72026822RFA00001_HES II_Amendment 1.pdf

Amendment 1 Issue Date: February 10, 2022 Deadline for Questions: March 3, 2022 12:00 hrs. Lebanon local time Issuance Date for Amendment 1 March 8, 2022 Closing Date and Time: April 11, 2022 17:00 hrs. Lebanon local time

Subject: USAID/Lebanon Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO) Number:

72026822RFA00001

Program Title: Higher Education Scholarships Phase Two (HES-II)

Federal Assistance Listing Number: 98.001

Dear Interested Applicants:

The United States Agency for International Development (USAID) is seeking applications for a cooperative agreement from qualified entities to implement the program entitled Higher Education Scholarships Phase Two (HES-II). Eligibility for award is restricted to not-for-profit educational institutions in Lebanon that meet standards comparable to those required for American accreditation.

Subject to the availability of funds, USAID anticipates awarding up to two cooperative agreements to the applicant(s) who best meets the objectives of this funding opportunity based on the merit review criteria described in this NOFO subject to a risk assessment. Eligible parties interested in submitting an application are encouraged to read this NOFO thoroughly to understand the type of program sought, application submission requirements and selection process. Each cooperative agreement is expected to have a Total Estimated Amount (TEA) not to exceed $29,800,000 in total USAID funding for a period of nine years. Subject to the availability of funds, USAID may decide to provide an additional, not to exceed $200,000 per award for a “Crisis Modifier” (please refer to Section A for more information). If the additional Crisis Modifier funding is provided, each award will have a TEA of up to $30,000,000 within the nine- year period.

To be eligible for award, the applicant must provide all information as required in this NOFO and meet eligibility standards in Section C. This funding opportunity is posted on www.grants.gov, and may be amended. It is the responsibility of the applicant to regularly check the website to ensure they have the latest information pertaining to this notice of funding opportunity and to ensure that the NOFO has been received from the internet in its entirety. USAID bears no responsibility for data errors resulting from transmission or conversion process. If you have difficulty registering on www.grants.gov or accessing the NOFO, please contact the Grants.gov Helpdesk at 1-800-518- 4726 or via email at support@grants.gov for technical assistance.

USAID may not award to an applicant unless the applicant has complied with all applicable unique entity identifier and System for Award Management (SAM) requirements detailed in Section D.6.f.

{Insert Funding Opportunity}

{Name of Project} f

Notice of Funding Opportunity Number: 72026822RFA00001 Higher Education Scholarships Phase Two (HES-II)

The registration process may take many weeks to complete. Therefore, applicants are encouraged to begin registration early in the process.

Please submit your questions and application by email to the Regional Agreement Officer, Amy McQuade at amcquade@usaid.gov with a copy to Assistance Specialists, Rana El Jordi at reljordi@usaid.gov and Roman Ansonov at ransonov@usaid.gov. The deadline for questions and application submission is shown above. Responses to questions received prior to the deadline will be furnished to all potential applicants through an amendment to this notice posted to www.grants.gov.

Issuance of this notice of funding opportunity does not constitute an award commitment on the part of the Government nor does it commit the Government to pay for any costs incurred in preparation or submission of comments/suggestions or an application. Applications are submitted at the risk of the applicant. All preparation and submission costs are at the applicant’s expense.

Thank you for your interest in USAID programs.

Sincerely, Annex I. HES-USP Fact Sheet Annex II. Mandatory Budget Template Annex III. USAID Partner Information Form Annex IV. CDCS-Lebanon-December-2026

TABLE OF CONTENTS

SECTION A: PROGRAM DESCRIPTION 4

SECTION B: FEDERAL AWARD INFORMATION 33

SECTION C: ELIGIBILITY INFORMATION 37

SECTION D: APPLICATION AND SUBMISSION INFORMATION 38

SECTION E: APPLICATION REVIEW INFORMATION 51

SECTION F: FEDERAL AWARD ADMINISTRATION INFORMATION 54

SECTION G: FEDERAL AWARDING AGENCY CONTACT(S) 61

SECTION H: OTHER INFORMATION 62

SECTION A: PROGRAM DESCRIPTION

This funding opportunity is authorized under the Foreign Assistance Act (FAA) of 1961, as amended. The resulting award will be subject to 2 CFR 200 – Uniform Administrative Requirements, Cost Principles, and Audit Requirements for Federal Awards, and USAID’s supplement, 2 CFR 700, as well as the additional requirements found in Sections A, B, F and H.

