NCL-NCLIS advances its mission is by joining with national coalition partners to formally oppose federal actions that threaten education, language learning, and international education. By signing onto coalition letters and formal filings, we ensure that the language education community is represented alongside hundreds of organizations advocating for sound federal policy. This month, JNCL-NCLIS has joined collaborative advocacy efforts on two significant federal policy issu

the House Appropriations Committee approved the FY27 Department of Defense Appropriations bill, which includes $20 million for the World Language Advancement and Readiness (WLARA) grants program. If enacted, this would represent a $5 million increase over last year for WLARA and would be the largest amount of funding that WLARA has received.

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.