Title 20EducationRelease 119-73

§1122 Graduate and undergraduate language and area centers and programs

Title 20 › Chapter CHAPTER 28— - HIGHER EDUCATION RESOURCES AND STUDENT ASSISTANCE › Subchapter SUBCHAPTER VI— - INTERNATIONAL EDUCATION PROGRAMS › Part Part A— - International and Foreign Language Studies › § 1122

Last updated Apr 6, 2026|Official source

Summary

The federal government can give money to colleges or groups of colleges to set up, strengthen, and run centers and programs for foreign languages and area or international studies. These centers must serve the whole country by teaching modern foreign languages, offering area and international studies, doing research and training linked to other fields, and studying world affairs. Grants can pay for things like teaching and research materials, curriculum work, links with schools abroad, visiting scholars, faculty training, joint projects, summer institutes at home or abroad, student travel and study abroad programs, support for teachers of less commonly taught languages, and projects that help STEM students learn languages. The Secretary can also fund library collections and extra outreach work with professional schools, 2- and 4-year colleges, K–12 agencies, government programs, the news media, and businesses. The Secretary can also give stipends to students in approved centers who are in programs with clear goals for real language use plus area or international study. Undergraduates must study intermediate or advanced less commonly taught languages. Graduate students can get support for predissertation work, dissertation preparation, dissertation research abroad, or dissertation writing. Undergraduates can only get travel funds when the Secretary’s rules say the travel is part of a supervised study program. Graduate stipends may include dependent and research travel allowances. Undergraduate stipends may include support for U.S. or foreign programs closely tied to their studies and aimed at language fluency and cultural knowledge. Colleges must apply as the Secretary requires and must explain how their work shows diverse viewpoints and how they will encourage service in government and in education, business, and nonprofits.

Full Legal Text

Title 20, §1122

Education — Source: USLM XML via OLRC

(a)(1)(A)The Secretary is authorized to make grants to institutions of higher education or consortia of such institutions for the purpose of establishing, strengthening, and operating—
(i)comprehensive foreign language and area or international studies centers and programs; and
(ii)a diverse network of undergraduate foreign language and area or international studies centers and programs.
(B)The centers and programs referred to in paragraph (1) shall be national resources for—
(i)teaching of any modern foreign language;
(ii)instruction in fields needed to provide full understanding of areas, regions, or countries in which such language is commonly used;
(iii)research and training in international studies, and the international and foreign language aspects of professional and other fields of study; and
(iv)instruction and research on issues in world affairs that concern one or more countries.
(2)Any such grant may be used to pay all or part of the cost of establishing or operating a center or program, including the cost of—
(A)teaching and research materials;
(B)curriculum planning and development;
(C)establishing and maintaining linkages with overseas institutions of higher education and other organizations that may contribute to the teaching and research of the center or program;
(D)bringing visiting scholars and faculty to the center to teach or to conduct research;
(E)professional development of the center’s faculty and staff;
(F)projects conducted in cooperation with other centers addressing themes of world regional, cross-regional, international, or global importance;
(G)summer institutes in the United States or abroad designed to provide language and area training in the center’s field or topic;
(H)support for faculty, staff, and student travel in foreign areas, regions, or countries, and for the development and support of educational programs abroad for students;
(I)supporting instructors of the less commonly taught languages; and
(J)projects that support students in the science, technology, engineering, and mathematics fields to achieve foreign language proficiency.
(3)The Secretary may make grants to centers described in paragraph (1) having important library collections, as determined by the Secretary, for the maintenance of such collections.
(4)The Secretary may make additional grants to centers described in paragraph (1) for any one or more of the following purposes:
(A)Programs of linkage or outreach between foreign language, area studies, or other international fields, and professional schools and colleges.
(B)Programs of linkage or outreach with 2- and 4-year colleges and universities.
(C)Programs of linkage or outreach between or among—
(i)postsecondary programs or departments in foreign language, area studies, or other international fields; and
(ii)State educational agencies or local educational agencies.
(D)Partnerships or programs of linkage and outreach with departments or agencies of Federal and State governments, including Federal or State scholarship programs for students in related areas.
(E)Programs of linkage or outreach with the news media, business, professional, or trade associations.
(F)Summer institutes in area studies, foreign language, and other international fields designed to carry out the programs described in subparagraphs (A), (B), (D), and (E).
(b)(1)The Secretary is authorized to make grants to institutions of higher education or combinations of such institutions for the purpose of paying stipends to individuals undergoing advanced training in any center or program approved by the Secretary.
(2)A student receiving a stipend described in paragraph (1) shall be engaged—
(A)in an instructional program with stated performance goals for functional foreign language use or in a program developing such performance goals, in combination with area studies, international studies, or the international aspects of a professional studies program; and
(B)(i)in the case of an undergraduate student, in the intermediate or advanced study of a less commonly taught language; or
(ii)in the case of a graduate student, in graduate study in connection with a program described in subparagraph (A), including—
(I)predissertation level study;
(II)preparation for dissertation research;
(III)dissertation research abroad; or
(IV)dissertation writing.
(c)No funds may be expended under this part for undergraduate travel except in accordance with rules prescribed by the Secretary setting forth policies and procedures to assure that Federal funds made available for such travel are expended as part of a formal program of supervised study.
(d)(1)A stipend awarded to a graduate level recipient may include allowances for dependents and for travel for research and study in the United States and abroad.
(2)A stipend awarded to an undergraduate level recipient may include an allowance for educational programs in the United States or educational programs abroad that—
(A)are closely linked to the overall goals of the recipient’s course of study; and
(B)have the purpose of promoting foreign language fluency and knowledge of foreign cultures.
(e)Each institution of higher education or consortium of such institutions desiring a grant under this section shall submit an application to the Secretary at such time, in such manner, and accompanied by such information and assurances as the Secretary may require. Each such application shall include—
(1)an explanation of how the activities funded by the grant will reflect diverse perspectives and a wide range of views and generate debate on world regions and international affairs; and
(2)a description of how the applicant will encourage government service in areas of national need, as identified by the Secretary, as well as in areas of need in the education, business, and nonprofit sectors.

