Following notice of non-continuation last week for several federal grants funding programs under Title VI of the Higher Education Act of 1965, ACTFL strongly affirms the value of federal investment in international and world language education for the benefit of our students, communities, U.S. business, and diplomatic efforts.
On September 10, 2025, the U.S. Department of Education (‘the Department’) announced to grantees of the below programs that their funding would not be renewed, reasoning that, because “the purpose of and functions of the international and foreign language education grant programs are not a priority of the Administration, the Department exercised its authority to reprogram the funds to grant programs that are a priority for the Administration.”
- National Resource Centers
- Foreign Language and Area Studies Program
- Undergraduate International Studies and Foreign Language Programs
- International Research and Studies
- Centers for International Business Education
- Language Resource Centers
- American Overseas Research Centers
Furthermore, the notice refers to the intentional omission of these programs from the Department’s FY26 Budget request, stating that they “do not advance American interests or values.”
ACTFL believes that international and language programs, including the expansive network of Title VI grant recipients, contribute meaningfully to all aspects of providing American students with a well-rounded education—including the direct and measurable enhancement of Trump Administration priorities such as literacy, technical education, and career-readiness.
“Language learners—and those who have developed global competence from participating in international exchange and cooperation—out-perform their monolingual counterparts across subject areas, while becoming our visionary leaders of tomorrow,” ACTFL President Milton Alan Turner shared. “Not only are these programs good for U.S. business, but language learning strategically provides our country with a global competitive advantage.”
The International and Foreign Language Education (IFLE) Office administers grant funding for students, teachers, and citizens to address global challenges by fostering a deeper understanding of languages, cultures, places, and peoples. Such programs have resulted in the development of instructional materials; creation of assessments, fora, and opportunities for students to reach high levels of proficiency via study abroad; cutting-edge research on the most pressing world challenges; and so much more. Much of this work memorably supported invaluable security efforts following the attacks of September 11, 2001, as well.
ACTFL Executive Director Lawrence M. Paska, Ph.D., CAE said, “I join the ACTFL Board, members, and staff in thanking the students, scholars, educators, and partners whose important work was funded by Title VI for their efforts to make our world more interconnected, more open to the free exchange of ideas, and better prepared to engage in global partnerships.”
We invite you to explore the many wonderful projects funded by Title VI on the IFLE website. For more information about ACTFL, please contact headquarters@actfl.org.