Senator Paul Simon Study Abroad Program Act of 2026

This bill directs the Secretary of State to rename the State Department's IDEAS Program as the Senator Paul Simon Study Abroad Program and expand it, subject to available funding. The program sets goals that within 10 years at least 1,000,000 U.S. undergraduates study abroad each year, that participants reflect the makeup of the U.S. undergraduate population, and that more students study in less common destinations, including developing countries. The Secretary would award competitive grants to colleges, alone or in groups, that submit plans to expand study abroad access and show health, safety, and security procedures. Grant funds would go toward direct student costs, and the Secretary would report to Congress each year. The bill authorizes such sums as may be necessary starting in fiscal year 2027.

Full text and official record on Congress.gov

Sponsors

• Richard J. Durbin Democrat sponsor
• 1 cosponsors