I. PROGRAM OBJECTIVE

The Higher Education Scholarships Phase Two (HES-II) is one activity under the umbrella of the Higher Education Advancement and Development (HEAD) project.1 The purpose of the HEAD project is to improve the effectiveness of educational institutions in order to enhance Lebanon’s economic stability and prosperity through skill development opportunities and stronger higher education institutions.

Since 2010, USAID has provided approximately $150 million to fund full undergraduate scholarships for approximately 1,500 Lebanese secondary school graduates. These scholarships typically covered full educational costs including a housing/transportation allowance, when needed, and stipends to cover living expenses for Lebanese and refugee students with high financial need to attend not-for-profit educational institutions in Lebanon that meet standards comparable to those required for American accreditation that promote critical thinking, freedom, diversity and respect.

The Lebanon financial and economic crisis is likely to rank in the top 10, possibly top three, most severe crises episodes globally since the mid-nineteenth century2. This crisis has yielded rapid spikes in poverty (one third of the population lives on less than $1/day), youth unemployment (37 percent for people under age 35 years), low literacy, low women labor force participation (23 percent compared to Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development’s (OECD) 63 percent average) and recent net job losses for women that are 5 percentage points higher for women than men. The Government of Lebanon’s (GOL) spending on education is low at less than two percent of Gross Domestic Product (GDP) in 2020, well below the OECD average of 4.4 percent and among the lowest in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region. This has resulted in three-fold problems in the education delivery: access, learning and equity.

1 Note: The term “program” as used in 2 CFR 200 and this NOFO is typically considered by USAID to be an activity supporting one or more project(s) pursuant to specific Development Objectives. Please see 2 CFR 700 for the USAID specific definitions of the terms “activity” and “project” as used in the USAID context for purposes of planning, design, and implementation of USAID development assistance.

2https://www.worldbank.org/en/country/lebanon/publication/lebanon-economic-monitor-spring-2021-lebanon-sinking-to-the-top-3

The HES-II consists of two components:

Component 1: The University Scholarship Program - Phase Nine (USP9)

The University Scholarship Program – Phase Nine (USP9) enables meritorious yet financially disadvantaged Lebanese secondary school graduates to access quality higher education to increase their job readiness and maximize their potential in supporting Lebanon’s long-term political, economic, and social development. This effort supports USAID’s objective to enhance Lebanon’s economic stability and prosperity through skill development opportunities and stronger higher education institutions. This scholarship program will offer full scholarship coverage to assist male and female secondary school graduates to pursue undergraduate studies at local not-for-profit universities that have requirements similar to American accreditation as defined by the eligibility section below.

Component 2: Refugee Scholarship Support – Phase II (RSS-II)

The Refugee Scholarship Support – Phase II (RSS-II) will offer scholarships to refugees legally residing in Lebanon, to complete undergraduate programs at local not-for-profit universities that have requirements similar to American accreditation.

This Notice of Funding Opportunity provides a comprehensive and detailed technical approach based on lessons learned from past iterations of the University Scholarship Program since 2010, proven best practices, demonstrated cost control measures, and student feedback. USAID’s substantial involvement throughout the activity will standardize key strategic and technical parameters amongst implementing partner(s) including selection criteria and conditions to maintain the scholarship.

The activity duration will be up to nine years to allow the recruitment of up to four student cohorts, i.e. the implementation of up to four cycles. Each cycle consists of the following:

● One year of recruitment, selection and enrollment. It is estimated that the first four years of the program are dedicated to outreach, dissemination, selection and enrollment, whereby each year targets one distinct cycle;

● Up to one preparatory year if needed;

● Up to four academic years per cycle only depending on the major of enrollment, accordingly five year majors may not be proposed, such as an architecture major.

