§1124 — Title 20 Education | U.S. Code

Summary

The Secretary can give grants to colleges, groups of colleges, or nonprofit–college partnerships to help plan, build, and run undergraduate programs in international studies and foreign languages. Grants can pay for many activities, such as planning, teaching, curriculum and faculty training, library and teacher resources, more language courses (including less commonly taught ones), visiting foreign teachers, linkages between 2‑ and 4‑year schools, study‑abroad programs tied to campus courses, summer institutes, partnerships with business or government, and using technology to reach more students. Grants usually need non‑Federal money too. That money can be private cash equal to one‑third of the program cost, or cash and in‑kind contributions equal to one‑half of the cost. The Secretary can reduce or waive that requirement for institutions that are eligible for certain other federal aid and that show need. Priority goes to applicants that require students to have 2 years of secondary school language study or 2 years of college‑level language credit (or the equivalent). Applications must show planning, faculty involvement, equal student access, that Federal funds will supplement (not replace) other funds, and plans to inform students about related scholarships, present diverse viewpoints, and encourage service in areas of national need. The Secretary may require evaluations and annual reports. The Secretary may also make grants to nonprofit organizations when they will make a big difference. No more than 20 percent of the total money for this part can be used for these grants, and a grantee may use at most 10 percent of its grant for study‑abroad activities that promote language fluency and regional knowledge.

Title 20, §1124

Education — Source: USLM XML via OLRC

(a)(1)The Secretary is authorized to make grants to institutions of higher education, consortia of such institutions, or partnerships between nonprofit educational organizations and institutions of higher education, to assist such institutions, consortia or partnerships in planning, developing, and carrying out programs to improve undergraduate instruction in international studies and foreign languages. Such grants shall be awarded to institutions, consortia or partnerships seeking to create new programs or to strengthen existing programs in foreign languages, area studies, and other international fields.

(2)Grants made under this section may be used for the Federal share of the cost of projects and activities which are an integral part of such a program, such as—

(A)planning for the development and expansion of undergraduate programs in international studies and foreign languages;

(B)teaching, research, curriculum development, faculty training in the United States or abroad, and other related activities, including—

(i)the expansion of library and teaching resources; and

(ii)pre-service teacher training and in-service teacher professional development;

(C)expansion of opportunities for learning foreign languages, including less commonly taught languages;

(D)programs under which foreign teachers and scholars may visit institutions as visiting faculty;

(E)programs designed to develop or enhance linkages between 2- and 4-year institutions of higher education, or baccalaureate and post-baccalaureate programs or institutions;

(F)the development of undergraduate educational programs—

(i)in locations abroad where such opportunities are not otherwise available or that serve students for whom such opportunities are not otherwise available; and

(ii)that provide courses that are closely related to on-campus foreign language and international curricula;

(G)the integration of new and continuing education abroad opportunities for undergraduate students into curricula of specific degree programs;

(H)the development of model programs to enrich or enhance the effectiveness of educational programs abroad, including predeparture and postreturn programs, and the integration of educational programs abroad into the curriculum of the home institution;

(I)the provision of grants for educational programs abroad that—

(i)are closely linked to the program’s overall goals; and

(ii)have the purpose of promoting foreign language fluency and knowledge of world regions;

(J)the development of programs designed to integrate professional and technical education with foreign languages, area studies, and other international fields;

(K)the establishment of linkages overseas with institutions of higher education and organizations that contribute to the educational programs assisted under this subsection;

(L)the conduct of summer institutes in foreign area, foreign language, and other international fields to provide faculty and curriculum development, including the integration of professional and technical education with foreign area and other international studies, and to provide foreign area and other international knowledge or skills to government personnel or private sector professionals in international activities;

(M)the development of partnerships between—

(i)institutions of higher education; and

(ii)the private sector, government, or elementary and secondary education institutions,

(N)the use of innovative technology to increase access to international education programs.

(3)The non-Federal share of the cost of the programs assisted under this subsection—

(A)may be provided in cash from the private sector corporations or foundations in an amount equal to one-third of the total cost of the programs assisted under this section; or

(B)may be provided as an in-cash or in-kind contribution from institutional and noninstitutional funds, including State and private sector corporation or foundation contributions, equal to one-half of the total cost of the programs assisted under this section.

(4)The Secretary may waive or reduce the required non-Federal share for institutions that—

(A)are eligible to receive assistance under part A or B of subchapter III or under subchapter V; and

(B)have submitted a grant application under this section that demonstrates a need for a waiver or reduction.

(5)In awarding grants under this section, the Secretary shall give priority to applications from institutions of higher education, consortia or partnerships that require entering students to have successfully completed at least 2 years of secondary school foreign language instruction or that require each graduating student to earn 2 years of postsecondary credit in a foreign language (or have demonstrated equivalent competence in the foreign language) or, in the case of a 2-year degree granting institution, offer 2 years of postsecondary credit in a foreign language.

