Opportunity Information: Apply for SFOP0007221
The FY 2021 Global Undergraduate Exchange Program (Global UGRAD) is a U.S. Department of State, Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs (ECA) funding opportunity that supports the administration and delivery of an established international exchange program for undergraduate students. Offered as a discretionary cooperative agreement (meaning the awardee works closely with ECA during implementation), this competition seeks one organization to manage a large-scale, semester-based, non-degree academic exchange in the United States for students who are academically strong but underserved in their home countries.
The award has a ceiling of up to $6,050,000, dependent on the availability of FY 2021 funds, and ECA anticipates making a single award. The program goal is to select and place approximately 250 participants from multiple world regions, including East Asia and the Pacific, Europe and Eurasia, the Near East, South and Central Asia, Sub-Saharan Africa, and the Western Hemisphere. Students receive scholarships to attend one semester of non-degree study at U.S. institutions of higher education, and some participants may also complete an additional semester of pre-academic English language training before beginning their academic term. A key emphasis in the announcement is scale and access: applicants are expected to design budgets and operational plans that maximize the number of scholarships awarded while still meeting program and participant support requirements.
Eligible applicants include U.S. public and private nonprofit organizations that meet the IRS 501(c)(3) standard, as well as public and state-controlled institutions of higher education and private institutions of higher education, with additional eligibility details referenced in the full announcement. A notable restriction is that organizations with fewer than four years of experience conducting international exchange programs are not eligible, signaling that ECA expects the administrator to already have proven operational capacity in recruitment support, placement coordination, compliance, and student services across a complex, multi-country pipeline. The opportunity is listed under CFDA 19.009 and was posted July 23, 2020, with an original application deadline of September 21, 2020.
From an implementation standpoint, the selected awardee would be responsible for the core administration of Global UGRAD in cooperation with ECA, which typically involves coordinating participant placement at U.S. colleges and universities, arranging orientations and ongoing support, managing scholarship disbursements and participant logistics, and overseeing any pre-academic English component for students who need it. The notice also explicitly invites flexibility and creativity in program planning and administration, which suggests ECA is open to well-justified approaches that improve student outcomes, strengthen academic and cultural engagement, and efficiently manage a high-volume exchange program while keeping the program accessible to underserved students.Apply for SFOP0007221
- The Department of State, Bureau Of Educational and Cultural Affairs in the other (see text field entitled explanation of other category of funding activity for clarification) sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "FY 2021 Global Undergraduate Exchange Program" and is now available to receive applicants.
- Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 19.009.
- This funding opportunity was created on Jul 23, 2020.
- Applicants must submit their applications by Sep 21, 2020. (Agency may still review applications by suitable applicants for the remaining/unused allocated funding in 2026.)
- Each selected applicant is eligible to receive up to $6,050,000.00 in funding.
- The number of recipients for this funding is limited to 1 candidate(s).
- Eligible applicants include: Public and State controlled institutions of higher education, Nonprofits having a 501(c)(3) status with the IRS, other than institutions of higher education, Private institutions of higher education, Others (see text field entitled Additional Information on Eligibility for clarification).
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FY 2021 Global Undergraduate Exchange Program (Global UGRAD) - FAQs
What is the FY 2021 Global Undergraduate Exchange Program (Global UGRAD) funding opportunity?
The FY 2021 Global Undergraduate Exchange Program (Global UGRAD) is a U.S. Department of State, Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs (ECA) funding opportunity to support the administration and delivery of an established international exchange program for undergraduate students. It funds an organization to manage a large-scale, semester-based, non-degree academic exchange in the United States.
Who is the funder for this opportunity?
The funder is the U.S. Department of State, Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs (ECA).
What type of award is this?
This opportunity is offered as a discretionary cooperative agreement. That means the selected awardee is expected to work closely with ECA during program implementation.
How many awards does ECA expect to make?
ECA anticipates making a single award under this competition.
What is the maximum funding amount (award ceiling)?
The award ceiling is up to $6,050,000, dependent on the availability of FY 2021 funds.
What is the overall purpose of the funded project?
The purpose is to administer Global UGRAD by selecting and placing approximately 250 undergraduate participants in U.S. institutions of higher education for one semester of non-degree study, with appropriate scholarship support, logistics, and student services.
How many student participants is the program expected to serve?
The program goal is to select and place approximately 250 participants.
Is the exchange program degree or non-degree?
It is a non-degree academic exchange program. Participants attend one semester of study at U.S. institutions of higher education without pursuing a degree under this program design.
How long is the academic exchange period in the United States?
The exchange is described as semester-based, with scholarships supporting one semester of non-degree study in the United States.
Is English language training included as part of the program?
Some participants may complete an additional semester of pre-academic English language training before beginning their academic term.
Which world regions are included in the program?
Participants are expected to come from multiple regions, including East Asia and the Pacific, Europe and Eurasia, the Near East, South and Central Asia, Sub-Saharan Africa, and the Western Hemisphere.
Who are the intended student beneficiaries?
The program targets undergraduate students who are academically strong but underserved in their home countries.
What does the announcement emphasize about scale and access?
The announcement emphasizes maximizing the number of scholarships awarded while still meeting program and participant support requirements. Applicants are expected to design budgets and operational plans that prioritize scale and accessibility for underserved students.
What organizations are eligible to apply?
Eligible applicants include U.S. public and private nonprofit organizations meeting the IRS 501(c)(3) standard, as well as public and state-controlled institutions of higher education and private institutions of higher education. Additional eligibility details are referenced in the full announcement.
Is there a minimum experience requirement for eligible applicants?
Yes. Organizations with fewer than four years of experience conducting international exchange programs are not eligible.
Why does the opportunity require at least four years of international exchange experience?
The restriction signals that ECA expects the program administrator to have proven operational capacity to manage a complex, multi-country exchange pipeline, including recruitment support, placement coordination, compliance, and student services.
What is the CFDA number for this opportunity?
The opportunity is listed under CFDA 19.009.
When was this opportunity posted and what was the application deadline?
It was posted on July 23, 2020, with an original application deadline of September 21, 2020.
What are the main responsibilities of the selected awardee?
The selected awardee would be responsible for core administration of Global UGRAD in cooperation with ECA. This typically includes coordinating participant placement at U.S. colleges and universities, arranging orientations and ongoing support, managing scholarship disbursements and participant logistics, and overseeing any pre-academic English component for students who need it.
What does it mean that the awardee will work "in cooperation with ECA"?
Because this is a cooperative agreement, the awardee is expected to coordinate closely with ECA during implementation rather than operating fully independently.
Does the announcement allow flexibility in how the program is designed and administered?
Yes. The notice explicitly invites flexibility and creativity in program planning and administration, suggesting ECA is open to well-justified approaches that improve student outcomes, strengthen academic and cultural engagement, and efficiently manage a high-volume exchange while keeping it accessible to underserved students.
Are applicants expected to coordinate placements at U.S. institutions of higher education?
Yes. Coordinating participant placement at U.S. colleges and universities is identified as a typical responsibility of the awardee.
Does the funded organization manage scholarship payments and participant logistics?
Yes. Managing scholarship disbursements and participant logistics is specifically called out as part of typical program administration responsibilities.
What kinds of participant support are expected under this program?
Based on the description, participant support includes arranging orientations, providing ongoing support services, managing logistics connected to the exchange, and administering any pre-academic English language training component when needed.
Browse more opportunities from the same category: Other (see text field entitled Explanation of Other Category of Funding Activity for clarification)
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