Expected Results:

Upon completion of the HES-II activity, USAID expects at least the following:

● Up to four annual student cohorts of financially disadvantaged Lebanese school students, representing an appropriate gender-balance, and coming from diverse geographical locations will have been selected and received full scholarships to support their undergraduate education under USP9;

● Up to four refugee cohorts of financially disadvantaged refugees legally residing in Lebanon, subject to availability of funding under RSS II;

● All scholars will have engaged in extra-curricular activities geared towards leadership development and civic engagement;

● All scholars will have completed internships or USAID-focused research upon project completion;

● At least 70 percent of the scholars have demonstrated at least a sustained academic average throughout the activity lifetime as reflected in their cumulative averages or Grade Point Averages (GPA). For the purposes of this award, “sustained” means that the cumulative average remains the same or within a four percent (4 percent) margin upwards or downwards compared to the initial average earned during the first semester;

● At least 80 percent of the scholars have cumulative averages upon graduation over 80 percent;

● At least 50 percent of the scholars will have assumed at least once a prominent position in their university based leadership activities by the time of graduation (such as club president or vice president, committee team leader, project manager);

● At least 95 percent of the scholars will have actively participated in the completion of meaningful community-based service projects;

● At least 95 percent of the scholars will have graduated successfully within the project duration, and within their expected academic degree duration;

● At least 95 percent of the scholars will be prepared for the labor market through training and career guidance;

● At least 75 percent of the scholars must be employed or pursuing graduate studies within a period of six months post-graduation.

II. APPROACH

1. Component 1: USP9

The USP9 is a nine-year program to recruit, select and enroll up to four separate cohorts of Lebanese students, one potential cohort every year during the first four years of implementation.

The process that requires the recruitment, selection, enrollment and follow-up of every cohort is referred to as a “cycle”. Each “cycle” consists of a first year for recruitment, a second year for preparatory studies if needed, and up to four academic years depending on the student’s major.

USP(9) will support up to four cycles subject to the funding availability.

The applicant should account for the information below in the design of their approach.

1.1 Eligibility, Recruitment and Selection Processes

1.1.a. Student Eligibility

USP9 will recruit, select and enroll up to four distinct student cohorts, one cohort per year over the first four years of implementation. Accordingly, eligibility criteria reflected below apply to all four cohorts unless otherwise directed by USAID through substantial involvement during implementation.

Students recruited under the program must meet the following eligibility criteria:

o Lebanese as determined officially by USAID in writing through substantial involvement during implementation. As per USAID Automated Directives System (ADS) Chapter 253

(“USAID Policy”), citizens who are holders of both Lebanese and American citizenship are not eligible for this program. Similarly, asylum seekers to the United States of America (USA) and U.S. green card holders are not eligible.

o Graduates must be enrolled in Lebanese schools only, including public and private secondary schools, and earn their national Baccalaureate (BACC-II) during the year of recruitment into the activity. Graduates who earned their degree earlier than the year of recruitment into the activity will not be eligible for the scholarship.

o Graduates must demonstrate academic merit; i.e., have at least a cumulative combined average of 13.5/20 in their first two years of secondary schooling, and at least an average of 13.5/20 on their BACC-II;

o Candidates must have been enrolled at a secondary school in Lebanon - either public or private - for their last three years of secondary education (seconde, premiere and terminale).

An exception is made to students who participated in a U.S. Government- sponsored education exchange program during their secondary school years, such as Youth Exchange and Study (YES) students, who spent a year in the U.S. The student must provide documentation that proves that their exchange program was funded by the U.S.

Government. Students who spent less than their last three years of schooling in Lebanon are not eligible unless their transfer to Lebanon was substantiated by death of the breadwinner, or declaration of official bankruptcy. Otherwise, the candidates must satisfy the three-year secondary schooling in Lebanon.

