II 

109TH CONGRESS 

1ST SESSION S. 2143 

To increase the number of students from low-income backgrounds who are 

enrolled in studies leading to baccalaureate degrees in science, mathematics, technology, engineering, and critical foreign languages, and for 

other purposes. 

IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES 

DECEMBER 19, 2005 

Mr. FRIST introduced the following bill; which was read twice and referred 

to the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions 

A BILL 

To increase the number of students from low-income backgrounds who are enrolled in studies leading to baccalaureate degrees in science, mathematics, technology, engineering, and critical foreign languages, and for other 

purposes. 

1 Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa2 tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 

3 SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 

4 This Act may be cited as the ‘‘National Science and 

5 Mathematics Access to Retain Talent Act’’. 
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•S 2143 IS

1 SEC. 2. NATIONAL SMART GRANTS. 

2 Subpart 1 of part A of title IV of the Higher Edu3 cation Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 1070a) is amended by add4 ing after section 401 the following: 

5 ‘‘SEC. 401A. NATIONAL SMART GRANTS. 

6 ‘‘(a) PURPOSE.—The purpose of this section is to in7 crease the number of postsecondary students from low-in8 come backgrounds who are enrolled in studies leading to 

9 baccalaureate degrees in physical, life, and computer 

10 sciences, mathematics, technology, engineering, and for11 eign languages critical to national security. 

12 ‘‘(b) PROGRAM AUTHORIZED.—The Secretary shall 

13 award grants, in the amount specified in subsection (e), 

14 to eligible students to assist the eligible students in paying 

15 their college education expenses. 

16 ‘‘(c) DESIGNATION.—A grant under this section shall 

17 be known as a ‘National Science and Mathematics Access 

18 to Retain Talent Grant’ or a ‘National SMART Grant’. 

19 ‘‘(d) DEFINITION OF ELIGIBLE STUDENT.—In this 

20 section, the term ‘eligible student’ means a full-time stu21 dent who, for the academic year for which the determina22 tion of eligibility is made— 

23 ‘‘(1) is a citizen of the United States; 

24 ‘‘(2) is eligible for a Federal Pell Grant; 

25 ‘‘(3) is enrolled or accepted for enrollment in 

26 the third or fourth academic year of a program of 
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1 undergraduate education at a 4-year degree-granting 

2 institution of higher education; 

3 ‘‘(4) is pursuing a major in— 

4 ‘‘(A) the physical, life, or computer 

5 sciences, mathematics, technology, or engineer6 ing (as determined by the Secretary pursuant 

7 to regulations); or 

8 ‘‘(B) a foreign language that the Sec9 retary, in consultation with the Director of Na10 tional Intelligence, determines is critical to the 

11 national security of the United States; and 

12 ‘‘(5) has obtained a cumulative grade point av13 erage of at least 3.0 (or the equivalent as deter14 mined under regulations prescribed by the Sec15 retary) in the coursework required for the major de16 scribed in paragraph (4). 

17 ‘‘(e) GRANT AWARD.— 

18 ‘‘(1) AMOUNTS.—Subject to paragraphs (2) and 

19 (3), the Secretary shall award a grant under this 

20 section to an eligible student in the amount of 

21 $4,000. 

22 ‘‘(2) SPECIAL RULES.—Notwithstanding para23 graph (1)— 

24 ‘‘(A) the amount of a grant under this sec25 tion, in combination with the Federal Pell 
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1 Grant assistance and other student financial as2 sistance available to the eligible student, shall 

3 not exceed the student’s cost of attendance; 

4 ‘‘(B) if the amount made available under 

5 subsection (f) for any fiscal year is less than 

6 the amount required to provide grants to all eli7 gible students in the amounts determined under 

8 paragraph (1) (subject to subparagraph (A)), 

9 then the amount of the grant to each eligible 

10 student shall be ratably reduced; and 

11 ‘‘(C) if additional amounts are appro12 priated for a fiscal year described in subpara13 graph (B), such reduced grant amounts shall be 

14 increased on the same basis as they were re15 duced. 

16 ‘‘(3) LIMITATIONS.—The Secretary shall not 

17 award a grant under this section— 

18 ‘‘(A) to any eligible student for an aca19 demic year of a program of undergraduate edu20 cation for which the student received credit be21 fore the date of enactment of the National 

22 Science and Mathematics Access to Retain Tal23 ent Act; or 

24 ‘‘(B) to any eligible student for more than 

25 2 academic years. 
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1 ‘‘(f) FUNDING.— 

2 ‘‘(1) AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.— 

3 There is authorized to be appropriated to carry out 

4 this section such sums as may be necessary for fiscal 

5 year 2006 and each of the succeeding 4 fiscal years. 

6 ‘‘(2) USE OF EXCESS FUNDS.—If, at the end of 

7 a fiscal year, the funds available for awarding grants 

8 under this section exceed the amount necessary to 

9 make such grants in the amounts authorized by sub10 section (e), then all of the excess funds shall remain 

11 available for awarding grants under this section dur12 ing the subsequent fiscal year. 

13 ‘‘(g) SUNSET PROVISION.—The authority to make 

14 grants under this section shall expire at the end of the 

15 academic year 2009–2010.’’. 

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