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 › § 1124
The Secretary can give grants to colleges, groups of colleges, or partnerships with nonprofit education groups to help plan, build, and run undergraduate programs in international studies and foreign languages. Grants may start new programs or strengthen existing ones. Money can pay part of costs for many activities, such as planning; teaching, research, and curriculum work; faculty and teacher training; library and teaching resources; expanding less‑commonly taught languages; visiting foreign scholars; links between 2‑ and 4‑year schools; study‑abroad programs tied to campus curricula; combining technical or professional training with language and area studies; summer institutes; partnerships with business, government, or K–12; creating overseas links; and using technology to reach more students. Non‑Federal support must cover either one‑third of total costs in cash from private sector donors, or one‑half of costs from cash or in‑kind institutional or other non‑Federal sources. The Secretary may reduce or waive that requirement for institutions eligible for assistance under part A or B of subchapter III or under subchapter V if they show need. Priority goes to applicants that require entering students to have 2 years of high school language or require graduating students to earn 2 years of college language credit (or show equivalent skill), or, for 2‑year schools, offer 2 years of college language credit. Applications must show prior planning, faculty cooperation, equal student access, that federal funds will supplement (not replace) other funds, how students will learn about related scholarships, how diverse views will be included, and how service in national need will be encouraged. The Secretary may require evaluations and yearly reports. Grants may also go to nonprofit agencies or scholarly groups. Up to 20% of the total money for this part may be used for these grants, and grantees may use up to 10% of their award for linked study‑abroad activities that promote language fluency and regional knowledge.
Full Legal Text
Education — Source: USLM XML via OLRC
Legislative History
Reference
Citation
20 U.S.C. § 1124
Title 20 — Education
Last Updated
Apr 6, 2026
Release point: 119-73