President Bush Announces 2009 Budget Proposal

On February 4, 2008, the president announced his budget request for FY 2009, including a $522 million request for the educational and cultural exchange programs of the U.S. Department of State and $108.983 million for the Department of Education’s International Education and Foreign Languages Studies (IEFLS) programs which include Title VI and the Fulbright Hays programs.

The amount proposed for educational and cultural exchange programs represents a $21 million increase over 2008 levels. The administration also requests a slight increase for the Title VI and Fulbright-Hays programs. An additional $24 million in funding is proposed for the Advancing America through Foreign Language Partnerships program, which is part of the President’s National Security Language Initiative (NSLI) under the Department of Education.

According to budget documents from the Department of State, the FY 2009 request includes: $303 million for academic programs, $162 million for professional and cultural exchanges, $55 million for exchanges support, and $3 million for program and performance. The report justifies the funding for these programs, stating "ECA programs foster engagement and encourage dialogue with citizens around the world, particularly with key influencers such as clerics, educators, journalists, women, and youth."

The documents also note that the FY 2009 funding will sustain 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 FY2009 request also includes $36 million for the President’s pledge to create a new Partnership for Latin American Youth. This program incorporates many facets including building upon the community college initiative, bringing disadvantaged and indigenous students to U.S. institutes of higher education, providing scholarships to study English, and offering short-term youth exchanges to the U.S. for young leaders.

The proposed budget for the Department of Education includes: $94.9 million for Title VI, $13.4 million for Fulbright Hays, and $1.7 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 2009 request would fund approximately 471 grants to institutions of higher education, directly support over 1010 individuals through fellowships and projects, and support the international service programs of more than 100 underrepresented minorities."

According to the proposed budget for the Department of Education, "The key NSLI component in the 2009 request is $24 million for a new Advancing America Through Foreign Language Partnerships program, now authorized under the America COMPETES Act, which would 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 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.

The 2009 federal fiscal year runs from October 1, 2008, through September 30, 2009.

View details of the FY 2009 State Department budget request

View details of the FY 2009 Education Department budget request