In order to participate in the GPA program, you must be a citizen, national, or permanent resident of the United States, and currently employed full-time in the United States school system, institution of higher education, local education agency, or state education agency.

You must also belong to at least one of the following groups:

• A faculty member in modern foreign languages or area studies
• A teacher in an elementary or secondary school
• An experienced educator responsible for planning, conducting, or supervising programs in modern foreign languages or area studies at the elementary, secondary, or postsecondary levels
• A graduate student or a junior or senior in an institution of higher education, who plans a teaching career in modern foreign languages or area studies

Only institutions of higher education, state departments of education, private nonprofit educational organizations, and consortia of institutions, departments, and organizations can apply for this program directly through the Department of Education.