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
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.
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Legislative History
Reference
Citation
20 U.S.C. § 1122
Title 20 — Education
Last Updated
Apr 6, 2026
Release point: 119-73