Federal grant programs / Department of State

Academic Exchange Programs - Educational Advising and Student Services (19.432)

Also known as Educational Advising and Student Services

• Awarded, FY 2021 to 2025$50.4 million
• Grant awards58
• Typical award$23,075
• Awarded in FY 2025$11.9 million
• Size rank1,035 of 1,823
• Type of assistanceCooperative agreements

Key findings

• Annual funding rose from $10.0 million in fiscal 2021 to $11.9 million in fiscal 2025.
• It is the 1035th largest of 1,823 federal grant programs by five-year awards.
• The 16 largest recipients received 100% of the money.
• Awards went to recipients in 6 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 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 EducationUSA network promotes U.S. higher education and facilitates student mobility by providing guidance and support to both prospective student audiences abroad and U.S. higher education institutions that seek to recruit and enroll these students. EducationUSA also supports both international and domestic student success by engaging U.S. higher education institutions to ensure that students' experiences on U.S. campuses are academically engaging, culturally enriching, and create lasting ties between individuals today that will support stronger relations between nations tomorrow. The U.S. Department of State’s Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs (ECA) oversees the EducationUSA network, which consists of over 430 international student advising centers in over170 countries and territories worldwide. The EducationUSA network supports ECA’s mission by increasing international student mobility, providing students from across the globe with access to educational opportunities, and building a broader understanding of the U.S. higher education sector among overseas student, government and academic personnel. EducationUSA advising centers are housed within U.S. embassies and consulates and/or in partner institutions that include Fulbright Commissions, bi-national cultural centers, U.S. non-governmental organizations (NGOs), international NGOs, and/or universities and libraries abroad. EducationUSA advisers provide guidance and support to international students and their families as they explore opportunities to study at U.S. college and universities. EducationUSA advisers provide guidance on the U.S. higher education admissions process.

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 the U.S. Department of State's MyGrants (formerly SAMS Domestic) announcement for further eligibility criteria.

What the money can and cannot pay for

Funding is provided for nonprofit organizations to support research on international exchange programs, coordination of overseas EducationUSA advising programs, and training for educational advisers to ensure that international students receive accurate, current, and comprehensive information on U.S. higher education. Please refer to the Grants.gov or the 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

$500,000 to $6,550,000.

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

Nonprofits received 99% of the money, colleges and universities 0.4% and individuals 0.2%.

By state

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

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