Simon Study Abroad Bill Advances in House of Representatives

WASHINGTON, May 21, 2009 - The Senator Paul Simon Study Abroad Foundation Act took another step forward in the U.S. House of Representatives yesterday as the House Foreign Affairs Committee approved the Foreign Relations Authorization Act for Fiscal Years 2010 and 2011 (H.R. 2410). This comprehensive legislation's primary function is to authorize funding for the operations of the U.S. Department of State and the Peace Corps, but it also includes innovative new programs like the Simon legislation that are critical to meeting U.S. foreign policy and public diplomacy needs. The House is expected to act quickly to take up the bill on the floor.

"NAFSA applauds the Committee and Chairman Berman for their leadership and quick action on this forward-looking bill, and for including the Simon Study Abroad Act, which will greatly expand the global knowledge base of America's college graduates," said NAFSA Executive Director and CEO Marlene M. Johnson.

The Senator Paul Simon Study Abroad Foundation Act will establish a new government foundation to expand four-fold the number of U.S. undergraduates who study abroad in quality programs across the globe, recognizing the urgent need to prepare the next generation of college graduates with critical language skills, cross-cultural competencies, and international knowledge. The program will focus on ensuring access to study abroad for all undergraduates and encouraging study abroad in non-traditional locations, especially in the developing world. It takes a unique approach to expanding study abroad by leveraging private-sector support for study abroad and encouraging U.S. higher education institutions to address the on-campus factors that currently impede study abroad participation.

Also included in the Foreign Relations Authorization Act are other provisions that will significantly advance U.S. public diplomacy efforts, such as: doubling the size of the Peace Corps; increasing the authorization amount for the U.S. Department of State's educational and cultural exchange programs; establishing new exchange programs to help students from various regions of the world to study in the U.S.; and authorizing the hiring of an additional 1,500 Foreign Service Officers and improving the Department of State's tools for recruiting and training Foreign Service Officers.