Government spending is front-page news these days. In recent articles and posts, U.S. support for overseas schools has become a target, with critics arguing that taxpayer money is funding foreign students’ education. This perspective totally misses the boat in terms of the strategic role these schools play in promoting American interests through soft power. 

Let’s clear up these misconceptions.

The U.S. Government DOES NOT Fully Fund Foreign Students’ Education

The Office of Overseas Schools, under the Department of State, provides assistance to overseas schools through direct and indirect support programs designed to promote an American-style education. But, these schools are independent, non-government institutions that pay teachers and staff through tuition payments.  

The Strategic Value of Overseas Schools

While these schools do enroll children from host and third countries, they foster mutual understanding and goodwill towards the United States. This connection-building is a cornerstone of soft power, subtly advancing American values such as democracy, individualism, innovation, and capitalism. This is reflected in the mission of the Office of Overseas Schools, which seeks to build “a mutual understanding among peoples through education.”

Influencing Future Global Leaders

Many alumni of these American-sponsored overseas schools go on to become influential political and business leaders in their home countries. Their educational experiences can lead to favorable dispositions toward the U.S., influencing diplomatic and economic relations. 

At several schools where I have worked, my students included members of royal families and the children of high-ranking military officers and business leaders. So, while I was teaching units on the U.S. War of Independence and introducing students to Adam Smith’s The Wealth of Nations, I was also fostering an understanding and appreciation of American values. 

According to a 2025 Financial Times article, more than seven million students attended international schools last year. That’s a lot of understanding and appreciation.

A Cost-Effective Investment 

Supporting these schools is a cost-effective strategy for the U.S. By investing in education abroad, the U.S. reduces the need for more expensive diplomatic or military interventions later. 

Hard interventions, for example, in Iraq cost 2.9 trillion dollars, in Afghanistan 2.3 trillion dollars, and in Syria 1.2 trillion dollars. 

Conclusion

American-supported overseas schools are doing the work that warships and embassies can’t. Soft power isn’t free—but it’s a bargain compared to the alternative. 

Was that so hard to understand?

Ed X!