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Undergraduate Programs
19.009
As authorized by the Fulbright-Hays Act, the Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs (ECA) seeks to increase mutual understanding between the people of the United States and the people of other countries by means of educational and cultural exchange programs, including the exchange of scholars, researchers, professionals, students, and educators. ECA programs foster engagement and encourage dialogue with citizens around the world. Educational and cultural engagement is premised on the knowledge that mutual understanding, the development of future leaders, and the benefits of education programs serve to influence societies and affect official decision-making almost everywhere in the world today. ECA programs inform, engage, and influence participants across strategic sectors of society – including young people, women, teachers, scholars, journalists, and other professionals – increasing the number of foreign individuals who have first-hand experience with Americans and with the values of freedom, representative government, rule of law, economic choice, and individual dignity, while building international knowledge and capacity among Americans. The purpose of Undergraduate Programs is to provide targeted support for American students to pursue intensive language study abroad and to expand the opportunities available for American students via study abroad programming as well as to provide foreign students with opportunities to gain a better understanding of the United States, while developing new generations of world leaders. Undergraduate programs include the Global Undergraduate Exchange Program (Global UGRAD); Study of the U.S. Institutes for Student Leaders (SUSI); Community College Initiative (CCI) Program ; the Critical Language Scholarship (CLS) Program; and the Increase and Diversify Education Abroad for U.S. Students (IDEAS) Program.
This chart shows obligations for the program by fiscal year. All data for this chart was provided by the
administering agency and sourced from SAM.gov, USASpending.gov, and Treasury.gov.
For more information on each of these data sources, please see the
About the data page.
No Current Data Available. In 2016, approximately 25 individual UGRAD scholarships were awarded.
There were approximately 685 participants in Study of the U.S. Institutes for Student Leaders including in YSEALI exchanges. Twenty-four universities, colleges, and NGOs throughout the United States hosted the SUSI and YSEALI students. In FY 2016, 1,000 Mandela Washington Fellows from all 48 sub-Saharan African countries participated in the inaugural Fellowship. They were hosted by 38 universities and colleges throughout the United States.
In FY 20165, 146242 Community College Initiative Program participants from 1113 countries were placed at U.S. community colleges.
In FY 20165, 564550 U.S. undergraduate and graduate students studied in fourteen countries and twenty-three institutes across the world through the Critical Language Scholarship Program.
In FY 2016, approximately eleven U.S. higher education institutions will receive grants to expand or diversify their study abroad opportunities through the Capacity-Building Program for U.S. Undergraduate Study Abroad.
In Fiscal Year 2017, the Critical Language Scholarship (CLS) Program supported more than 550 U.S. students on intensive summer institutes to study Arabic, Azerbaijani, Bangla, Chinese, Hindi, Indonesian, Japanese, Korean, Persian, Punjabi, Russian, Swahili, Turkish, and Urdu. CLS also increased domestic outreach efforts to U.S. colleges and universities, including engagement with advisors and program alumni.
The Community College Initiative Program provided awards to 146 international participants.
In Fiscal Year 2017, the Study of the U.S. Branch hosted a total of 421 SUSI undergraduate participants from around the world. The Young Southeast Asian Leaders Initiative (YSEALI) hosted 250 fellows while the Mandela Washington Fellowship (YALI) hosted 700 fellows.
In FY 2017, Global UGRAD brought 250 students from around the world to the United States to study in American universities.
In Fiscal Year 2018, the Critical Language Scholarship (CLS) Program continued outreach efforts with advisors and other key audiences at U.S. colleges and universities, engaged with program alumni, and supported more than 568 U.S. students on intensive summer institutes to study Arabic, Azerbaijani, Bangla, Chinese, Hindi, Indonesian, Japanese, Korean, Persian, Punjabi, Russian, Swahili, Turkish, and Urdu. Portuguese language study was added for summer 2019.
In Fiscal Year 2018, the Community College Initiative Program provided awards to 135 international participants.
In 2019, Global UGRAD placed 244 students at over 70 institutions across the United States.
In 2019, Global UGRAD Pakistan placed 270 students at 103 host schools in 42 states.
In 2019 SUSI placed 427 student leaders in 18 host institutions across the United States.
In 2019, the YSEALI Academic Fellowship placed 125 Fellows in seven institutions across the United States.
In 2019 (FY 2018) the Mandela Washington Fellowship placed 698 Fellows at institutes across the United States.
In 2020 (FY 2019) 700 candidates from across Sub-Saharan Africa were selected to participate in the program in 2021.
In 2019, 128 students from 12 countries studied at community colleges across the United States under the Community College Initiative Program.
Under the Critical Language Scholarship Program, approximately 546 undergraduate and graduate students completed intensive summer programs in 15 priority languages.
The U.S. Capacity Building Program provided 24 awards to U.S. higher education institutions in 2019.
Global UGRAD successfully pivoted to virtual English Language Training (ELT) in Fall 2019 due to the travel restrictions caused by the COVID-19 pandemic with 37 students participating in the ELT.
Approximately 448 foreign undergraduate students participated in virtual SUSI programs in FY 2021, most funded with FY 2020 funds. Six hundred and sixty-eight MWF fellows participated in the summer 2021 YALI programs, all virtual participants were funded with FY20 funds. During FY 2021, 248 YSEALI fellows participated in virtual programming, funded with FY 2020 funds. In FY 2021, Global UGRAD placed more than 320 students at over 80 institutions around the United States for the Spring 2022 semester.
In FY 2022, ECA selected 700 young leaders from 49 countries in Sub-Saharan Africa to participate in the Mandela Washington Fellowship. In FY 2022, 250 undergraduates or recent graduates from Southeast Asia participated in the Young Southeast Asian Leaders Initiative (YSEALI) Academic Fellowship. In FY 2022, the Community College Initiative program brought 146 students from 17 different countries to the United States for an academic year. In FY 2022, the Global UGRAD Program brought approximately 300 students from 62 different countries to the United States for a one semester exchange program.
The Community College Initiative Program hosted approximately 140 participants from nine countries at nine US community colleges to focus on acquiring the technical skills needed to join the workforce, responding to emerging national priorities, and labor market demands in fields such as applied engineering, cybersecurity, and public health. The Critical Language Scholarship Program sent approximately 500 college and university students to thirteen countries to study languages and cultures critical to national security and America’s engagement globally. Through the Increase and Diversify Education Abroad for U.S. Students (IDEAS) Program 37 grants totaling nearly $1.3 million were awarded to U.S. colleges and universities to increase the number of Americans studying abroad and to expand the destinations hosting Americans.
No Current Data Available.
No Current Data Available.
Single Audit Applies (2 CFR Part 200 Subpart F):
For additional information on single audit requirements for this program, review the current Compliance Supplement.
OMB is working with the U.S. Government Accountability Office (GAO) and agency offices of inspectors general to include links to relevant oversight reports. This section will be updated once this information is made available.
