11. Department of Education · Notable · Needs Congress
Wind down Title VI 'area studies' programs at universities
Printed page 356 11. Department of Education
“Congress should wind down so-called “area studies” programs at universities (Title VI of the HEA), which, although intended to serve American interests, sometimes fund programs that run counter to those interests.”
What has happened
- Attempted
The President's special message under section 1012 of the Impoundment Control Act asked Congress to take back nearly all of this year's Title VI money. Rescission proposal R26-8 "would rescind $69.6 million of the $70.3 million appropriated in FY 2026 for International Education and Foreign Language, Domestic Programs", the HEA Title VI programs, on the ground that they "have deviated from their core mission". This is a second formal request, separate from the FY2027 Budget's: that one asked Congress not to fund next year, and this one asks it to cancel money already appropriated. Like the CPB rescissions on #640, it is `attempted` until Congress acts. If Congress does not pass a rescission bill within 45 days of continuous session, the funds must be released, and that goes in this note.
- Attempted
The President's FY2027 Budget asks Congress to eliminate International and Foreign Language Education (–$81 million), the Title VI HEA account, and records that this "builds on 2025 action to reprogram this funding to other activities". A Budget request is a formal administration request and so `attempted` (playbook §3b). Congress went the other way five weeks earlier: the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2026 funds Title VI of the HEA and section 102(b)(6) of the Mutual Educational and Cultural Exchange Act by name.
- Attempted
The Department withdrew the notices inviting applications and canceled the FY2025 competitions for the Fulbright-Hays Group Projects Abroad, Doctoral Dissertation Research Abroad and Faculty Research Abroad programs — the overseas half of the international-education account the Quote's "area studies" programs sit in. An executive workaround: the Title VI authorities and their appropriation are untouched.
Research log
What was searched, and what didn’t count as evidence
Research notes
- The Department also proposed on 2026-07-01 to rescind every Title VI implementing regulation (34 CFR parts 655–669, RIN 1875-AA18, FR 2026-13248) — but as deregulation “to provide the Department with greater flexibility in carrying out its statutory authority to implement these programs”, not as a wind-down. It is scored on #900, which asks for a new regulation on the same parts.
- Congress has not acted: no bill in the 119th Congress corpus would repeal or phase out Title VI of the HEA.
- Action
- eliminate
- Object
- Title VI HEA “area studies” programs
- ID
- 899