Senator Paul Simon Study Abroad Program Act of 2026

• •The bill establishes the 'Senator Paul Simon Study Abroad Program' within the Department of State.
• •The program aims to reach 1 million U.S. undergraduate students studying abroad annually within 10 years of enactment.
• •The program will be funded through competitive grants awarded to institutions of higher education.
• •The Secretary of State is directed to rename the existing IDEAS Program (or its successor) to the Senator Paul Simon Study Abroad Program.
• •The bill mandates that program demographics should reflect the overall U.S. undergraduate population, specifically targeting underrepresented groups.
• •The program prioritizes increasing study abroad participation in nontraditional destinations, particularly in developing nations.
• •The bill defines 'study abroad' as programs carrying academic credit, including work, service learning, research, or internships conducted outside the U.S.
• •The bill defines 'world language' to include languages critical to national security, classical languages, American Sign Language, and Native American languages.
• •The bill cites data showing only 10% of U.S. college students study abroad, with participation dropping 91% during the 2020-2021 academic year.
• •The program's implementation is subject to the availability of congressional appropriations.

If passed, this bill would establish a federal grant program to incentivize colleges to expand study abroad opportunities, with the goal of reaching 1 million annual participants within 10 years.

Patterns POLISCOPE noticed across the record. These are observations to investigate, not conclusions.