	Introduction

Title VI of the Higher Education Act (HEA, P.L. 89-329, as amended)—International Education Programs—authorizes a variety of grants to institutions of higher education (IHEs) and related institutions for the purpose of enhancing instruction in foreign language and area studies (FLAS). This is one of the oldest, continuous programs of federal support to higher education, having been initiated as Title VI of the National Defense Education Act of 1958 (NDEA, P.L. The long history of this program reflects the special priority placed by the federal government on FLAS, especially with respect to diplomacy, national security, and trade competitiveness. Interest in HEA Title VI and other federal programs supporting FLAS has increased recently as a result of concerns regarding terrorism arising from foreign regions which are infrequently included in American postsecondary curricula, and a related interest in greater expertise in those areas. As can be seen in Table 1 , while HEA Title VI authorizes a relatively large number of distinct activities, approximately three-fifths of the funds are used for two of these programs: National Language and Area Centers (NLACs) and FLAS Fellowships. This pair of programs has long been the core activity supported under Title VI, while the others are smaller-scale supplementary activities intended to serve more specific goals (e.g., the Business and International Educational Education or Institute for International Public Policy Programs) and/or to support the two primary programs (e.g., the Language Resource Center or International Research and Studies programs). Should the Federal Government Continue to Support Foreign Language and Area Studies in American Institutions of Higher Education Through HEA Title VI? There appears to be broad agreement that interaction between American society and people and cultures from throughout the world is increasing steadily, in some cases generating national security concerns involving nations large and small. Further, since it may be impossible to predict which additional nations will generate such concern in the future, and substantial time is required to develop the necessary human capital, it is important to provide ongoing support for instruction in all of the world's major languages and cultures, and even many of the minor ones. Rather it may be questioned whether such support should be provided specifically by the federal government and if so, whether it should be focused on the nation's colleges and universities, on federally-operated institutions which are dedicated to providing instruction to government employees, or both. Are HEA Title VI Programs Appropriately Coordinated with Other Federal Efforts to Support Advanced Foreign Language and Area Studies? Should There Be Increased Targeting of Title VI Grants on Foreign Languages and World Regions of "Critical" Interest to the Federal Government?
Title VI of the Higher Education Act (HEA)—International Education Programs—authorizes a variety of grants to institutions of higher education (IHEs) and related entities to enhance instruction in foreign language and area studies (FLAS). This is one of the oldest U.S. Department of Education (ED) programs of support to higher education, having been initiated as Title VI of the National Defense Education Act of 1958. This program reflects the special priority placed by the federal government on FLAS, especially with respect to diplomacy, national security, and trade competitiveness. Interest in HEA Title VI and other federal programs supporting FLAS has increased recently due to concerns regarding terrorism arising from foreign regions which are infrequently included in American postsecondary curricula.
Although HEA Title VI authorizes several distinct activities, approximately three-fifths of the funds are used for two of these—National Language and Area Centers (NLACs) and FLAS Fellowships. This pair of programs has long been the core activity supported under Title VI, while the others are smaller-scale supplementary activities intended to serve more specific goals (e.g., the Business and International Educational Education Program) or to support the two primary programs (e.g., the Language Resource Center program).
There appears to be broad agreement that interaction between American society and people and cultures from throughout the world is increasing steadily, generating national security concerns involving nations large and small. International education advocates argue that since it may be impossible to predict which nations will generate such concern in the future, and substantial time is required to develop the necessary human capital, it is important that ongoing support be provided from some source for instruction in all of the world's significant languages and cultures. However, it may be questioned whether this support should be provided by the federal government, and whether it should be focused on the nation's colleges and universities, on federally operated language schools, or both.
It is likely that the 110th Congress will consider reauthorizing the HEA. Major reauthorization issues regarding HEA Title VI include the following: Should the federal government continue to support foreign language and areas studies in American institutions of higher education through HEA Title VI? Are HEA Title VI programs appropriately coordinated with other federal efforts to support advanced foreign language and area studies? And, should there be increased targeting of Title VI grants on foreign languages and world regions of "critical" interest to the federal government?
This report will be updated periodically, in response to relevant legislative or budgetary actions.