of study abroad participants higher and improve the quality of programs. Such leadership is the only way that study abroad will become an integral part of the undergraduate experience. A competitive grant program is necessary to encourage and support such leadership. (6) Student health, safety, and security while studying abroad is, and must continue to be, a priority for institutions of higher education and study abroad programs. (7) The COVID–19 pandemic prevented students from participating in study abroad due to travel restrictions and reduced budgets. According to Open Doors 2022, published by the Institute of International Education in partnership with the Department of State, study abroad participation at colleges and universities in the United States plummeted by 91 percent during the 2020–2021 academic year. In the post-pandemic world, increasing access to study abroad for students at institutions of higher education across the United States is critical to ensuring that those students gain the skills, knowledge, and experiences necessary to maintain the leadership of the United States in tackling global challenges, such as pandemics, and succeeding in a global economy. 3. Purposes The purposes of this Act are— (1) to ensure that significantly more students have access to quality study abroad opportunities, especially among low-income students and students of color