20 U.S.C. § 1131a: Study abroad program

Summary

The Institute must run a junior year abroad program through grants or contracts. It is open to eligible students at colleges, including HBCUs, tribally controlled schools, Alaska Native‑serving, Native Hawaiian‑serving, Hispanic‑serving, and other schools with many minority students. Students and their schools share costs. Each student may spend up to 9 months abroad studying and taking part in cultural, social, and political activities to learn about the host country. An eligible student is a full‑time bachelor’s student who is entering the third year (or finishing the third year for a summer program) and is nominated by their school. A school that wants to send students must sign a written agreement with the Institute to prepare the students, pay one‑third of each nominated student’s cost, and follow other reasonable rules the Secretary sets.

Title 20, §1131a

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(a)Program authority

The Institute shall conduct, by grant or contract, a junior year abroad program. The junior year abroad program shall be open to eligible students at institutions of higher education, including historically Black colleges and universities, tribally controlled colleges or universities, Alaska Native-serving, Native Hawaiian-serving, and Hispanic-serving institutions, and other institutions of higher education with significant minority student populations. Eligible student expenses shall be shared by the Institute and the institution at which the student is in attendance. Each student may spend not more than 9 months abroad in a program of academic study, as well as social, familial and political interactions designed to foster an understanding of and familiarity with the language, culture, economics and governance of the host country.

(b)“Eligible student” defined

For the purpose of this section, the term “eligible student” means a student that is—

(1)enrolled full-time in a baccalaureate degree program at an institution of higher education; and

(2)entering the third year of study, or completing the third year of study in the case of a summer abroad program, at an institution of higher education which nominates such student for participation in the study abroad program.

(c)Special rule

An institution of higher education desiring to send a student on the study abroad program shall enter into a Memorandum of Understanding with the Institute under which such institution of higher education agrees to—

(1)provide the requisite academic preparation for students participating in the study abroad or internship programs;

(2)pay one-third the cost of each student it nominates for participation in the study abroad program; and

(3)meet such other requirements as the Secretary may from time to time, by regulation, reasonably require.

Notes & Related Subsidiaries

Editorial Notes

Prior Provisions

A prior section 623 of Pub. L. 89–329 was renumbered section 624 and is classified to section 1131b of this title.

Amendments

2008—Subsec. (a). Pub. L. 110–315 struck out “as defined in section 1061 of this title” after “Black colleges and universities” and substituted “tribally controlled colleges or universities, Alaska Native-serving, Native Hawaiian-serving, and Hispanic-serving institutions” for “tribally controlled Indian community colleges as defined in the Tribally Controlled Community College Assistance Act of 1978”. 1998—Pub. L. 105–244, § 603(c)(1), substituted “Study” for “Junior year” in section catchline. Subsec. (b)(2). Pub. L. 105–244, § 603(c)(2), inserted “, or completing the third year of study in the case of a summer abroad program,” after “year of study” and substituted “study abroad” for “junior year abroad”. Subsec. (c). Pub. L. 105–244, § 603(c)(3)(A), substituted “study abroad” for “junior year abroad” in introductory provisions. Subsec. (c)(1). Pub. L. 105–244, § 603(c)(3)(B), substituted “study abroad” for “junior year abroad”. Subsec. (c)(2). Pub. L. 105–244, § 603(c)(3)(C), substituted “one-third” for “one-half” and “study abroad” for “junior year abroad”.

Statutory Notes and Related Subsidiaries

Effective Date

of 1998 AmendmentAmendment by Pub. L. 105–244 effective Oct. 1, 1998, except as otherwise provided in Pub. L. 105–244, see section 3 of Pub. L. 105–244, set out as a note under section 1001 of this title.

§1131a Study Abroad Program