Department of State educational and cultural exchange programs received no funding increase in the President’s FY 2011 budget request, released this morning by the Office of Management and Budget. The President’s budget request makes $633.2 million available for exchange programs in FY 2011, slightly below the appropriation of $635 million for FY 2010.

Because the budget anticipates an increase in reimbursable program fees, the document estimates that actual funding for exchanges in both FY 2010 and FY 2011 will top out at $638 million; thus, if fees for activities such as English teaching and overseas student advising do increase, funding available for the Bureau of Educational and Cultural Exchange would essentially remain flat from FY 10 to 11.

The request for overall funding for Department of State diplomatic and consular programs provides an increase from $8.227 billion to $9.542 billion.

The Alliance will report on more details of the exchanges budget as they become available.