Comment on FR Doc # 2026-07841

Docket No.: ED-2026-SCC-1486 The proposed changes to the estimated total number of responses and total burden hours of the FLAS survey seem reasonable. The FLAS fellowships have been a vital resource for encouraging students to study less commonly taught languages that are important to U.S. national needs. Since 2000, over 1,000 University of Illinois undergraduate and graduate students have studied over 60 languages in more than 50 countries. With the FLAS fellowship, undergraduate students are able to reach advanced competency, and graduate students often do so in multiple regional languages. Importantly, the summer FLAS fellowships facilitate immersion learning that is necessary for cultural understanding, accurate translations, and conducting research in foreign countries. Illinois FLAS alumni use their language expertise and cross-cultural communication skills across federal and local government, military, higher education, health care, public service, the tech industry, non-profits, and international business, building U.S. capacity in areas of national need and making the country more economically competitive on the world stage.