(6)Grants under this subsection shall reflect the purposes of this part and be made on such conditions as the Secretary determines to be necessary to carry out this subsection.

(7)Each application for assistance under this subsection shall include—

(A)evidence that the applicant has conducted extensive planning prior to submitting the application;

(B)an assurance that the faculty and administrators of all relevant departments and programs served by the applicant are involved in ongoing collaboration with regard to achieving the stated objectives of the application;

(C)an assurance that students at the applicant institutions, as appropriate, will have equal access to, and derive benefits from, the program assisted under this subsection;

(D)an assurance that each applicant, consortium, or partnership will use the Federal assistance provided under this subsection to supplement and not supplant non-Federal funds the institution expends for programs to improve undergraduate instruction in international studies and foreign languages;

(E)a description of how the applicant will provide information to students regarding federally funded scholarship programs in related areas;

(F)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, where applicable; and

(G)a description of how the applicant will encourage service in areas of national need, as identified by the Secretary.

(8)The Secretary may establish requirements for program evaluations and require grant recipients to submit annual reports that evaluate the progress and performance of students participating in programs assisted under this subsection.

(b)The Secretary may also award grants to public and private nonprofit agencies and organizations, including professional and scholarly associations, whenever the Secretary determines such grants will make an especially significant contribution to improving undergraduate international studies and foreign language programs.

(c)(1)The Secretary may use not more than 20 percent of the total amount appropriated for this part for carrying out the purposes of this section.

(2)Of the total amount of grant funds awarded to a grantee under this section, the grantee may use not more than ten percent of such funds for the activity described in subsection (a)(2)(I).

Notes & Related Subsidiaries

Editorial Notes

Prior Provisions

A prior section 1124, Pub. L. 89–329, title VI, § 604, as added Pub. L. 96–374, title VI, § 601(a), Oct. 3, 1980, 94 Stat. 1466; amended Pub. L. 99–498, title VI, § 604, Oct. 17, 1986, 100 Stat. 1516; Pub. L. 102–325, title VI, § 601,

July 23, 1992, 106 Stat. 722, authorized grants for undergraduate international studies and foreign language programs, prior to the general amendment of this part by Pub. L. 105–244. Another prior section 1124, Pub. L. 89–329, title VI, § 604, Nov. 8, 1965, 79 Stat. 1263; Pub. L. 89–752, § 14, Nov. 3, 1966, 80 Stat. 1244; Pub. L. 90–575, title II, § 242(b)–(d), Oct. 16, 1968, 82 Stat. 1041; Pub. L. 94–482, title I, § 157, Oct. 12, 1976, 90 Stat. 2156, provided for grants to institutions of higher education for projects, prior to the general amendment of this subchapter by Pub. L. 96–374. A prior section 1124a, Pub. L. 89–329, title VI, § 605, as added Pub. L. 99–498, title VI, § 605(2), Oct. 17, 1986, 100 Stat. 1517; amended Pub. L. 102–325, title VI, § 601,

July 23, 1992, 106 Stat. 725, authorized grants for intensive summer language institutes, prior to the general amendment of this part by Pub. L. 105–244.

Amendments

2009—Subsec. (a)(2). Pub. L. 111–39, § 601(a)(1)(A), inserted “the” before “Federal” in introductory provisions. Subsec. (a)(7)(D). Pub. L. 111–39, § 601(a)(1)(B), substituted “applicant, consortium,” for “institution, combination”. 2008—Subsec. (a)(1). Pub. L. 110–315, § 604(1), substituted “consortia” for “combinations” wherever appearing. Subsec. (a)(2)(B)(ii). Pub. L. 110–315, § 604(2)(A), amended cl. (ii) generally. Prior to amendment, cl. (ii) read as follows: “preservice and inservice teacher training;”. Subsec. (a)(2)(I) to (N). Pub. L. 110–315, § 604(2)(B), (C), added subpar. (I) and redesignated former subpars. (I) to (M) as (J) to (N), respectively. Subsec. (a)(4)(B). Pub. L. 110–315, § 604(3), inserted “that demonstrates a need for a waiver or reduction” before period at end. Subsec. (a)(5). Pub. L. 110–315, § 610(a), substituted “consortia” for “combinations”. Subsec. (a)(6). Pub. L. 110–315, § 604(4), inserted “reflect the purposes of this part and” after “subsection shall”. Subsec. (a)(7)(E) to (G). Pub. L. 110–315, § 604(5), added subpars. (E) to (G). Subsec. (c). Pub. L. 110–315, § 604(6), designated existing provisions as par. (1), inserted heading, substituted “20 percent” for “10 percent”, and added par. (2).

Statutory Notes and Related Subsidiaries

Effective Date

of 2009 AmendmentAmendment by Pub. L. 111–39 effective as if enacted on the date of enactment of Pub. L. 110–315 (Aug. 14, 2008), see section 3 of Pub. L. 111–39, set out as a note under section 1001 of this title.

§1124 Undergraduate International Studies and Foreign Language Programs