Funding intended to increase access to study abroad was included in the FY 2011 Labor/HHS/Education and Related Agencies Appropriations Bill (S 3686) reported out this week by the Senate Appropriations Committee. Included within the Title VI and Fulbright-Hays funding in the bill is $2 million “to expand access to study abroad.” The goals of this $2 million allocation, as noted in the bill’s report language, include:

“…increasing study abroad opportunities among underserved student populations and expanding study abroad to nontraditional destinations, particularly in developing countries. Awards under this new program will be made available on a competitive basis to institutions of higher education individually or as part of a consortium and consistent with the recommendations of the Commission on the Abraham Lincoln Study Abroad Fellowship Program.”

As noted by the Coalition for International Education, Title VI and Fulbright-Hays received an allocation of $127.9 million in the bill, an increase of $2 million over FY 2010 and the Administration’s FY 2011 budget request. This $2 million bump is devoted solely to the study abroad program.

The Coalition also reminded that the House reported out its comparable version on July 16, but detailed information on that bill will not be made available until full committee consideration sometime after the House returns from recess in September.

The full Senate bill language is accessible here.