Expand Study Abroad for Undergraduates

Summary#

This bill renames an existing State Department program (the IDEAS Program) as the Senator Paul Simon Study Abroad Program and directs the State Department to expand it. The goal is to get far more U.S. undergraduates to study abroad, increase participation by underrepresented students, and send more students to less-common destinations, including many developing countries. The bill sets grant rules, reporting, and broad funding authority but does not state specific dollar amounts.

• Main change: Create a strengthened, renamed study-abroad program run by the State Department that awards competitive grants to colleges and consortia to increase study abroad participation.
• Targets: Aim for 1,000,000 U.S. undergraduates studying abroad annually within 10 years and for study-abroad demographics to match U.S. undergraduate demographics.
• Grant rules: Grants must fund direct student costs, include plans to expand and sustain participation, and meet health, safety, and security guidelines informed by federal travel and health guidance.
• Priorities: The Secretary may give priority to minority-serving institutions, institutions eligible for certain federal strengthening programs, and programs with strong world-language components.
• Reporting and funding: The Secretary must file an annual report to Congress. The bill authorizes appropriations as needed for fiscal year 2027 and later but includes no specific funding levels.

What it means for you#

• Students

  • Could see more scholarship or grant money available to cover direct costs of study abroad (tuition, travel, living costs) if your college wins a grant.
  • The program explicitly covers many students, including permanent residents, eligible noncitizens for federal aid, and U.S. nationals.
  • May increase opportunities to study, intern, or do research abroad for students at institutions that receive grants.

• Underrepresented students (including low-income students, students of color, first-generation students, community college students, students with disabilities)

  • The program is designed to raise participation among these groups and may prioritize grants to institutions that serve them.

• Institutions of higher education (colleges, universities, consortia)

  • Can apply for competitive grants; applications must include plans to expand access, evaluate progress, sustain gains, and follow health/safety rules.
  • Minority-serving institutions and colleges eligible for strengthening grants may receive priority.
  • Colleges may face extra administrative work to prepare grant applications and to follow reporting and safety requirements.

• Programs and faculty

  • Programs that include substantial world-language learning or offer study in nontraditional destinations may be favored.
  • Faculty and administrators may be asked to lead institutional changes to increase study-abroad participation.

• State Department and federal agencies

  • The State Department will run the program, consult with institutions, and provide annual reports to Congress.
  • The Department must use guidance from the State Department’s travel advisories, the Overseas Security Advisory Council, the CDC, and other agencies to shape safety rules.

• Taxpayers

  • The bill authorizes spending as necessary but does not provide exact cost figures.

Expenses#

No estimate of public cost is provided in the bill text or accompanying material.

• The bill authorizes the appropriation of “such sums as may be necessary” beginning in fiscal year 2027, but it does not set dollar amounts.
• Expected spending would include competitive grant awards to colleges for direct student costs.
• Administrative costs for the State Department to run the program, review grants, and produce annual reports are likely but not quantified.
• Colleges may incur application, reporting, and program-expansion costs when seeking and managing grants.
• No fiscal note or specific budget estimate is included in the bill text provided.

Proponents' View#

• The bill appears intended to greatly expand access to study abroad so more U.S. students gain international experience and language skills seen as important for the global economy.
• It aims to reduce equity gaps by increasing participation by low-income students, students of color, community college students, first-generation students, and students with disabilities.
• The bill emphasizes sending more students to nontraditional destinations and developing countries, which could diversify students’ international experiences.
• Requiring that grant funds support direct student costs could lower financial barriers to study abroad.
• The bill follows past recommendations (the Lincoln Commission) to make diversity, quality, and institutional leadership central to expanding study abroad.

Opponents' View#

• One concern is that the bill sets an ambitious target (1,000,000 students annually within 10 years) without specifying the funding level or a detailed plan to reach it.
• The bill does not provide a fiscal estimate, so the total cost and long-term budget impact are unclear.
• Increasing study abroad in nontraditional or developing-country destinations may raise safety, health, and logistical risks that require careful planning; the bill names this issue but leaves implementation details to the Secretary of State.
• The grant-application and reporting requirements could create extra administrative work for colleges, which may be harder for smaller institutions to absorb.
• It is unclear how the Secretary will measure whether study-abroad participation “reflects the demographics” of undergraduates or how sustained increases will be enforced after grant funding ends.