by 1956 KU graduate Larry D. Horner and his wife, Donna Manning Horner, will provide scholarships for graduate or undergraduate students in any academic discipline. Initially, the scholarships will emphasize students studying abroad through the KU Center for International Business Education and Research.

The couple said they created the scholarship because of what they gained through their experiences living and studying in Europe, Asia and Latin America.

Larry Horner, who grew up near Salina, is the retired chairman of KPMG, an international accounting firm. He and his wife live in San Jose del Cabo, Mexico.

Susan Gronbeck-Tedesco, director of the KU Office of Study Abroad, said the scholarship would help the program meet its goal of doubling the number of students studying abroad in the next seven years.

KU ranks eighth among public universities in the percentage of students studying abroad (26.2 percent).