Legislative History

Notes & Related Subsidiaries

Editorial Notes

Prior Provisions

A prior section 1122, Pub. L. 89–329, title VI, § 602, as added Pub. L. 96–374, title VI, § 601(a), Oct. 3, 1980, 94 Stat. 1465; amended Pub. L. 99–498, title VI, § 602, Oct. 17, 1986, 100 Stat. 1514; Pub. L. 100–50, § 18,
June 3, 1987, 101 Stat. 360; Pub. L. 102–325, title VI, § 601,
July 23, 1992, 106 Stat. 720; Pub. L. 103–208, § 2(j)(10), (11), Dec. 20, 1993, 107 Stat. 2481, authorized grants for graduate and undergraduate language and area centers and programs, prior to the general amendment of this part by Pub. L. 105–244. Another prior section 1122, Pub. L. 89–329, title VI, § 602, Nov. 8, 1965, 79 Stat. 1261; Pub. L. 95–180, § 1(c), Nov. 15, 1977, 91 Stat. 1372, related to the allotment to States of funds under the program of equipment grants to institutions of higher education, prior to the general amendment of this subchapter by Pub. L. 96–374.

Amendments

2008—Subsec. (a)(1)(A). Pub. L. 110–315, § 602(1)(A), added subpar. (A) and struck out former subpar. (A). Prior to amendment, text read as follows: “The Secretary is authorized— “(i) to make grants to institutions of higher education, or combinations thereof, for the purpose of establishing, strengthening, and operating comprehensive foreign language and area or international studies centers and programs; and “(ii) to make grants to such institutions or combinations for the purpose of establishing, strengthening, and operating a diverse network of undergraduate foreign language and area or international studies centers and programs.” Subsec. (a)(2)(I), (J). Pub. L. 110–315, § 602(1)(B), added subpars. (I) and (J). Subsec. (a)(4)(C). Pub. L. 110–315, § 602(1)(C)(iv), added subpar. (C). Former subpar. (C) redesignated (D). Pub. L. 110–315, § 602(1)(C)(i), substituted “Partnerships or programs of linkage and outreach” for “Programs of linkage or outreach” and inserted “, including Federal or State scholarship programs for students in related areas” before period at end. Subsec. (a)(4)(D). Pub. L. 110–315, § 602(1)(C)(iii), redesignated subpar. (C) as (D). Former subpar. (D) redesignated (E). Subsec. (a)(4)(E). Pub. L. 110–315, § 602(1)(C)(iii), redesignated subpar. (D) as (E). Former subpar. (E) redesignated (F). Pub. L. 110–315, § 602(1)(C)(ii), substituted “area studies” for “foreign area” and “(D), and (E)” for “(C), and (D)” and struck out “of linkage and outreach” after “programs”. Subsec. (a)(4)(F). Pub. L. 110–315, § 602(1)(C)(iii), redesignated subpar. (E) as (F). Subsec. (b). Pub. L. 110–315, § 602(2)(A), struck out “Graduate” before “fellowships” in heading. Subsec. (b)(2). Pub. L. 110–315, § 602(2)(B), added par. (2) and struck out former par. (2). Prior to amendment, text read as follows: “Students receiving stipends described in paragraph (1) shall be individuals who are engaged in an instructional program with stated performance goals for functional foreign language use or in a program developing such performance goals, in combination with area studies, international studies, or the international aspects of a professional studies program, including predissertation level studies, preparation for dissertation research, dissertation research abroad, and dissertation writing.” Subsecs. (d), (e). Pub. L. 110–315, § 602(3), added subsecs. (d) and (e) and struck out former subsec. (d). Prior to amendment, text read as follows: “Stipends awarded to graduate level recipients may include allowances for dependents and for travel for research and study in the United States and abroad.”

Reference

Citations & Metadata

Citation

20 U.S.C. § 1122

Title 20Education

Last Updated

Apr 6, 2026

Release point: 119-73