22 U.S.C. § 2452c — Program to provide grants to American-sponsored schools in predominantly Muslim countries to provide scholarships
submitted 22 years ago by Pub. L. 108-458 to r/title-22-FOREIGN-RELATIONS-AND-INTERCOURSE · 522 words · no verdicts yet
Congress states findings about United States-sponsored schools abroad and a policy of increasing their financial support in predominantly Muslim countries. The Secretary of State may fund merit scholarships, subject to use, participation, reporting, and funding rules.
(a) Findings. Congress finds that in the 2003–2004 school year the State Department's Office of Overseas Schools financially assisted 189 foreign elementary and secondary schools; United States-sponsored schools were in more than 20 predominantly Muslim countries in the Near East, Africa, South Asia, Central Asia, and East Asia; and these schools provide English-language, American-style education usually emphasizing critical thinking and analytical skills.
(b) Policy. The United States has an interest in increasing financial support for these schools to (1) increase enrollment, (2) increase the number of young people who gain an early appreciation of United States culture, society, and history, and (3) increase the number who improve English proficiency.
(c) Program. Through the Office of Overseas Schools, the Secretary of State may make grants to United States-sponsored elementary and secondary schools in predominantly Muslim countries to provide full or partial merit scholarships to students from lower- and middle-income families in those countries.
(d) Eligible students. A grant recipient may set criteria for deciding what counts as a lower- or middle-income family in the country, or region if income varies significantly by region, where the school is located.
(e) Use of funds. Money appropriated under (h) may be used only for grants under this section, not for Office administration or another Office activity.
(f) Voluntary participation. This section does not require a United States-sponsored school in a predominantly Muslim country to participate.
(g) Report. By April 15, 2006, and April 15, 2008, the Secretary must report to the specified House and Senate committees on the program's success, implementation obstacles, whether it should continue, and recommendations to improve it.
(h) Funding. Unless Congress otherwise authorizes it, Congress authorizes whatever sums are necessary for fiscal years 2007 and 2008 to carry out the program.
Congress makes the following findings:
During the 2003–2004 school year, the Office of Overseas Schools of the Department of State is financially assisting 189 elementary and secondary schools in foreign countries.
United States-sponsored elementary and secondary schools are located in more than 20 countries with predominantly Muslim populations in the Near East, Africa, South Asia, Central Asia, and East Asia.
United States-sponsored elementary and secondary schools provide an American-style education in English, with curricula that typically include an emphasis on the development of critical thinking and analytical skills.
The United States has an interest in increasing the level of financial support provided to United States-sponsored elementary and secondary schools in countries with predominantly Muslim populations in order to—
increase the number of students in such countries who attend such schools;
increase the number of young people who may thereby gain at any early age an appreciation for the culture, society, and history of the United States; and
increase the number of young people who may thereby improve their proficiency in the English language.
The Secretary of State, acting through the Director of the Office of Overseas Schools of the Department of State, may conduct a program to make grants to United States-sponsored elementary and secondary schools in countries with predominantly Muslim populations for the purpose of providing full or partial merit-based scholarships to students from lower-income and middle-income families of such countries to attend such schools.
For purposes of the program, a United States-sponsored elementary and secondary school that receives a grant under the program may establish criteria to be implemented by such school to determine what constitutes lower-income and middle-income families in the country (or region of the country, if regional variations in income levels in the country are significant) in which such school is located.
Amounts appropriated to the Secretary of State pursuant to the authorization of appropriations in subsection (h) shall be used for the sole purpose of making grants under this section, and may not be used for the administration of the Office of Overseas Schools of the Department of State or for any other activity of the Office.
Nothing in this section shall be construed to require participation in the program by a United States-sponsored elementary or secondary school in a predominantly Muslim country.
Not later than April 15, 2006, and April 15, 2008, the Secretary of State shall submit to the Committee on International Relations of the House of Representatives and the Committee on Foreign Relations of the Senate a report on the program. The report shall assess the success of the program, examine any obstacles encountered in its implementation, and address whether it should be continued, and if so, provide recommendations to increase its effectiveness.
There are authorized to be appropriated to the Secretary of State for each of the fiscal years 2007 and 2008, unless otherwise authorized by Congress, such sums as necessary to implement the program under this section.
Source credit: (Pub. L. 108–458, title VII, § 7113, Dec. 17, 2004, 118 Stat. 3797; Pub. L. 110–53, title XX, § 2014(b)(1), Aug. 3, 2007, 121 Stat. 512.)
- 2004Enacted · Pub. L. 108-458 · 118 Stat. 3797
- 2007Amended · Pub. L. 110-53 · 121 Stat. 512
A history note hasn’t been published yet. The record shows enactment by Pub. L. 108-458 on 2004-12-17.
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