Financial Need - Candidates must demonstrate high financial need as follows:

o Parents must not earn any substantial subsidy to cover educational costs. For purposes of USP9, parents must not earn an educational subsidy that covers at least 25 percent of the annual university tuition fee at the least expensive partner university. The tuition basis will be determined, similarly amongst all USP9 implementing partners, in coordination with USAID through substantial involvement. The 25% percent of the annual university tuition fee should be calculated on the actual value in LBP of the tuition set by the university. For example, if the tuition is $10,000 and the university is applying an exchange rate of LBP4,000 for $1 then this means the actual value for the tuition is LBP40 Million.

Therefore, the 25% of the actual tuition is LBP10 Million. This requirement will be applied every recruitment year with updated calculations (changes at the university’s applicable exchange rates and the updated subsidies by the government or other employers).

o Financial need will be determined based on a detailed financial aid application that weighs family revenues against expenditures; number of family dependents and school and university age children and youth; and ownership of “hard” assets, i.e. a tangible asset or resource with value. The applicant must detail the criteria, their weights, justification and support documentation that it will use to assess student’s financial need, in particular those enrolled in fee-paying private schools. The applicant should elaborate on any approaches, based on school tuition, or other objective criteria, that may help in further determining the financial need of private school students. The final set of required documentation will be unified and approved by USAID for all USP9 implementing partners.

o Candidates must define and justify through prevailing economic indicators total combined parental income for USP student eligibility. In addition, post award, USP9 implementing partners must provide a brief economic analysis based on the university’s own practices and established financial aid guidelines conducted by an expert consultant to justify the threshold for the total annual parental income. The final threshold will be consistent across all implementing partners and subject to USAID approval through substantial involvement.

o Candidates and their parents must sit for separate interviews to determine financial need, validate information and complete additional due diligence as required by USAID to ensure funding is not channeled to ineligible candidates.

o Candidates must not have a sibling who was/is enrolled under USP or any other U.S.-funded undergraduate scholarship. Exceptions may be made when a sibling dropped or was dismissed from USP within one year of enrollment only.

Leadership Capability - Candidates must demonstrate leadership capabilities as follows:

○ Students must demonstrate their potential for leadership and civic engagement through means identified by the applicant and elaborated upon in the student’s essay and an interview before a qualified panel. The applicant must reflect illustratively in their application or its annexes how leadership potential will be assessed, which tools will be used, the type of questions that may be asked, and the weights and criteria that will be used to assess leadership potential. Finally, USAID, through substantial involvement during implementation, will approve the final leadership assessment tool and methodology to be used by all implementing partners.

1.1.b. Vetting and Due Diligence

To qualify for the scholarship, all students and their parents/guardians must be properly vetted through the USAID Partner Vetting System (PVS) and all publicly and internally available databases and other resources as required by USAID. The applicant must provide its illustrative strategy to vet applicants and their parents/guardians to ensure that activity benefits are not being provided, even inadvertently, to sanctioned individuals, including people or organizations who are not specifically designated by the U.S. Government but who may nevertheless be linked to sanctioned activities. The applicant must detail how and when vetting will be conducted and completed; specify the tools to be used; which certifications will be in place after enrollment; and procedures for vetting and due diligence from enrollment to graduation. USAID, through substantial involvement, will approve and unify the vetting and due diligence approach to be undertaken by all implementing partners through a vetting and due diligence guideline (refer to Section VI – reporting requirements, Technical Deliverables).

1.1.c. Program Dissemination, Shortlisting Procedures and Selection

Engagement - The scholarship opportunities must be disseminated in targeted schools including, at least, the following:

(1) seeking official approvals by school principals and the Ministry of Education and Higher Education (MEHE);

(2) school visits including selection criteria to select schools to be visited, and ensuring consistency of messaging amongst various university recruiters, and between implementing partners;

(3) outreach to schools and/or students that are not visited;

(4) tools to leverage existing USP scholars to assist in recruitment during school visits or other outreach efforts;

(5) innovative and low-cost tools, including social media platforms (for example, Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter and Instagram), to maximize outreach; and

(6) other resources to be utilized such as sub-awards to local organizations that may assist in dissemination, fairs, or online application platforms.

