(7) Dissemination of ocean and coastal informa-
tion that is relevant for a wider public audience. 
SEC. 903. OCEAN SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY SCHOLAR-
SHIP PROGRAM. 
(a) ESTABLISHMENT.—(1) The Committee shall es-
tablish a National Ocean Science and Technology Scholar-
ship Program that is designed to recruit and prepare stu-
dents for careers in the departments or agencies that are 
represented on the Committee (in this section referred to 
as ‘‘participating agencies’’). The Program shall award 
scholarships to individuals who are selected through a 
competitive process primarily on the basis of academic 
merit, with consideration given to financial need and the 
goal of promoting the participation of individuals identi-
fied in section 33 or 34 of the Science and Engineering 
Equal Opportunities Act. 
(2) To carry out the Program, participating agencies 
shall enter into contractual agreements with individuals 
selected under paragraph (1) under which the individuals 
agree to serve as full-time employees of the participating 
agency, for the period of time to be determined by the 
participating agency, and stated in the contractual agree-
ments, in positions needed by the participating agency and 
for which the individuals are qualified, in exchange for re-
ceiving a scholarship.
(b) ELIGIBILITY CRITERIA.—In order to be eligible 
to participate in the Program, an individual must—
(1) be enrolled or accepted for enrollment as a 
full-time student at an institution of higher edu-
cation (as defined in section 101(a) of the Higher 
Education Act of 1965) in an academic field or dis-
cipline described in the list made available under 
subsection (c); 
(2) be a United States citizen or national; and 
(3) at the time of the initial scholarship award, 
not be an employee of the department or agency pro-
viding the award. 
(c) PROGRAM LISTING.—The Committee shall make 
publicly available a list of academic programs and fields 
of study for which scholarships under the Program may 
be used, and shall update the list as necessary. 
(d) APPLICATION.—An individual seeking a scholar-
ship under this section shall submit an application to a 
participating agency at such time, in such manner, and 
containing such information, agreements, or assurances as 
the participating agency may require. 
(e) SCHOLARSHIP LIMITS.—(1) The participating 
agency may provide a scholarship under the Program for 
an academic year if the individual applying for the scholar-
ship has submitted to the participating agency, as part
of the application required under subsection (d), a pro-
posed academic program leading to a degree in a program 
or field of study on the list made available under sub-
section (c). 
(2) An individual may not receive a scholarship under 
this section for more than 4 academic years, unless the 
participating agency grants a waiver. 
(3) The dollar amount of a scholarship under this 
section for an academic year shall be established by regu-
lation but shall in no case exceed the cost of attendance 
as such cost is determined in section 472 of the Higher 
Education Act of 1965. 
(4) A scholarship provided under this section may be 
expended for tuition, fees, and other authorized expenses 
as established by regulation. 
(5) The participating agency may enter into a con-
tractual agreement with an institution of higher education 
under which the amounts provided for a scholarship under 
this section for tuition, fees, and other authorized ex-
penses are paid directly to the institution with respect to 
which the scholarship is provided. 
(f) PERIOD OF SERVICE.—(1) The period of service 
for which an individual shall be obligated to serve as an 
employee of the participating agency, except as provided
in subsection (h)(2), shall be determined by the partici-
pating agency as stated in subsection (a)(2). 
(2)(A) Except as provided in subparagraph (B), obli-
gated service under paragraph (1) shall begin not later 
than 60 days after the individual obtains the educational 
degree for which the scholarship was provided. 
(B) The participating agency may defer the obliga-
tion of an individual to provide a period of service under 
paragraph (1) if the participating agency determines that 
such a deferral is appropriate. The Administrator shall 
prescribe the terms and conditions under which a service 
obligation may be deferred through regulation. 
(g) REPAYMENT.—(1) Scholarship recipients who fail 
to maintain a high level of academic standing, as defined 
by the participating agency by regulation, who are dis-
missed from their educational institutions for disciplinary 
reasons, or who voluntarily terminate academic training 
before graduation from the educational program for which 
the scholarship was awarded, shall be in breach of their 
contractual agreement and, in lieu of any service obliga-
tion arising under such agreement, shall be liable to the 
United States for repayment within 1 year after the date 
of default of all scholarship funds paid to them and to 
the institution of higher education on their behalf under 
the agreement, except as provided in subsection (h)(2).
The repayment period may be extended by the partici-
pating agency when determined to be necessary. 
(2) Scholarship recipients who, for any reason, fail 
to begin or complete their service obligation after comple-
tion of academic training, or fail to comply with the terms 
and conditions of deferment established by the partici-
pating agency pursuant to subsection (f)(2)(B), shall be 
in breach of their contractual agreement. When recipients 
breach their agreements for the reasons stated in the pre-
ceding sentence, the recipient shall be liable to the United 
States for an amount equal to—
(A) the total amount of scholarships received by 
such individual under this section; plus 
(B) the interest on the amounts of such awards 
which would be payable if at the time the awards 
were received they were loans bearing interest at the 
maximum legal prevailing rate, as determined by the 
Treasurer of the United States, multiplied by 3. 
(h) CANCELLATION OR WAIVER.—(1) Any obligation 
of an individual incurred under the Program (or a contrac-
tual agreement thereunder) for service or payment shall 
be canceled upon the death of the individual. 
(2) The participating agency shall by regulation pro-
vide for the partial or total waiver or suspension of any 
obligation of service or payment incurred by an individual