Comment on FR Doc # 2026-13248

The German Studies Association (GSA), an organization of over 1300 scholars, expresses strong opposition to the Department of Education’s proposal to rescind all regulations governing the Title VI and Fulbright-Hays programs. The GSA represents scholars in fields that have flourished in large part because of federal support from the National Resource Centers, Foreign Language and Area Studies (FLAS) fellowships, Language Resource Centers, and Fulbright-Hays awards. All are administered under the regulations that the Department of Education proposes to rescind. The GSA is greatly concerned about the consequences of rescission for area studies education and the instruction of one of many rapidly endangered languages taught in the US. Clear, consistent, and publicly available regulations are essential to protect the integrity of these programs. Without a defined set of rules governing these programs, there is no stable basis on which institutions can make long-term investments in building and sustaining area studies and language training programs. Moreover, the Department’s proposal to possibly “pursue non-grant options… such as through contracts and subgrants” not subject to the peer review process would seriously degrade the integrity and quality of the Title VI and Fulbright-Hays programs. A peer review process with clear, standardized guidelines at all levels is critical for the effective governance of these programs. In creating the Title VI program, the US government wisely built a broad national infrastructure akin to the US highway system; to tear the system down only to build small roads as needs arise will greatly reduce the capacity of the US to meet the geopolitical challenges of the future. The GSA urges the Department of Education not to rescind the regulations governing Title VI and Fulbright-Hays programs.