Guiding Principles - The applicant must consider the following:

● There will be up to four consecutive annual rounds of program dissemination and recruitment, subject to USAID approval through substantial involvement based on funding availability. Each round targets one student cohort for enrollment by the beginning of the next academic year.

● All public secondary schools in Lebanon, including academic and technical students, must be duly informed of the program under each dissemination round.

● School visits are the most favored approach for public schools. Therefore, the applicant must reach at least 240 academic public schools per recruitment year through direct visits, and at least 30 technical public schools. The applicant must detail its approach to reach out to private schools including its selection criteria to avoid receiving a large number of ineligible applications submitted by ineligible students who do not meet financial need requirements. If in-person school visits are not possible due to any restrictions (security, weather, pandemic, etc...), a contingency plan must be in place.

● The applicant must define targets for each recruitment phase, e.g. how many schools will be reached, how many students, and how many schools visited.

● During the USP9 recruitment visits, the applicant must state that recruiters will fulfill the sole task of promoting USP and USAID funding. Recruiters may not promote, at any point during these visits, and/or through USAID funding, the university, its programs, financial aid offered to students, or ongoing programs. USP9 is not a platform to enable the host university to bolster its image, visibility, or outreach. Recruitment serves the purpose of promoting USAID funding solely in support of the USP. All non-USP related questions must be deferred to the implementing partner/host university and may not be addressed during the school visits. USAID will also unify and approve through substantial involvement a guideline to ensure the consistency of messaging amongst recruiters. All terms of substantial involvement must be acknowledged by the applicant in the application.

Student Application Package - A specific USP9 application package, including admission and financial components, must be developed for the program. All students applying to the program must submit at least three essays in the application, including:

(1) Essay 1: Student reflection on their leadership qualities and why the student qualifies for the scholarship,

(2) Essay 2: Student rationale justifying the choice of major and career aspirations, and

(3) Essay 3: An overview in Arabic of the student’s household financial situation, written by their parents/guardians as part of their financial aid application.

The applicant must reflect how the student application package will be made available to students physically and electronically, including the potential use of online application platforms or other tools that maximize outreach. USAID, through substantial involvement, will approve and unify the final USP9 application package amongst the implementing partner(s), and the direction to set up platforms for online application submission. The applicant must also reflect how the three essays will be reviewed, evaluated, and used during the selection process. This process will be finalized through substantial involvement during implementation.

Risk Mitigation Plan - The applicant must also provide a risk mitigation plan, in a tabular format that will develop alternative approaches to dissemination to mitigate identified challenges and risks.

The applicant must weigh all potential risks and propose alternative means addressing at least the inability to visit schools due to (1) weather conditions, (2) localized and temporary security incidents, (3) chronic security situation, (4) uncooperative school principals, (5) teachers’ strikes,

(6) pandemics, (7) absence of MEHE approval, (8) any other significant risk.

Shortlisting - The applicant must detail its procedures, steps, timeframe, methodology, staffing within the implementing partner(s), number targets, and criteria under each step to shortlist students and make a final selection addressing at least the following:

1- How preliminary shortlisting based on the initial admission and financial application review including review of the three essays is completed;

2- What university tests are to be considered, why and what the cut-off scores are;

3- Interview procedures, panel selection and composition;

4- Mitigation of conflict of interest and nepotism during the selection process;

5- How scores are generated under each step;

6- At least 40 percent of the total applicants per cycle should sit for initial university testing

(subject matter and/or language). The 40 percent must not be considered a target but rather a minimum number that is encouraged to be exceeded to enhance the competition and transparency of the selection process;

7- At least 20 percent of the total initial applicants per cycle, who have successfully taken the university tests, must be invited for interviews. The 20 percent is not a cap but rather a minimum threshold that must be achieved and exceeded when possible. Illustratively, if 1,000 students applied to USP9’s cycle one, at least 400 must sit for testing, of which at least 200 must sit for interviews after completing the testing and ranking.

Through substantial involvement, the applicant should reflect in its application that USAID will:

o Provide specific guidance concerning gender, geographic considerations, and other relevant eligibility criteria as deemed necessary by USAID after award;

o Review and approve the proposed selection by the implementing partner(s), including a proposed list of finalists and a waiting list of qualified and eligible students;

o Review, approve and standardize across implementing partner(s) the weights of the selection process including those allocated to academic merit, household financial situation, and leadership potential.

