Federal grant programs / Department of State

Academic Exchange Programs - Teachers (19.408)

Also known as Teacher Exchange Programs and Community College Administrator Program

• Awarded, FY 2021 to 2025$51.9 million
• Grant awards35
• Typical award$1,000
• Awarded in FY 2025$9.6 million
• Size rank1027 of 1824
• Type of assistanceCooperative agreements

Key findings

• Annual funding fell from $11.2 million in fiscal 2021 to $9.6 million in fiscal 2025.
• It is the 1027th largest of 1,824 federal grant programs by five-year awards.
• Awards went to recipients in 3 states and territories.

What the program funds

As authorized by the Fulbright-Hays Act, the Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs (ECA) seeks to increase mutual understanding between the people of the United States and the people of other countries by means of educational and cultural exchange programs, including the exchange of scholars, researchers, professionals, students, and educators. ECA programs foster engagement and encourage dialogue with citizens around the world. Educational and cultural engagement is premised on the knowledge that mutual understanding, the development of future leaders, and the benefits of education programs influence societies and affect official decision-making almost everywhere in the world today. ECA programs inform, engage, and influence participants across strategic sectors of society – including young people, teachers, scholars, journalists, and other professionals – increasing the number of foreign individuals who have first-hand experience with Americans and with the values of freedom, representative government, rule of law, economic choice, and individual dignity, while building international knowledge and capacity among Americans. The Fulbright Teacher Exchanges advance American competitiveness by providing world-class professional development to K-12 educators. Through Fulbright programs, teachers prepare thousands of U.S. students with skills to succeed in an increasingly competitive and dynamic world. Additionally, U.S. Fulbright teachers travel abroad to advance American excellence in critical fields such as math, science, history, engineering, and technology. International Fulbright teachers travel to the United States for training focused on American educational strengths such as English-language acquisition, technology and AI, and programs serve to strengthen relationships between the U.S. and participating countries, fostering new potential markets for American business and influence. The Community College Administrator Program advances U.S. global leadership in vocational-technical education, supports systemic education policy change in priority countries, and fosters strategic partnerships that advance U.S. interests in trade and commerce. CCAP introduces foreign higher education leaders to the key tenets of U.S. community college administration and innovative approaches to addressing labor market demands.

From the federal Assistance Listing. Read the full listing on SAM.gov.

Open opportunities

No opportunity under this program is open or forecast on Grants.gov right now. Programs often post once a year, so the funding history below shows what to expect.

Rules from the program listing

Who can apply

Pursuant to the Mutual Educational and Cultural Exchange Act of 1961, as amended (Fulbright-Hays Act) the Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs of the U.S. Department of State awards grants and cooperative agreements to educational and cultural public or private nonprofit foundations or institutions. Applications may be submitted by public and private non-profit organizations meeting the provisions described in Internal Revenue Code section 26 USC 501(c)(3). Organizations must have nonprofit status with the IRS at the time of application. Please refer to the Grants.gov or U.S. Department of State's MyGrants (formerly SAMS Domestic) announcement for further eligibility criteria. The suite of Fulbright Teacher Programs includes a number of components targeted to U.S. and international teachers to enhance mutual understanding, build education leaders, and create globally-engaged students worldwide. These programs result in the exchange of approximately 400 educators annually across more than 75 countries reaching over 75,000 students annually around the world. Over the course of their careers, they will influence more than 1.5 million students. They include Fulbright Teaching Excellence and Achievement Program, Fulbright Distinguished Awards in Teaching Program for International Teachers, Fulbright Distinguished Awards in Teaching Short-Term Program, Fulbright Distinguished Awards in Teaching Research Program for U.S.

Continue reading on SAM.gov

What the money can and cannot pay for

Funding is provided to nonprofit organizations and educational institutions to implement exchange and professional development programs for teachers and other educators from the U.S. and approximately 75 countries around the world. Organizations are responsible for the following broad categories: program planning and management; placement; orientation; enrichment activities; participant supervision and support services; fiscal management and budgeting; and program reporting and evaluation. The goal of the programs is to create mutual understanding between the people of the United States and the people of other countries. Please refer to the Grants.gov or U.S. Department of State's MyGrants (formerly SAMS Domestic) announcement for further information.

Matching requirements

This program has no statutory formula. Matching requirements are not applicable to this assistance listing. MOE requirements are not applicable to this assistance listing.

Award range and average, in the agency's words

$499,475 to $9,075,000.

Quoted from the program's federal Assistance Listing. The notice of funding opportunity is the official source for each competition's rules.

Who usually wins

Almost all of the money went to nonprofits.

By state

2 states have a page for this program: those that received at least $1 million or 10 awards. They are District of Columbia and Montana.

Award amounts are federal obligations reported to USAspending.gov for fiscal 2021 to 2025; see how our data works.