On the heels of news that K-12 districts nationwide have yet to receive appropriated federal funds for Summer and Fall 2025 programming amounting to an estimated $6.2 billion, ACTFL is concerned to learn of the 400+ academic programs at risk of suspension, consolidation, or elimination among Indiana Institutes of Higher Education for the 2026–27 academic year.
In response to a new state law enacted July 1, 2025, at least six Indiana public institutions of higher education are proposing voluntary cuts and changes. The House Enrolled Act 1001-2025 demands that state educational institutions seek approval from the Indiana Commission for Higher Education to continue “under-threshold” degree programs, based on recent enrollment data.
This restructuring strikes languages and education particularly hard. Affected programs across schools include bachelor’s and master’s degrees in world languages, doctoral pathways in world languages, and multiple teacher education degrees.
Governor Mike Braun insists in a press release that streamlined offerings will prepare students for work “in the most in-demand fields” and “ensure there is a direct connection between the skills students are gaining through higher education and the skills they need most.” By contrast, research shows that language skills place multilingual job candidates at a competitive advantage in the jobs market. Furthermore, language learners develop improved skills identified in the Career and Technical Education (CTE) Employability Skills Framework—becoming advanced collaborators, analyzers, planners, thinkers, and communicators across professional sectors.
“ACTFL’s study Making Languages Our Business demonstrates that 90% of U.S. employers state a reliance on individuals with language skills,” shared ACTFL Executive Director Lawrence M. Paska, PhD, CAE. “Now, more than ever, we need broad support for language education to prime the pipeline of future leaders in business, government, education, and all areas of our society.”
The carving away of liberal arts opportunities in U.S. higher education will have repercussions beyond an immediate impact on the students unable to pursue such pathways. At a time when the current Administration insists on “returning education to the states” but does not follow through on funding that empowerment, this Act will ultimately intensify the national teacher shortage and set a dangerous pattern for other states to follow.
ACTFL President Milton Alan Turner noted, “ACTFL is working closely with partners like the Joint National Committee for Languages (JNCL), among others, to ensure that our members are informed of opportunities to take action supporting their colleagues and students.”
ACTFL understands that budgets are strained and states are seeking solutions to provide the best resources possible to families and learners. We encourage the Indiana Commission for Higher Education to weigh the grave consequences of eliminating a focus on global competence and consider, instead, exempting language programs from closure under this bill, leveraging language education to create and sustain worldclass career preparation pathways across fields.