§1134 — Title 20 Education | U.S. Code

§1134 Award of Jacob K. Javits fellowships

Title 20 › Chapter CHAPTER 28— - HIGHER EDUCATION RESOURCES AND STUDENT ASSISTANCE › Subchapter SUBCHAPTER VII— - GRADUATE AND POSTSECONDARY IMPROVEMENT PROGRAMS › Part Part A— - Graduate Education Programs › Subpart subpart 1— - jacob k. javits fellowship program › § 1134

Last updated Apr 6, 2026|Official source

Summary

The Secretary may give fellowships for graduate study in the arts, humanities, and social sciences to students with strong achievement, financial need, and high promise. Applicants must be eligible for grants, loans, or work study under section 1091 of this title. Fellowships are for students aiming for a doctoral degree, except that students may get one for a master’s degree if that is the highest degree in the field. Money appropriated in a fiscal year must be obligated and spent for fellowships to be used in the academic year beginning after July 1 of the fiscal year following the fiscal year the money was appropriated. Each award covers one academic year and may be renewed so total support does not exceed four years. Recipients are called “Jacob K. Javits Fellows.” A school may allow a fellow to pause study up to 12 months for work, travel, or independent study that supports the program and keep paying the stipend during that pause. For military service or illness, a school may allow longer pauses (through the tour of duty for military) or up to 12 months for other illnesses, but it may stop stipend payments then. The Secretary must make applications available not later than October 1 of the academic year before the fellowships take effect and must announce recipients not later than March 1 of that same preceding academic year. The Secretary may hire a nongovernmental agency to run the program if that is efficient.

Title 20, §1134

Education — Source: USLM XML via OLRC

(a)The Secretary is authorized to award fellowships in accordance with the provisions of this subpart for graduate study in the arts, humanities, and social sciences by students of superior ability selected on the basis of demonstrated achievement, financial need, and exceptional promise. The fellowships shall be awarded to students who are eligible to receive any grant, loan, or work assistance pursuant to section 1091 of this title and intend to pursue a doctoral degree, except that fellowships may be granted to students pursuing a master’s degree in those fields in which the master’s degree is the terminal highest degree awarded in the area of study. All funds appropriated in a fiscal year shall be obligated and expended to the students for fellowships for use in the academic year beginning after July 1 of the fiscal year following the fiscal year for which the funds were appropriated. The fellowships shall be awarded for only 1 academic year of study and shall be renewable for a period not to exceed 4 years of study.

(b)Students receiving awards under this subpart shall be known as “Jacob K. Javits Fellows”.

(c)The institution of higher education may allow a fellowship recipient to interrupt periods of study for a period not to exceed 12 months for the purpose of work, travel, or independent study away from the campus, if such independent study is supportive of the fellowship recipient’s academic program and shall continue payments for those 12-month periods during which the student is pursuing travel or independent study supportive of the recipient’s academic program. In the case of other exceptional circumstances, such as active duty military service or personal or family member illness, the institution of higher education may also permit the fellowship recipient to interrupt periods of study for the duration of the tour of duty (in the case of military service) or for not more than 12 months (in any other case), but without payment of the stipend.

(d)The Secretary shall make applications for fellowships under this part available not later than October 1 of the academic year preceding the academic year for which fellowships will be awarded, and shall announce the recipients of fellowships under this section not later than March 1 of the academic year preceding the academic year for which the fellowships are awarded.

(e)The Secretary is authorized to enter into a contract with a nongovernmental agency to administer the program assisted under this part if the Secretary determines that entering into the contract is an efficient means of carrying out the program.

Notes & Related Subsidiaries

Editorial Notes

Prior Provisions

Provisions similar to this section were contained in section 1134h of this title, prior to repeal by Pub. L. 105–244. A prior section 1134, Pub. L. 89–329, title IX, § 901, as added Pub. L. 99–498, title IX, § 901(a), Oct. 17, 1986, 100 Stat. 1549; amended Pub. L. 102–325, title IX, § 901,

July 23, 1992, 106 Stat. 760; Pub. L. 103–208, § 2(j)(27), Dec. 20, 1993, 107 Stat. 2482, stated purpose of former subchapter IX of this chapter and contained administrative provisions, prior to repeal by Pub. L. 105–244, § 3, title VII, § 702, Oct. 7, 1998, 112 Stat. 1585, 1803, effective Oct. 1, 1998. Another prior section 1134, Pub. L. 89–329, title IX, § 901, as added Pub. L. 92–318, title I, § 181(a),

June 23, 1972, 86 Stat. 304; amended Pub. L. 94–482, title I, § 171(a)(1), (2), Oct. 12, 1976, 90 Stat. 2159; Pub. L. 96–49, § 9(a), Aug. 13, 1979, 93 Stat. 353; Pub. L. 96–374, title IX, § 901(a), title XIII, § 1391(a)(1), Oct. 3, 1980, 94 Stat. 1482, 1503, set forth Congressional declaration of purpose and authorized appropriations for grants to institutions of higher education, prior to the general amendment of subchapter IX of this chapter by Pub. L. 99–498. Another prior section 1134, Pub. L. 89–329, title IX, § 901, as added Pub. L. 90–575, title II, § 261, Oct. 16, 1968, 82 Stat. 1043, set forth Congressional declaration of purpose respecting education for the public service, prior to repeal by Pub. L. 92–318. A prior section 701 of Pub. L. 89–329 was classified to section 1132a of this title, prior to the general amendment of this subchapter by Pub. L. 105–244. Another prior section 701 of Pub. L. 89–329 was classified to section 1132a of this title, prior to the general amendment of this subchapter by Pub. L. 99–498. Another prior section 701 of Pub. L. 89–329 was classified to section 1132a of this title, prior to the general amendment of this subchapter by Pub. L. 96–374.

Amendments

2008—Subsec. (c). Pub. L. 110–315 inserted at end “In the case of other exceptional circumstances, such as active duty military service or personal or family member illness, the institution of higher education may also permit the fellowship recipient to interrupt periods of study for the duration of the tour of duty (in the case of military service) or for not more than 12 months (in any other case), but without payment of the stipend.”