U.S. Secretary of Education Margaret Spellings today offered remarks to students of the Getulio Vargas Foundation in Sao Paulo, Brazil about the importance of two-way international exchanges and partnerships in higher education. Following are her prepared remarks. Please note the speaker may deviate from the text.

Thank you for that warm welcome. I'm so pleased to be visiting Brazil for the first time.

This is an excellent venue to discuss education exchanges and global competitiveness. Your prestigious universities promote academic excellence and partner with universities around the world—from Australia to Finland to my hometown of Austin, Texas.

The United States has profound appreciation for our strong friendship. As nations of the Americas, we share common values and common hope for a future of freedom and prosperity.

We can see the warm relations between the U.S. and Brazil at work in the friendship between our Presidents. I have worked with President Bush for 14 years. He's always had a great affinity for Latin America. Since he took office in 2001, he's traveled to the region 8 times. And he recently announced a doubling of foreign assistance in the hemisphere.

It is in that spirit of friendship and good will that I am here today. Joining me are college and university presidents who represent the great diversity in U.S. higher education. They come from state universities, private institutions, community colleges, and premier research institutes from across the United States.

They share a belief in the power of two-way educational exchange to prepare students for success in a knowledge-based economy... they recognize the critical need for significant industry and government investment in research... and they understand their role in fostering innovation that will drive entrepreneurship and economic growth.

I have traveled with these university presidents to encourage more students to study in the United States and to urge more U.S. students to study abroad. This is our third delegation of U.S. college presidents. I led the first to Japan, Korea, and China last year, and Under Secretary of State Karen Hughes led the second to India in March. These historic delegations were the first of their kind.

Our message to you is simple. Our doors are open! Our nation offers more than 4,000 institutions that attract some of the world's greatest minds and future leaders in business, science and government.

I recently met with Brazilian students who are studying in the U.S. One of their biggest concerns about studying abroad was cost. This is a legitimate concern. But we want you to know that there are many resources to help Brazilian students of all backgrounds fund their studies in the United States. Let me talk about a few.

Brazil plays an important role in President Bush's Partnership for Latin American Youth, which focuses on opportunities for under-represented groups. This initiative includes scholarships for learning English, Youth Ambassador high school exchanges to the U.S., and undergraduate leadership institutes. The Partnership also provides for Opportunity Grants, which cover, among other things, the cost of application and visa fees, test preparation classes, and transportation to the U.S.

Additionally, we will significantly expand the Community College Summit Initiative, piloted in Brazil this year. It provides one and two-year scholarships to study in high-demand skill areas at community colleges in the United States.

The Fulbright program, which has operated in Brazil for 50 years, continues to sponsor two-way exchanges for exceptional graduate students, young professionals, and scholars.

These are just a few examples of the funding support available. U.S. colleges and universities offer many of their own forms of aid—and I'm sure my colleagues would love to answer any questions about unique opportunities at their institutions.

More information on U.S. education opportunities is available in 20 cities across Brazil, including Sao Paolo, at Binational Centers, at Fulbright Commission offices, and through non-governmental organizations.

We're also working to streamline the student visa process. Last year, the number of student and exchange visas we issued reached an all-time high of more than 590,000. Worldwide, U.S. student visas increased over 15 percent.

Computers, commerce, and media link our worlds. But there is still no replacement for actually being there—experiencing a different culture, making new friends and identifying new approaches to learning. I'm a firm believer in the value of these experiences. In fact, I put my money where my mouth is... my daughter is studying in Latin America this semester.

One thing is certain: a college education is becoming more critical. We are working in the United States to make sure college opportunities are open to all and that higher education is teaching you what you need to succeed.

Ours is a hemisphere of great promise, but we will not fully realize the extent of that potential until we provide a quality education to all children. And we can make that education process ever richer by exposing students to the benefits of other cultures. There is no better preparation for life in a globalized world.

In 1962, President Kennedy addressed a group of Brazilian students and faculty at the White House. He said: "We in this hemisphere are not merely against something; we are strongly for something, and that is the opportunity to provide, through freedom, a better life for our people."

I couldn't agree more. We know education is the best way to get there. Working together—students, faculty, businesses and governments—we can help you realize your academic goals and put you on the path to success.

Thank you. I'm happy to take your questions.

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