II

Calendar No. 911

106TH CONGRESS

2D SESSION S. 3076

A bill to establish an undergraduate grant program of the Department of

State to assist students of limited financial means from the United

States to pursue studies abroad.

IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

SEPTEMBER 20, 2000

Mr. LUGAR (for himself, Mr. SCHUMER, Ms. COLLINS, and Mr. FEINGOLD)

introduced the following bill; which was read twice and referred to the

Committee on Foreign Relations

OCTOBER 2 (legislative day, SEPTEMBER 22), 2000

Reported by Mr. HELMS without amendment

A BILL

A bill to establish an undergraduate grant program of the

Department of State to assist students of limited financial means from the United States to pursue studies

abroad.

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 ‘‘International Academic

5 Opportunity Act of 2000’’.
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S 3076 RS

1 SEC. 2. STATEMENT OF PURPOSE.

2 It is the purpose of this Act to establish an under3 graduate grant program for students of limited financial

4 means from the United States to enable such students to

5 study abroad. Such foreign study is intended to broaden

6 the outlook and better prepare such students of dem7 onstrated financial need to assume significant roles in the

8 increasingly global economy.

9 SEC. 3. ESTABLISHMENT OF GRANT PROGRAM FOR FOR10 EIGN STUDY BY AMERICAN COLLEGE STU11 DENTS OF LIMITED FINANCIAL MEANS.

12 (a) ESTABLISHMENT.—Subject to the availability of

13 appropriations and under the authorities of the Mutual

14 Educational and Cultural Exchange Act of 1961, the Sec15 retary of State shall establish and carry out a program

16 in each fiscal year to award grants of up to $5,000, to

17 individuals who meet the requirements of subsection (b),

18 toward the cost of up to one academic year of under19 graduate study abroad. Grants under this Act shall be

20 known as the ‘‘Benjamin A. Gilman International Scholar21 ships’’.

22 (b) ELIGIBILITY.—An individual referred to in sub23 section (a) is an individual who—

24 (1) is a student in good standing at an institu25 tion of higher education in the United States (as de-
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S 3076 RS

1 fined in section 101(a) of the Higher Education Act

2 of 1965);

3 (2) has been accepted for up to one academic

4 year of study—

5 (A) at an institution of higher education

6 outside the United States (as defined by section

7 102(b) of the Higher Education Act of 1965);

8 or

9 (B) on a program of study abroad ap10 proved for credit by the student’s home institu11 tion;

12 (3) is receiving any need-based student assist13 ance under title IV of the Higher Education Act of

14 1965; and

15 (4) is a citizen or national of the United States.

16 (c) APPLICATION AND SELECTION.—

17 (1) Grant application and selection shall be car18 ried out through accredited institutions of higher

19 education in the United States or a combination of

20 such institutions under such procedures as are es21 tablished by the Secretary of State.

22 (2) In considering applications for grants under

23 this section—

24 (A) consideration of financial need shall in25 clude the increased costs of study abroad; and
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S 3076 RS

1 (B) priority consideration shall be given to

2 applicants who are receiving Federal Pell

3 Grants under title IV of the Higher Education

4 Act of 1965.

5 SEC. 4. REPORT TO CONGRESS.

6 The Secretary of State shall report annually to the

7 Congress concerning the grant program established under

8 this Act. Each such report shall include the following in9 formation for the preceding year:

10 (1) The number of participants.

11 (2) The institutions of higher education in the

12 United States that participants attended.

13 (3) The institutions of higher education outside

14 the United States participants attended during their

15 year of study abroad.

16 (4) The areas of study of participants.

17 SEC. 5. AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.

18 There are authorized to be appropriated $1,500,000

19 for each fiscal year to carry out this Act.

20 SEC. 6. EFFECTIVE DATE.

21 This Act shall take effect October 1, 2000.

Æ

Calendar No. 911

106TH CONGRESS

2D SESSION S. 3076

A BILL

A bill to establish an undergraduate grant program

of the Department of State to assist students oflimited financial means from the United Statesto pursue studies abroad.

OCTOBER 2 (legislative day, SEPTEMBER 22), 2000

Reported by Mr. HELMS without amendment