Sec. 5115. Arms Control and Nonproliferation Scholarship Program
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/bill/113/hr/1793/ih/section-5115·A research copy — for the controlling text, always check the official state or federal source. Not legal advice.
The Secretary shall establish a scholarship program (to be known as the Arms Control and Nonproliferation Scholarship Program ) to award scholarships for the purpose of recruiting and preparing students for civilian careers in the fields of nonproliferation, arms control, and international security to meet the critical needs of the Department of State. Individuals shall be selected to receive scholarships under this section through a competitive process primarily on the basis of academic merit and the arms control and nonproliferation needs of the Department of State.
Individuals selected under this section shall have a demonstrated interest in public service and a commitment to the field of study for which the scholarship is awarded. In order to carry out the scholarship program, the Secretary shall enter into contractual agreements with individuals selected under paragraph
(2)pursuant to which such individuals agree to serve as full-time employees of the Department of State following achievement of the specified degree, for a period to be determined by the Secretary, not to exceed 6 years, in arms control and nonproliferation positions needed by the Department of State and for which the individuals are qualified, in exchange for receiving a scholarship. Except as provided in subsection (f), in order to be eligible to participate in the scholarship program, an individual shall— be enrolled or accepted for enrollment as a full-time student at an institution of higher education and be pursuing or intend to pursue an undergraduate or graduate education degree in an academic field or discipline specified in the list made available under subsection (d); and be a United States citizen. An individual seeking a scholarship under this section shall submit to the Secretary an application at such time, in such manner, and containing such information, agreements, or assurances as the Secretary may require. The Secretary shall make publicly available a list of academic programs and fields of study for which scholarships under this section may be awarded. The Secretary may award a scholarship under this section for an academic year if the individual applying for the scholarship has submitted to the Secretary, as part of the application required under subsection (c), a proposed academic program leading to a degree in a program or field of study specified on the list made available under subsection (d). An individual may not receive a scholarship under this section for more than 4 academic years, unless the Secretary grants a waiver. A scholarship recipient shall maintain satisfactory academic progress for purposes of continued participation in the scholarship program. The dollar amount of a scholarship awarded under this section for an academic year shall be determined under regulations issued by the Secretary, but shall in no case exceed the cost of tuition, fees, and other authorized expenses as determined by the Secretary. A scholarship awarded under this section may be expended for tuition, fees, and other authorized expenses as established by the Secretary by regulation. The Secretary may enter into a contractual agreement with an institution of higher education under which the amounts provided for a scholarship under this section for tuition, fees, and other authorized expenses are paid directly to the institution with respect to which such scholarship is awarded. Notwithstanding subsection (b), up to 5 percent of the scholarships awarded under this section may be set aside for individuals who are Federal employees on the date of the enactment of this Act to enhance the education of such employees in areas of critical arms control or nonproliferation needs of the Department of State, for undergraduate or graduate education through enrollment in a graduate degree program under the scholarship on a full-time or part-time basis. A scholarship recipient who fails to maintain a high level of academic standing, as defined by the Secretary who is dismissed for disciplinary reasons from the educational institution such recipient is attending, or who voluntarily terminates academic training before graduation from the educational program for which the scholarship was awarded shall be in breach of the contractual agreement under subsection (a)(3) and, in lieu of any service obligation arising under such agreement, shall be liable to the United States for repayment within 1 year after the date of such default of all scholarship funds paid to such recipient and to the institution of higher education on the behalf of such recipient under such agreement. The repayment period may be extended by the Secretary if the Secretary determines such extension to be necessary, as established by regulation. A scholarship recipient who, for any reason, fails to begin or complete the service obligation under the contractual agreement under subsection (a)(3) after completion of academic training, or fails to comply with the terms and conditions of deferment established by the Secretary under paragraph (1), shall be in breach of such contractual agreement and shall be liable to the United States for an amount equal to— the total amount of the scholarship received by such recipient under this section; and the total amount of interest that would have been payable under a direct unsubsidized loan issued through the Department of Education’s Direct Loan Program. The Secretary shall prescribe regulations necessary to carry out this section. The Secretary is authorized to convert the status of a scholarship recipient to a member of the Foreign Service, as defined in section 103 of the Foreign Service Act of 1980, following the successful completion of the period of service described in subsection (a)(3).