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Learn, exchange, grow, and serve. The U.S. Department of State offers many programs for non-U.S. citizens wishing to come to the U.S. for cultural, educational, or professional exchange. These programs are augmented by local opportunities in countries around that world that allow non-U.S. citizens to explore U.S. culture and the English language.
More than 500,000 international students from around the world are furthering their education in the United States. Learn why:
Quality: U.S. colleges are known worldwide for the quality of their facilities, resources, and faculty. Accreditation systems ensure that institutions continue to maintain these standards.
Choice: The U.S. education system features many types of institutions, academic and social environments, entry requirements, degree programs, and subjects in which you can specialize.
Value: As an investment in your future, a U.S. degree offers excellent value for the money. A wide range of tuition fees and living costs, plus some financial help from colleges, make study in the United States affordable for thousands of international students each year.
Flexibility: U.S. universities and colleges offer flexibility in choice of courses within a college or university, but more importantly there is also the option for students to move from one institution to another. Completing the first two years of a degree at one institution, usually a community college, and then moving to another, is very common.
More than 430 international student advising centers in more than 175 countries and territories that offer information about opportunities to study at accredited postsecondary institutions in the United States.
American English is a resource center for teaching and learning about American English language and culture.
Cultural and Professional Exchanges Programs
Exchanges that engage professionals in the government, non-profit, and private sectors; high school students; representatives from the cultural and sports communities; and disenfranchised and underserved audiences.
Brings emerging leaders and professionals to the United States on 13 different cultural exchange programs focused on education, research and skills development. The program allows participants to hone their skills, immerse themselves in American society and culture, connect with Americans, and share their culture with their American host communities.
Opportunities for international study and research from the undergraduate through postdoctoral and professional levels.
The bi-national centers (BNCs) in Colombia are autonomous, non-profit cultural and educational institutions created during the Second World War to contribute to good relations between Colombia and the United States. Several BNCs were founded in 1942. Each month these Centers collectively host 32,500 students of English. In addition, they maintain a slate of cultural activities, a library and US educational advising programs. The BNCs liaison with the Embassy, under the auspices of the Public Affairs Section, in a wide array of mutually beneficial projects, but they do not depend economically on the U.S. government.
100,000 Strong in the Americas, the White House’s premiere education initiative for the Western Hemisphere, was launched in May 2011. The initiative increases educational mobility, providing students with critical skills and cross-cultural experiences to compete in the global workforce. The innovation fund drives this vision forward The central mechanism for implementing the White House’s vision is the 100,000 Strong in the Americas Innovation Fund, a collaboration between the U.S. Department of State, Partners of the Americas, and NAFSA: Association of International Educators. The Fund is scaled through strategic private sector and governments partnerships across the region. The Innovation Fund addresses the workforce competitiveness challenge by awarding grants to higher education institutions that partner together to foster greater education cooperation and provide students with unique training and exchange opportunities.
Welcome to our section designed especially for English language teachers and learners. Look to our Resources box to find additional English tools and games. Since 2007, in support of the Ministry of Education’s bilingual education program, the Embassy of the United States has provided financing and language expertise to programs that have benefited over 10,000 public school teachers and more than 45,000 students. In addition, the Embassy has promoted economic and social empowerment to underserved communities by providing more than 1,500 scholarships to students within these backgrounds.
The Fulbright program is the official student exchange program sponsored by the Information and Cultural Section of the U.S. Embassy. It includes the following: a) Fulbright/LASPAU b) Fulbright/IIE, and c) Humphrey. Applications for the Fulbright IIE and LASPAU programs are considered in the American Embassy in March of each year. The first two grants are designed for graduate level students wanting to obtain a Masters in the United States in the areas of humanities, social science, economics, business management, and education. The study of health sciences is not covered by these grants. The duration of the grant is two years, excluding pre-academic and intensive English course work.
The Youth Ambassadors Program (YAP) brings together high school students and adult mentors from countries across the Western Hemisphere to promote mutual understanding, increase leadership skills, and prepare youth to make a difference in their communities. YAP provides full scholarships for participants to engage in cultural and educational programming focused on leadership, diplomacy, and community service.
Community College Initiative (CCI)
The Community College Initiative (CCI) Program seeks to foster mutual understanding between the citizens of the United States and the citizens of participating CCI countries. The CCI Program encourages a holistic learning and exchange experience and focuses on five program pillars: academics, cultural exchange, service learning, internships, and leadership and action planning. All pillars of the CCI Program are of equal importance. The CCI Program is a program of the U.S. Department of State.
Please call: (601) 275-2000
Outside of Office Hours, contact: (601) 275-4021
Outside of Colombia: (601) 275-2000
Emergency Contact – All Locations Get Travel Alerts International Parental Child Abduction Arrest of a U.S. Citizen Death of a U.S. Citizen Victims of Crime Emergency Financial AssistancePlease call: 2326-4000
Outside of Office Hours, contact: 2331-2354
Outside of Guatemala: 011-502-2326-4000
Emergency Contact – All Locations Get Travel Alerts International Parental Child Abduction Arrest of a U.S. Citizen Death of a U.S. Citizen Victims of Crime Emergency Financial Assistance