Sponsors (2)
The bill would make study abroad far more accessible—especially for low‑income and underrepresented students—by authorizing federal funding, grants, and a national program, but it risks significant new federal and institutional costs, added safety and logistical challenges in nontraditional destinations, and uneven benefits across institutions.
Students from low-income backgrounds and underrepresented groups (including racial/ethnic minorities, first‑generation, community college, and disabled students) gain substantially expanded access to study‑abroad opportunities through targeted priorities, grants, and an explicit goal to scale participation.
Federal authorization of a renamed national study‑abroad program, competitive grants that can cover direct student costs, and a clearer federal framework provide federal resources and structure to help institutions expand programs and reduce financial and logistical barriers for participants.
More students will gain global competencies (language skills, cultural understanding, and international experience) that strengthen academic profiles and job-market competitiveness.
The authorization uses open‑ended “such sums as may be necessary” language and expands program scale, creating a material risk of increased federal spending and higher costs for taxpayers without a clear cap.
Expanding participation and meeting diversity/destination goals will likely require institutions to reallocate resources, increase administrative capacity, or raise fees—creating financial pressures for colleges and potentially higher costs for students.
Encouraging programs in developing or nontraditional/high‑risk destinations may increase safety, health, and logistical risks for participants and raise program costs, potentially limiting scalability or increasing participant fees despite safety requirements.
Based on analysis of 4 sections of legislative text.
Renames the IDEAS Program and creates a State Department-run competitive grant program to expand and diversify U.S. undergraduate study abroad, authorizing appropriations.
Official title: To ensure that significantly more students graduate college with the international knowledge and experience essential for success in today's global economy through the establishment of the Senator Paul Simon Study Abroad Program in the Department of State.
Introduced May 14, 2026 by Brad Schneider · Last progress May 14, 2026
Creates and names the Senator Paul Simon Study Abroad Program and directs the Secretary of State, under the Mutual Educational and Cultural Exchange Act, to operate and enhance a competitive grant program to increase U.S. undergraduate participation in study abroad. The program is aimed at expanding access—especially for low-income students, students of color, and students at minority-serving institutions—growing study abroad in nontraditional and developing-country destinations, and raising annual U.S. undergraduate participation to 1,000,000 within ten years. The bill defines program terms, prioritizes awards to consortia and institutions with demonstrated capacity and commitments to diversity and language learning, requires use of prior Lincoln Commission recommendations, mandates stakeholder consultations and annual reports to Congress, and authorizes “such sums as may be necessary” for FY2027 and subsequent years (subject to appropriations).