11. Department of Education · Minor · Needs Congress
Move national-security-related education programs to the State Department
Printed page 327 11. Department of Education
“Move programs deemed important to our national security interests to the Department of State.”
What has happened
- Attempted
ED proposed rescinding its International Education Programs and Fulbright-Hays regulations outright, to give itself "greater flexibility" over programs authorized under Title VI of the HEA and the Mutual Educational and Cultural Exchange Act. A proposed rule, not a final one, and a rescission of ED's rules is not a transfer of the programs.
- Attempted
The fiscal year 2027 Budget Request asks Congress to eliminate the International Education and Foreign Language Studies programs altogether. The FY 2025 competitions were already not funded, which the ED-State fact sheet acknowledges.
- Attempted
The ED-State International Education and Foreign Language Studies Partnership hands the Department of State a growing role in administering the Fulbright-Hays grant and the international fellowship programs authorized under Title VI of the Higher Education Act and the Mutual Educational and Cultural Exchange Act. The fact sheet's stated reason is that State "is best positioned to tailor foreign language education programs with the national security and foreign policy priorities of the United States" - the Quote's own test. It is an Economy Act service contract and the programs' authorities stay with ED.
Research log
What was searched, and what didn’t count as evidence
Research notes
- The ED-State fact sheet is candid that the transfer is contingent: State would administer these programs “should Congress choose to fund these programs in FY 26”.
- The half of this ask that needs an act of Congress rests on one negative search, run once for the program transfers and eliminations on pp. 325–327.
- Action
- transfer
- Object
- Education programs tied to national security interests
- ID
- 822