1.1.d. Selection Contingency Plan:

The applicant must provide a contingency plan including a description of triggering events, alternate approaches and potential impact on the selection process, at least, for the following circumstances:

1- Plans to accommodate students who were not able to participate in the interviews or university tests for reasons related to, specifically, the prevailing security situation, health, family death or documented incapacitation, and how the fairness of the competition will be maintained if such an accommodation is offered;

2- Delays in publishing the BACC-II exam results and how the final selection will be made;

3- Cancellation of BACC-II exams and how the final selection will be made; and 4- Shifting from face-to-face learning to online learning due to exigent circumstances.

The applicant must note that the selection contingency plan cannot be exercised without USAID approval during actual implementation. Through substantial involvement, USAID will approve and standardize across implementing partner(s) the contingency plans pertaining to the above, particularly those related to the cancellation of BACC-II exams.

1.2. Comprehensive Scholarships

USP9 will offer the following scholarship package: a full undergraduate scholarship for each scholar for the entire expected duration of studies as per university course catalogue; a housing or a lump-sum transportation allowance, a book allowance; a monthly stipend; medical insurance similar to regular students enrolled at the university; a laptop; and up to one preparatory year as needed. Scholars who do not receive housing must receive a transportation allowance.

1.2.a. Tuition

The actual tuition during implementation must be as follows:

- Tuition based on the 2021-2022 rates will be applicable for the duration of the program for all cycles. However, if the university’s tuition rates dropped during the implementation of this project, tuition rates for HES-II mustshould drop in the same percentage. ;

- Annual tuition increases are not allowable on the Federal share and hence may be counted solely towards the cost-share;

- An upfront tuition reduction of 20 percent is required. Applicants to this solicitation may apply for Federal funds up to the set ceiling when they offer a 20 percent reduction upfront.

1.2.b. Housing and Transportation Allowance

Only up to 80 percent of the proposed students per cycle will be eligible for university housing; the remaining 20 percent will be eligible for a lump-sum transportation allowance. The 80 percent should be considered a maximum; accommodation will only be offered when needed.

University housing will be offered in gender-segregated, shared double rooms at university-sponsored housing only, whether on-campus or off-campus, subject to university supervision, policies, and security control. Housing in private apartments is not allowed unless otherwise forced due to a lockdown and/or closure of university dormitories and approved by USAID. Housing will be offered during semesters of actual enrollment only and during the USP mandatory internship month(s). The university must offer housing that has the lowest rental rates. Discounts on housing will be favorably considered during the application’s financial evaluation and will count towards cost-effectiveness. A discount of at least 10 percent on housing is mandatory. Students must be allocated low-cost, suitable dormitories at the university.

Housing priority will be given to scholars living far from campus. Therefore, scholars living in the same district as the university campus will not have priority for housing; such students will be prioritized for the transportation allowance.

The following considerations must be incorporated in the program description:

● The above conditions in the submitted technical application, highlighting the expected number of scholars who benefit from university housing and those who will receive transportation allowance;

● The housing arrangement to accommodate USP9 scholars by presenting a detailed account of maximum capacity available on campus, current occupancy and expected vacancy. The applicant must demonstrate that their dormitories can absorb the USP9 scholars without disruption to existing arrangements for other donor-funded scholarship programs;

● How the applicant will mitigate any parental concerns related to their children, particularly females, moving to the dormitories, including measures during the recruitment campaign and pre-enrollment;

● Innovative approaches to calculating the transportation allowance. The allowance is suggested to be as per applicable Government of Lebanon (GOL) rates. The GOL rate will be used for comparison purposes only. TNonetheless, the applicant may propose an alternate path where prorated allowances are paid based on the commute distance thus making it fair to students who live far from campus and are not eligible for dormitories.

The rates must not substantially deviate from the GOL rates per month at all times. The applicant may not propose a transportation allowance amount without due justification and analysis.

