33 U.S.C. § 1261 — Scholarships

(1) The Administrator is authorized to award scholarships under the provisions of this section for undergraduate study by people who plan to enter an occupation involving the operation and maintenance of treatment works^*. Such scholarships must be awarded for that periods as the Administrator may determine but not to exceed four academic years. (2) The Administrator must allocate scholarships under this section among institutions of higher education with programs approved under the provisions of this section for the use of people accepted into that programs in that manner and according to that plan as will insofar as practicable— (A) provide an equitable distribution of that scholarships throughout the United States; and (B) attract recent graduates of secondary schools to enter an occupation involving the operation and maintenance of treatment works. (3) The Administrator must approve a program of any institution of higher education for this section only upon application by the institution and only upon his finding— (A) that that program has a principal objective the education and training of people in the operation and maintenance of treatment works; (B) that that program is in effect and of high quality, or can be readily put into effect and may reasonably be expected to be of high quality; (C) that the application describes the relation of that program to any program, activity, research, or development set forth by the applicant in an application, if any, submitted under section 1260 of this title ; and (D) that the application contains satisfactory assurances that (i) the institution will recommend to the Administrator for the award of scholarships under this section, for study in that program, only people who have demonstrated to the satisfaction of the institution a serious intent, upon completing the program, to enter an occupation involving the operation and maintenance of treatment works, and (ii) the institution will make reasonable continuing efforts to encourage recipients of scholarships under this section, enrolled in that program, to enter occupations involving the operation and maintenance of treatment works upon completing the program. (4) (A) The Administrator must pay to people awarded scholarships under this section that stipends (including that allowances for subsistence and other expenses for that people and their dependents) as he may determine to be consistent with prevailing practices under comparable federally supported programs. (B) The Administrator must (in addition to the stipends paid to people under paragraph (1)) pay to the institution of higher education at which that person^* is pursuing his course of study that amount as he may determine to be consistent with prevailing practices under comparable federally supported programs. (5) A person awarded a scholarship under the provisions of this section must continue to receive the payments provided in this section only during that periods as the Administrator finds that he is maintaining satisfactory proficiency and devoting full time to study or research in the field in which that scholarship was awarded in an institution of higher education, and is not engaging in gainful employment other than employment approved by the Administrator by or under regulation. (6) The Administrator must by regulation provide that any person awarded a scholarship under this section must agree in writing to enter and remain in an occupation involving the design, operation, or maintenance of treatment works for that period after completion of his course of studies as the Administrator determines appropriate.