Officials at Dickinson College in Carlisle say the students have been studying abroad in England but traveled with their geology professor to Iceland.
Professor Marcus Key says the group arrived in the capital Reykjavik last Tuesday to study hydroelectricity and geothermal plants.
The next day, a nearby volcano spewed massive amounts of ash into the air, grounding European flights for several days. The students had been slated to return to England's University of East Anglia last Friday.
British officials now say airspace over Scotland will reopen Tuesday morning, possibly followed by other British airports.
