► Eat. Play. Give and join our J Day celebrations on August 3! J Day is a nationwide celebration of the power of these international exchange programs and a great opportunity to raise awareness of the J-1 Exchange Visitor Program (EVP).
► The House State-Foreign Operations (SFOPS) Appropriations Subcommittee approved its FY16 funding bill, providing $582.531 million for educational and cultural exchange programs in FY16. This allocation is approximately $40.55 million less than the President’s request of $623.079 million, and $7.37 million less than the FY15 enacted level of $589.9 million.
► The Senate Appropriations Committee approved its spending allocations for the twelve FY16 appropriations bills, allocating $49.0 billion for State-Foreign Operations, which funds the Department of State and State Department exchanges. This maintains total funding for international affairs nearly at the current funding level, 2 per cent above the House [$47.8 billion], and 8 per cent below the President’s request [$53.2 billion].
► The Japanese government will provide $15 million to support Japanese studies at 9 U.S. universities, a decision that was reaffirmed during Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe’s recent official visit to the U.S.
► International experiences may improve cognitive abilities associated with creativity, according to recent studies.
► EducationUSA launched its new website, which provides more resources to a broader audience of prospective international students seeking opportunities to study in the United States.