Early Wednesday morning, the House Appropriations Committee approved, on a party-line vote, the House’s version of the FY27 Labor HHS Education spending bill, which proposes to cut 10% of the Department of Education’s funding and eliminate key language education programs. Specifically, the bill would eliminate all funding for Title II-A (educator professional development) program, Title III (English Language Acquisition) program, HEA Title VI.

For FY26, there will be $49 million available new grants, with awards ranging between $500,000 and $1 million. The notice indicates that the Department expects to award between 10 and 13 grants, and that each grant will be for a duration of up to 5 years. Applications will be due July 14th, with final reviews from the federal government ending by September 12th.

Yesterday, Senators Roger Wicker (R-MS) and Dick Durbin (D-IL) and Representatives Brian Fitzpatrick (R-PA)and Brad Schneider (D-IL) reintroduced the Senator Paul Simon Study Abroad Act (S. 4541), a bill designed to increase the number and diversity of American students studying abroad. Among the reasons that JNCL-NCLIS, along with many of its members, endorsed this bill is that it includes a grant priority for those programs with a significant world language component.

The Department of Defense Education Activity (DoDEA) recently announced the opening of FY26 World Language Advancement and Readiness Program Grants (WLARP). The FY 2026 WLARP grants will range from $500,000 to $2,000,000 per award to eligible school districts over up to 5 years, depending on the size of the eligible student population. Applications are now open and must be submitted by April 24, 2026, at 11:59 PM ET.

Language is defined as a system of communication used by a particular country or community. But for me, it means so much more than that. It represents family, memory, and identity. When English isn’t enough to express the depth of my emotions, I often find myself switching to Telugu. Telugu is not just a language I speak; it is my home. It is the language of my childhood and an integral part of who I am. Language holds context, emotions, and affection. Telugu is how I expres