ELIGIBILITY REQUIREMENTS:

Applicant Eligibility:   Organizations must be incorporated not-for-profit and have 4 years of experience in exchanges to qualify for grants of more than $60,000. For the grants to place and monitor year program participants, experience conducting academic year high school exchanges is required. Each U.S. organization must have a German partner that meets the German eligibility requirements. The organization providing overall administration and recruitment/selection must have experience administering a national competition.

Beneficiary Eligibility:   There are certain selection criteria (e.g., age, language ability, social skills, academic achievement) for American applicants. Similar criteria are applied by the German side in its selection, with the added layer of the recommendation of an individual Bundestag member.

Credentials/Documentation:   Applicants for participation in the exchange are required to have proof of citizenship and proof of academic standing. They fill out application forms and submit to interviews during semi-finalist screening.

Pre-application Coordination:   Not applicable. This program is excluded from coverage under E.O. 12372.

Application Procedure:   An open competition for all components is conducted every 4 years; for placement grants, either an open competition or a limited solicitation is used. For open competitions, the request for proposals is published in the Federal Register.

Award Procedure:   Funding decisions are at the discretion of the Assistant Secretary for Educational and Cultural Affairs and are based on the advice of a panel of State reviewers and various offices. Final technical authority resides with the Grants Division.

Deadlines:   Deadlines for submission of proposals are established in the request for proposals or letters of solicitation. Most solicitations are offered in the fall with proposals due by the end of the calendar year. The open competition for the 4-year cycle commencing in 2001 was announced on August 5, 1999. The deadline for proposals was September 17, 1999. Organizations were selected for grant awards in November 1999.

Range of Approval/Disapproval Time:   Decisions are generally made within 3 months of the submission of proposals, subject to the availability and timing of funding.

Appeals:   None.

Renewals:   Grantee organizations are eligible for renewal grants in the years between open competitions, providing they maintain a good track record. Renewal grants are being offered in February 2002.

ASSISTANCE CONSIDERATIONS:

Formula and Matching Requirements:   Some cost-sharing is desirable but there is no minimum percentage.

Length and Time Phasing of Assistance:   Grants are generally awarded for an 18-month period.

POST ASSISTANCE REQUIREMENTS:

Reports:   Quarterly program and financial reports are required.

Audits:   In accordance with the provisions of OMB Circular No. A- 133 (Revised, June 24, 1997), "Audits of States, Local Governments, and Non-Profit Organizations," non federal entities that expend financial assistance of $300,000 or more in Federal awards will have a single or a program-specific audit conducted for that year. Nonfederal entities that expend less than $300,000 a year in Federal awards are exempt from Federal audit requirements for that year, except as noted in Circular No. A-133.

Records:   As prescribed by grant terms.

FINANCIAL INFORMATION:

Account Identification:   19-0201-0-1-154.

Obligations:   (Grants) FY 01 $2,857,000; FY 02 est $2,908,000; and FY 03 est $3,100,000.

Range and Average of Financial Assistance:   Grants for the high school student component are each for 60 U.S. and 60 German students. The young professionals component is for 60 U.S. and 100 German participants. The vocational students component is for 20 participants.

There were 380 Americans and 400 Germans selected for participation in the 2001-2002 program.

REGULATIONS, GUIDELINES, AND LITERATURE:

State regulations governing exchange visitor (J-1) programs for high school students. Guidelines for grants are distributed in conjunction with the request for proposals/letter of solicitation.

INFORMATION CONTACTS:

Regional or Local Office:  
THIS PROGRAM HAS BEEN DISCONTINUED*

Headquarters Office:  
THIS PROGRAM HAS BEEN DISCONTINUED*

Web Site Address:   http://usagermanyscholarships.org

EXAMPLES OF FUNDED PROJECTS:

A list of grantee organizations is available from the State Department program office.

CRITERIA FOR SELECTING PROPOSALS:

Programmatic planning, objectives, and quality; organization capacity and track record; support for diversity; cost-effectiveness; project evaluation plan; value to US- partner country relations; multiplier effect.