Appropriations

The educational and cultural exchange (ECE) programs appropriations fund educational, professional, and cultural exchange programs that are crucial to achieving United States’ foreign policy objectives. Each year, the Alliance submits requests to congressional committees in support of robust ECE funding. For Fiscal Year (FY) 2023, Congress funded U.S. Department of State’s educational and cultural exchange programs at $777.5 million, which is a high watermark for funding in recent years.

Funding for exchange programs delivers significant benefits to the United States. Over 90% of the exchange funding is spent in the United States or invested directly in its citizens or organizations, thereby strengthening the American economy. Additionally, people-to-people exchanges help promote increased understanding among nations through a “soft” public diplomacy approach, which supports our national security.

Below are letters, resolutions, and other material supporting ECE funding, as well as a chart showing both requests from the Administration and congressional funding levels since 2010.

Resources:

• Chart displaying Administration budget requests and enacted funding levels from FY2010 to FY2022.
• ECA State Fact Sheets.

2023

• FY2024 Senate letter supporting international exchange programs funding
• FY2024 House letter supporting international exchange programs funding
• FY2024 State Department Congressional Budget Justification (ECE funding on pages 57-61)
• White House budget appendix for the Department of State and other international programs
• Biden Administration FY2024 proposed budget

2022

• FY2023 Senate letter supporting international exchange programs funding
• FY2023 House letter supporting international exchange programs funding
• FY2023 State Department Congressional Budget Justification
• White House budget appendix for the Department of State and other international programs
• Biden Administration FY2023 proposed budget

2021

• FY2022 State Department Congressional Budget Justification
• White House budget appendix for the Department of State and other international programs
• White House FY2022 proposed budget
• FY2022 Senate letter supporting international exchange programs funding
• FY2022 House letter supporting international exchange programs funding
• White House FY2022 discretionary budget request

2020

• FY2021 Senate letter supporting international exchange programs funding.
• FY2021 House letter supporting international exchange programs funding.
• House Resolution 845 – Recognizing that international education and exchange programs further national security and foreign policy priorities, enhance economic competitiveness, and promote mutual understanding and cooperation among nations.
• FY2021 State Department Congressional Budget Justification.
• White House FY2021 Proposed Budget.

2019

• FY2020 Senate letter supporting international exchange programs funding.
• FY2020 House letter supporting international exchange programs funding.
• FY2020 State Department Congressional Budget Justification.
• White House FY2020 Proposed Budget.

2018

• FY2019 Senate letter supporting international exchange programs funding.
• FY2019 House letter supporting international exchange programs funding.
• FY2019 State Department Congressional Budget Justification.
• White House FY2019 Proposed Budget.

2017

• FY2018 Senate letter supporting international exchange programs funding.
• FY2018 House letter supporting international exchange programs funding.
• Senate Resolution 357 – A resolution expressing the sense of the Senate that international education and exchange programs further United States national security and foreign policy priorities, enhance United States economic competitiveness, and promote mutual understanding and cooperation among nations, and for other purposes.
• House Resolution 470 – Recognizing that international education and exchange programs further national security and foreign policy priorities, enhance economic competitiveness, and promote mutual understanding and cooperation among nations.
• 1,200+ Veterans Take Aim at Budget Cuts for State in a letter to Congress.
• Letter from 163 former U.S. Ambassadors supporting international exchange programs.
• Op-Ed – International Exchange Programs Receive Unprecedented Support.
• Op-Ed – International Exchange Programs are Vital to America’s Security.