Dear Title VI and Fulbright-Hays Grantees, Former Grantees and Supporters,
Last week, the Senate Appropriations Committee reported by a vote of 29-1 a "first-in-7-years" bipartisan Labor, HHS, Education and Related Agencies Appropriations Bill. The FY 2017 bill funds HEA-Title VI International Education and Foreign Language Studies at the FY 2016 level, but unfortunately reduces Fulbright-Hays overseas programs by $4.893 or 69% below FY 2016, as proposed by the Administration's FY 2017 budget.
If the Senate's 69% cut to Fulbright-Hays were enacted, only Group Projects Abroad (GPA) non-competing continuation grants would be funded next year at $2.2 million. There would be no new competitions for Doctoral Dissertation Research Abroad (DDRAs), Group Projects Abroad (GPAs) or Seminars Abroad (SA). The cut would devastate the Fulbright-Hays program.
Though Title VI programs were not cut in the Senate bill, they are vulnerable in the House along with Fulbright-Hays. The House Appropriations Committee, and its Labor, HHS, Education and Related Agencies subcommittee are expected to consider their comparable bill very soon, before the end of this month. The House subcommittee is expecting an even lower budget allocation than the comparable Senate subcommittee. We still have a small window of opportunity to influence their bill.
The Coalition for International Education in cooperation with the National Humanities Alliance has mounted an Action Alert on Title VI/Fulbright-Hays FY17 funding. Contact your Congressional Members here and use a template letter provided for your convenience. The message will urge your House Member to reach out to House Appropriations Committee members, requesting at least FY 2016 funding for Title VI and Fulbright-Hays: $72.2 million, including $65.1 million for Title VI and $7.1 million for Fulbright-Hays.
Many thanks for your active support.
Best regards,
Miriam
Miriam A. Kazanjian, Consultant
Coalition for International Education
E-mail [email protected]
Tel 301-230-9214
http://www.usglobalcompetence.org