1.2.c. Stipends and Book Allowances

Stipends may be paid to USP9 scholars as following:

● Stipends must be paid only during semesters when scholars are actually enrolled in and are taking classes;

● Stipends during the preparatory year may not exceed nine months per scholar irrespective of any exceptions or deviations that may be approved by USAID;

● Stipends should not exceed (in “fresh”) $400 USD per month per scholar and will not be subject to any annual increase;

● Even programs that do not require mandatory summers will be offered a nine-month stipend only, irrespective of enrollment during summers;

● Scholars who are required to complete an internship mandated by USP9 (e.g. for computer science students), rather than an internship required academically (e.g. for engineering or nursing students), are eligible to receive an additional one-month stipend during the month of this internship. This additional stipend is only allowable when the student fulfills the following combined requirements: is actually enrolled in an internship; the internship takes place prior to graduation; the internship is approved by the project’s management; and the internship takes place at a time when no other regular stipends are provided, such as during an unscheduled summer semester;

● Majors that require mandatory summers will be offered up to an eleven-month stipend only;

● Book allowances are offered twice per year for all programs that do not require mandatory summers; and up to three times per year for programs that require mandatory summers. The book allowance provided for summer semesters must not exceed (in fresh) $150 USD. The book allowance may not exceed (in fresh) $325 USD per regular semester (fall or spring).

1.2.d. Orientation and Integration

The applicant must describe the approach to orient enrolled students, prior to enrollment, to university life, city life, and scholarship requirements, and to mentor students on career pathways throughout the activity. The orientation may include “crash” technical workshops such as computer literacy, and should be done in a format where students will explore options to change their majors within USP9’s allowable limits. The orientation must engage parents through a campus and dormitory visit and/or other means to help parents understand the scholarship requirements, the source of funding from the American people, and socialize the programmatic purpose and value to promote retention. This must be a standalone USP9 activity different from the usual university orientation conducted for regular students, and other venues where parents may be invited to the campus such as the parents’ financial aid interviews. The applicant must provide a detailed annex to this application to USP9 presenting the various orientation sessions and/or workshops that will be offered defining the objective, approach, and target audience.

In addition to the orientation session, the applicant must ensure that students are integrated well into community life, have access to services, and are not subject to bias or discrimination for any reason during the duration of their studies. The applicant is expected to include tools, resources, and interventions that will assist in integration, including tools to help struggling students adapt to campus life to prevent drop-out. Therefore, it is not enough to reference that students will be part of the clubs and campus life based on students’ volition; rather, a structured and deliberate approach, including means to regularly monitor student mental and social well-being, is required.3

1.2.e. Summer Semesters

Scholars must make adequate progress towards graduation within the fall and spring semesters.

Enrollment in summer semesters is restricted as follows:

- Enrollment in the summer semester to complete the preparatory year is not allowed;

- Tuition, housing, stipend and book allowances for all mandatory summer semesters required under any major provided that the applicant submits upon request academic justification that the summer semesters are mandatory as per university catalogue.

Majors that have mandatory summers will not benefit from the additional summer semesters stipulated below. Mandatory summers mean that the course curriculum includes obligatory enrollment during a number of summer semesters, such as engineering;

3 Beyond Financial Assistance: Good Practices for Extracurricular Programming in USAID Scholarship may be a helpful resource in planning such student support.

- Tuition and housing may be paid for one summer semester only, only when needed, for majors that (1) require less than 95 credits and (2) do not require mandatory summers (not counting the preparatory year credits) as per the university course catalogue. This may only be done on a case-by-case basis to enable potentially academically deficient students to complete their degree on time. Stipends and book allowances during this summer semester are not paid;

- Tuition and housing may be paid for up to a two semester maximum for majors that

(1) require more than 95 credits (not counting the preparatory year credits) and (2) do not require mandatory summers. Similar to the above, this is not a blanket approval;

i.e. students may not enroll in two additional semesters automatically unless they have a justified reason for that;

- If students elect or need to enroll in a summer semester beyond the ones offered above, then costs of such semester must be covered by the student.

