U.S. Department of Education Awards More Than $1.5 Million to Strengthen and Improve Undergraduate International Studies and Foreign Language Instruction

The U.S. Department of Education today awarded $1,537,875 in grants to 17 higher education institutions to create, plan, develop, and carry out programs to strengthen and improve undergraduate instruction in international studies and foreign language. The Undergraduate International Studies and Foreign Language Program (UISFL) grants also may be used to develop programs that focus on international health, peace or democracy, and to create innovative curricula that combine teaching of international studies with professional and pre-professional studies, such as engineering. UISFL funding also supports programs that allow students to study abroad and to incorporate different cultures into their educational experience.

"The United States is a long way from being the multi-lingual society that so many of our economic competitors are," U.S. Secretary of Education Arne Duncan said. "Every child deserves a world-class education, and today, more than ever, a world-class education requires students to be able to speak and read languages in addition to English."

Including the 17 new grantees, the UISFL program has awarded an additional $461,096 in continuation grants for a total of nearly $2 million this fiscal year. The Undergraduate International Studies and Foreign Language program is administered by the Office of Postsecondary Education. For additional information, visit http://www2.ed.gov/programs/iegpsugisf/index.html.

A complete list of the 17 grant award recipients is below: