Academic Exchange Programs - Undergraduate Programs

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 exchan

Funding is provided to non-profit organizations, colleges, and universities to support their work in designing and administering programs as well as coordinating program logistics. Funding supports publicity and recruitment, screening of applications, communication with participants, payment of participant costs, and the provision of enrichment activities. The Global Undergraduate Exchange Program (Global UGRAD) provides one semester scholarships to outstanding undergraduate students from underrepresented and underserved communities in Central Asia, East Asia and the Pacific, Europe, Eurasia, the Near East, South Asia, Sub-Saharan Africa, and the Western Hemisphere. In FY 23, Global UGRAD placed more than 140 students at over 40 institutions around the United States for the Spring 2023 semester. The Global Undergraduate Exchange Program with Pakistan (Global UGRAD Pakistan) provides one semester scholarships to outstanding, undergraduate, emerging student leaders from across Pakistan who traditionally may not have access to the American educational system. Global UGRAD Pakistan supported 108 participants during academic year 2023-2024. Fifty-four fall 2023 and 54 spring 2024 students were placed at 52 U.S. host campuses in 35 states across the country. The Study of the U.S. Institutes for Student Leaders are five-to-six week academic programs focusing on topics in U.S. studies for groups of 20 foreign undergraduates. This model includes the Young Southeast Asian Leaders (YSEALI) Academic Fellows Program, which aims to build the leadership capacity of youth in Asia, to strengthen ties between the United States and Asia, and to nurture an ASEAN identity. The Mandela Washington Fellowship for Young African Leaders (YALI) also follows the SUSI model but targets young professionals from Sub-Saharan Africa. In FY 2023, the Fellowship selected 700 young leaders from 49 countries in Sub-Saharan Africa to participate in the program. The Community College Initiative Program (CCI) provides scholarships for participants from target countries to study and train for up to one academic year at a U.S. community college. With improved technical, professional, and entrepreneurial skills, the participants return home to join their local workforce and contribute to economic growth and stability in strategic countries. The program advances America's security and prosperity by addressing critical workforce gaps in industries essential to national security, economic resilience, and global competitiveness. The participants join a global network of over 3,900 CCI alumni that have strengthened ties between the U.S. and 30 countries since the program's inception in 2007. The Critical Language Scholarship (CLS) Program provides funded, group-based intensive language instruction and structured cultural enrichment experiences to U.S. undergraduate and graduate students through overseas summer institutes. The CLS Program is designed to increase the number of Americans studying and mastering foreign languages that are critical to U.S. national security and economic competitiveness.

Pursuant to the Mutual Educational and Cultural Exchange Act of 1961, as amended (Fulbright-Hays Act) the Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs of the U.S. Department of State awards grants and cooperative agreements to educational and cultural public or private nonprofit foundations or institutions. Applications may be submitted by public and private non-profit organizations meeting the provisions described in Internal Revenue Code section 26 USC 501(c)(3). Organizations must have nonprofit status with the IRS at the time of application. Please refer to the Grants.gov or the U.S. Department of State's MyGrants (formerly SAMS Domestic) announcement for further eligibility criteria.

Beneficiaries include recipient organizations, educational institutions, other non-government organizations (NGOs) that meet the provisions described in Internal Revenue Code section 26 USC 501(c)(3), as well as sponsored participants, and the American people and the people of participating countries who interact with the international participants.

Funding is provided to non-profit organizations, colleges, and universities to support their work in designing and administering programs as well as coordinating program logistics. Funding supports publicity and recruitment, screening of applications, communication with participants, payment of participant costs, and the provision of enrichment activities. The Global Undergraduate Exchange Program (Global UGRAD) provides one semester scholarships to outstanding undergraduate students from underrepresented and underserved communities in Central Asia, East Asia and the Pacific, Europe, Eurasia, the Near East, South Asia, Sub-Saharan Africa, and the Western Hemisphere. In FY 23, Global UGRAD placed more than 140 students at over 40 institutions around the United States for the Spring 2023 semester. The Global Undergraduate Exchange Program with Pakistan (Global UGRAD Pakistan) provides one semester scholarships to outstanding, undergraduate, emerging student leaders from across Pakistan who traditionally may not have access to the American educational system. Global UGRAD Pakistan supported 108 participants during academic year 2023-2024. Fifty-four fall 2023 and 54 spring 2024 students were placed at 52 U.S. host campuses in 35 states across the country. The Study of the U.S. Institutes for Student Leaders are five-week academic programs focusing on topics in U.S. studies for 19 groups of 20 foreign undergraduates. This model includes the Young Southeast Asian Leaders (YSEALI) Academic Fellowship, which aims to build the leadership capacity of youth in Asia, to strengthen ties between the United States and Asia, and to nurture an ASEAN identity. The Mandela Washington Fellowship for Young African Leaders (YALI) also follows the SUSI model but targets young professionals from Sub-Saharan Africa. In FY 2023, the Fellowship selected 700 young leaders from 49 countries in Sub-Saharan Africa to participate in the program. The Community College Initiative Program (CCIP) provides emerging leaders from underserved and underrepresented groups with a one-year non-degree academic program at a U.S. community college in the fields of agriculture; information technology; applied engineering; and other relevant technology fields; business management and administration; early childhood education; media and communications; public safety; and tourism and hospitality management. Approximately 142 participants from nine countries completed programming at community college campuses across the United States. The Critical Language Scholarship (CLS) Program provides fully-funded, group-based intensive language instruction and structured cultural enrichment experiences to U.S. undergraduate and graduate students through overseas summer institutes. The CLS program is designed to increase the number of Americans studying and mastering foreign languages that are critical to U.S. national security and economic competitiveness. In 2023, the CLS Program successfully held virtual and hybrid institutes for more than 500 undergraduate and graduate students. The Increase and Diversify Education Abroad for U.S. Students (IDEAS) Program provides awards to U.S. colleges and universities to expand and diversify their study abroad programs and broaden study abroad opportunities for students who have been traditionally underrepresented in study abroad and/or develop programs of study for students to destinations, and/or in disciplines, that have been traditionally underrepresented in study abroad. The goal is to increase the number of students who have the knowledge and skills they need to compete in the global economy and to help address global challenges as well as to develop sustainable study abroad programs that can benefit future cohorts of students. In FY23, approximately 37 U.S. higher education institutions received IDEAS awards to enhance their study abroad programming.

As stated in Grants.gov or the U.S. Department of State's MyGrants (formerly SAMS Domestic) announcements. See the following for information on how assistance is awarded/released: Assistance is awarded/released through the Department's central financial management database.

As stated in Grants.gov or the U.S. Department of State's MyGrants (formerly SAMS Domestic) announcements.

Final awards cannot be made until funds have been appropriated by Congress, allocated and committed through internal Bureau procedures. Successful applicants will receive a Federal Assistance Award (FAA) from the Bureau's Grants Office. The FAA and the original proposal with subsequent modifications (if applicable) shall be the only binding authorizing document between the recipient and the U.S. Government. The FAA will be signed/validated by an authorized Grants Officer, and sent via the U.S. Department of State's MyGrants (formerly SAMS Domestic) to the recipient's responsible officer identified in the application.

See Grants.gov or the U.S. Department of State's MyGrants (formerly SAMS Domestic) for announcements.

As stated in Grants.gov or the U.S. Department of State's MyGrants (formerly SAMS Domestic) announcements.