Academic Exchange Programs - Undergraduate Programs
ECA programs foster engagement and encourage dialogue with citizens around the world.
Educational and cultural engagement is premised on the knowledge that mutual understanding, the development of future leaders, and the benefits of education programs influence societies and affect official decision-making almost everywhere in the world today.
ECA programs inform, engage, and influence participants across strategic sectors of society - including young people, women, teachers, scholars, journalists, and other professionals - increasing the number of foreign individuals who have first-hand experience with Americans and with the values of freedom, representative government, rule of law, economic choice, and individual dignity, while building international knowledge and capacity among Americans.
The purpose of Undergraduate Programs is to provide targeted support for American students to pursue intensive language study abroad and for foreign students to gain a better understanding of the United States, while developing new generations of world leaders.
- FY 2018 Global Undergraduate Exchange Program (Global UGRAD Program)
- FY 2017 Study of the U.S. Institute for Student Leaders on Comparative Public Policymaking
- FY2017 Global Undergraduate Exchange Program with Pakistan
- FY2017 Global Undergraduate Exchange Program with Pakistan
- The Fall 2017 Young Southeast Asian Leaders Initiative (YSEALI) Academic Fellows Program
The Department of State strives to create a more secure, democratic and prosperous world for the benefit of the American people and the international community.
Relevant Nonprofit Program Categories
Program Accomplishments
Fiscal Year 2012: In 2012, the Critical Language Scholarship Program fully-funded 631 U.S. undergraduate and graduate students to study Arabic, Azerbaijani, Bangla, Chinese, Hindi, Indonesian, Japanese, Korean, Persian, Punjabi, Russian, Turkish, and Urdu. Participants improved their language skills at institutes in Europe, North Africa, the Near East, and Asia.
The Global UGRAD Program awarded approximately 630 scholarships to outstanding undergraduate students from East Asia, Eurasia and Central Asia, the Near East and South Asia, and the Western Hemisphere in 2012.
The Study of the U.S. Institutes supported 506 undergraduates from 60 countries in 2012. Fiscal Year 2013: No Current Data Available. Fiscal Year 2014: No Current Data Available.
Uses and Use Restrictions
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 provides one semester and academic year scholarships to outstanding undergraduate students from underrepresented sectors for non-degree full-time study combined with community service, internships and cultural enrichment.
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 foreign undergraduates.
Hosted by universities, colleges, and NGOs throughout the United States, the Institutes include an intensive academic residency, an educational study tour, leadership development, community service activities, and opportunities for participants to engage with American peers.
The Institutes aim to increase the undergraduates understanding of U. S. history, government, culture, society, and institutions with the overall goal of increasing mutual understanding between the people of the United States and the people of other countries.
The Critical Language Scholarship 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 Community College Initiative Program (CCIP) provides educational opportunities to students from underrepresented sectors in participating countries.
Students are placed at U. S. community colleges in one-year certificate programs in the fields of business management and administration; tourism and hospitality management; health professions; media; information technology; agriculture; and engineering science.
Participants increase their employment-related skills and knowledge of English, increase their ability to contribute to the economic development of their countries, and promote mutual understanding.
Please refer to the Grants.gov announcement for further information.
Eligibility Requirements
Applicant Eligibility
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 announcement for further eligibility criteria.
Beneficiary Eligibility
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.
Credentials/Documentation
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 project 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 for further eligibility criteria. OMB Circular No. A-87 applies to this program.
Aplication and Award Process
Preapplication Coordination
Preapplication coordination is not applicable.
Environmental impact information is not required for this program.
This program is excluded from coverage under E.O.
12372.
Application Procedures
OMB Circular No. A-102 applies to this program. OMB Circular No. A-110 applies to this program. OMB Circular No. A-102 applies to this program. OMB Circular No. A-110 applies to this program. Announcements are made on the grants.gov website for organizations meeting eligibility requirements. Announcements are made throughout the fiscal year and are posted to the Department of State"s website: http://eca.state.gov/organizational-funding. The application procedures are described in the grants.gov announcement.
Award Procedures
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 by an authorized Grants Officer, and mailed to the recipient s responsible officer identified in the application.
Deadlines
Contact the headquarters or regional office, as appropriate, for application deadlines.
Authorization
The Fulbright-Hays Act of 1961, as amended, Public Law 87-256, 22 U.S.C 2451.
Range of Approval/Disapproval Time
From 60 to 90 days.
Appeals
Not Applicable.
Renewals
As stated in www.Grants.gov announcements.
Assistance Considerations
Formula and Matching Requirements
This program has no statutory formula.
This program has no matching requirements. None.
This program does not have MOE requirements.
Length and Time Phasing of Assistance
As stated in Grants.gov announcements. See the following for information on how assistance is awarded/released: Assistance is awarded/released through the Department"s central financial management database.
Post Assistance Requirements
Reports
Financial and Program Reporting requirements are described in the Grants.gov announcement.
Cash reports are not applicable.
As stated in Grants.gov announcements.
As stated in Grants.gov announcements.
As stated in Grants.gov announcements.
Audits
In accordance with the provisions of OMB Circular No. A-133 (Revised, June 27, 2003), "Audits of States, Local Governments, and Non-Profit Organizations," nonfederal entities that expend financial assistance of $500,000 or more in Federal awards will have a single or a program-specific audit conducted for that year. Nonfederal entities that expend less than $500,000 a year in Federal awards are exempt from Federal audit requirements for that year, except as noted in Circular No. A-133. The Recipient must comply with the OMB audit requirements. For all DOS awards, regardless of business type, the Recipients are subject to the audit requirements found in OMB audit requirements. In addition, the Recipients are subject to the audit requirements found in the Single Audit Act of 1984, 31 U.S.C. 7501-7507. Please refer to the Department of State Standard Terms and Conditions for Domestic Financial Assistance Awards (http://fa.statebuy.state.gov ) for additional guidance.
Records
The Recipients must maintain financial records, supporting documents, statistical records, and all other records pertinent to an award for a period of three years from the date of submission of the final expenditure report. Please refer to the Department of State Standard Terms and Conditions for Domestic Financial Assistance Awards (http://fa.statebuy.state.gov ) for additional guidance.
Financial Information
Account Identification
19-0201-0-1-154.
Obigations
(Cooperative Agreements) FY 12 $42,315,309; FY 13 est $40,199,543; and FY 14 est $40,199,543
Range and Average of Financial Assistance
$124,293 to $5,001,334.
Regulations, Guidelines, and Literature
As stated in the grants.gov announcements. In addition, organizations should be familiar with OMB Circulars A-110 (Revised) (Uniform Administrative Requirements for Grants and Agreements with Institutions of Higher Education, Hospitals and Other Nonprofit Organizations), A-122/A-21 (Cost Principles for Nonprofit Organizations; Indirect Costs), and A-133/A-128 (Audits of Institutions of Higher Education and Other Nonprofit Organizations) on cost accounting principles. For a copy of the OMB circulars cited, please contact Government Publications or download from http://www.whitehouse.gov/OMB/.
Information Contacts
Regional or Local Office
None.
Headquarters Office
Lana Muck Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs, Office of Academic Exchange Programs, 2200 C Street, NW, SA-5, Fourth Floor, Room 4B07, Washington, District of Columbia 20037 Email: fulbright@state.gov Phone: (202) 632-3238
Criteria for Selecting Proposals
As stated in Grants.gov announcements.
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