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President Bush Announces FY 2008 Budget Proposal
On February 5, 2007, the president announced his budget request for FY 2008, including a $486.4 million request for the educational and cultural exchange programs of the U.S. Department of State and $105.751 million for the Department of Education’s Title VI and Fulbright Hays programs. The amount proposed for educational and cultural exchange programs represents a $60 million increase over 2006 levels and a $41 million increase over the 2007 funding agreement passed in Congress on February 14, 2007. Although the administration requests level funding for the Title VI and Fulbright-Hays programs, an additional $34 million in funding is proposed for the president’s National Security Language Initiative (NSLI) programs under the Department of Education.
According to budget documents from the Department of State, the FY 2008 request includes: $281 million for academic programs, $153 million for professional and cultural exchanges, $49 million for exchanges support, and $3 million for program and performance. The document states that “funding increases in FY 2008 will raise the number of foreign and American participants in exchange programs of proven value and create new opportunities to educate and empower, particularly in the Muslim world.”
The documents also note that the FY 2008 funding will expand NSLI programs run by the Department of State, building international capacity and knowledge among Americans. “It will provide new opportunities for American students to learn critical need languages abroad and strengthen foreign language teaching in the United States. The initiative focuses on Arabic, Chinese, Farsi, Russian, and Turkic languages.”
The budget document also notes that “FY 2008 will also support new efforts to strengthen international education in the national interest under a State-Education initiative. These include new Fulbright awards for outstanding students in science and technology and new U.S. study programs for women and underserved populations.” Funding will “expand professional and cultural programs to support the National Security Strategy, bringing to America journalists, teachers, religious leaders, educators and others who influence their nations and the way young people think. Funding will also expand the Professional Fellows Program under Citizen Exchanges to include new disciplines in all regions.”
The proposed budget for Department of Education includes: $91.541 million for Title VI, $12.610 million for Fulbright Hays, and $1.6 million for the Institute for International Public Policy. According to budget documents from the Department of Education, “These programs support comprehensive language and area study centers within the United States, research and curriculum development, opportunities for American scholars to study abroad, and activities to increase the number of underrepresented minorities in international service. In addition to promoting general understanding of the peoples of other countries, the Department's international programs also serve important economic, diplomatic, defense, and other national security interests.
The 2008 request would fund approximately 458 grants to institutions of higher education, directly support over 994 individuals through fellowships and projects, and support the international service programs of more than 100 underrepresented minorities.” The administration requested an additional $35 million for the Department of Education’s portion of NSLI, of which $34 million is new funding. The funding will be used for: a new K-16 foreign language initiative to “make grants to institutions of higher education for partnerships with school districts for language learning from kindergarten through high school and into advanced language learning at the postsecondary level,” the Language Teacher Corps, the Teacher-to-Teacher Initiative, and additional FLAP grants.
The proposals will now go to Congress for consideration. With few increases for discretionary programs overall in this year’s budget proposal, NAFSA, working together with its partners in the international education community, will continue to advocate for sufficient funding for these important programs.
View details of the FY 2008 State Department budget request
View details of the FY 2008 Education Department budget request
According to budget documents from the Department of State, the FY 2008 request includes: $281 million for academic programs, $153 million for professional and cultural exchanges, $49 million for exchanges support, and $3 million for program and performance. The document states that “funding increases in FY 2008 will raise the number of foreign and American participants in exchange programs of proven value and create new opportunities to educate and empower, particularly in the Muslim world.”
The documents also note that the FY 2008 funding will expand NSLI programs run by the Department of State, building international capacity and knowledge among Americans. “It will provide new opportunities for American students to learn critical need languages abroad and strengthen foreign language teaching in the United States. The initiative focuses on Arabic, Chinese, Farsi, Russian, and Turkic languages.”
The budget document also notes that “FY 2008 will also support new efforts to strengthen international education in the national interest under a State-Education initiative. These include new Fulbright awards for outstanding students in science and technology and new U.S. study programs for women and underserved populations.” Funding will “expand professional and cultural programs to support the National Security Strategy, bringing to America journalists, teachers, religious leaders, educators and others who influence their nations and the way young people think. Funding will also expand the Professional Fellows Program under Citizen Exchanges to include new disciplines in all regions.”
The proposed budget for Department of Education includes: $91.541 million for Title VI, $12.610 million for Fulbright Hays, and $1.6 million for the Institute for International Public Policy. According to budget documents from the Department of Education, “These programs support comprehensive language and area study centers within the United States, research and curriculum development, opportunities for American scholars to study abroad, and activities to increase the number of underrepresented minorities in international service. In addition to promoting general understanding of the peoples of other countries, the Department's international programs also serve important economic, diplomatic, defense, and other national security interests.
The 2008 request would fund approximately 458 grants to institutions of higher education, directly support over 994 individuals through fellowships and projects, and support the international service programs of more than 100 underrepresented minorities.” The administration requested an additional $35 million for the Department of Education’s portion of NSLI, of which $34 million is new funding. The funding will be used for: a new K-16 foreign language initiative to “make grants to institutions of higher education for partnerships with school districts for language learning from kindergarten through high school and into advanced language learning at the postsecondary level,” the Language Teacher Corps, the Teacher-to-Teacher Initiative, and additional FLAP grants.
The proposals will now go to Congress for consideration. With few increases for discretionary programs overall in this year’s budget proposal, NAFSA, working together with its partners in the international education community, will continue to advocate for sufficient funding for these important programs.
View details of the FY 2008 State Department budget request
View details of the FY 2008 Education Department budget request