1.2.f. Remaining Balances, Drop-outs and Replacements

The remaining balances (cost-savings on both the Federal share and cost-share) will be regularly identified and communicated to USAID on a periodic basis, at least every six months. USAID will require the following order of priority to manage and efficiently utilize remaining balances, with USAID approval, which needs to be reflected in the application:

1- Enroll additional students during the same cycle, or in a subsequent cycle. Specific restrictions may not apply such as housing caps, geographic or gender restrictions;

however, USAID reserves the right, through substantial involvement, to direct the selection of students through these savings. Remaining balances in the last cycle of enrollment must be identified and used in that last cycle only;

2- If funds are not sufficient to enroll additional students, the applicant must consider first if additional students may be enrolled by providing additional upfront tuition reduction that may count towards the cost-share, within the total expected cost-share level;

3- If funds are not sufficient to enroll additional students even post reasonable tuition reduction, then funding may be used to provide increased support to

a. Community service projects;

b. Seed funding for entrepreneurial projects that will enable academically meritorious students who have at least a business plan and a feasibility study to open their business;

c. Providing housing to a limited number of students who are facing difficulties with their daily commute.

Remaining balances on the cost-share must be closely monitored at all times during implementation and should be used effectively towards advancing the program objectives.

The applicant must include an approach to mitigate drop-out students from the program and help students facing academic problems or students having non-academic issues including conduct on campus, psychosocial issues, adaptation, and integration. The applicant must delineate the plan for replacing students who drop-out, taking into consideration that all eligibility criteria of the program must apply. Taking into consideration that this is a multi-cycle scholarship program, drop-outs must be replaced in the subsequent cycle of enrollment. After the last cycle of enrollment is completed, drop-outs may be replaced from the established waiting list for this last cycle, such as cycle four, allowing only students who may already be enrolled at a partner university to join USP9, subject to a second round of interviews and financial aid assessment.

1.2.g. Student Employment

Students are allowed to seek part-time employment of their choice at any time during the project’s lifetime subject that the conditions to maintain the scholarship are met. The implementing partner(s) reserves the right to revoke this right of employment when the student performance, academically and in extra-curricular activities, is negatively affected. Employment may be on campus or outside, with a duly vetted organization, and must not exceed 15 hours per week.

1.3. Gender and Diversity Considerations

Gender and diversity must be taken into consideration during implementation, namely:

● How will dissemination, selection, and enrollment be done to reflect the diversity in the country?

● How will the selection be made to ensure that public school students are not under-represented in the proposed selection?

● How will people with disabilities be provided a fair opportunity to not only compete for the scholarship, but engage in all its aspects post-enrollment?

● How gender balance will be achieved including during (1) selection, (2) enrollment, and

(3) leadership and extracurricular activities?

● How will gender stereotypes be addressed during the dissemination and orientation phases to overcome existing perceptions that certain majors are reserved for a particular sex?

● How will the applicant promote diversity in students’ selection of majors to mitigate against gender stereotypes and cultural norms that confine men to the engineering profession and women to education?

● What sort of messaging during the recruitment phase and support services post-enrollment will be provided to mitigate gender sensitivities and help accommodate men and women who might face stress and disorientation moving to a city?

● How will the applicant tailor messaging to address matters of safety, security, and harassment for women, particularly from conservative areas, to secure parental consent?

1.4. Enrollment Approach

The enrollment approach must include all considerations below:

1.4.a. Proposed Majors

The applicant must include a detailed account of the academic majors that will be offered under the HES-II activity, along with a rationale for its choice, including relevant statistics demonstrating demand for the proposed major through a labor market or alumni survey. The proposed majors will constitute the initial list of allowable academic disciplines that will be further revised during implementation through USAID’s substantial involvement. The proposed majors must take into consideration the following:

● Only Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) majors, business and its various emphases, education, and nursing are allowed under USP. To ensure that the STEM definition is consistent amongst all applicants, a list of STEM majors may be found at:

https://www.ice.gov/sites/default/files/documents/stem-list.pdf

● Offered majors must have prospects for meaningful employment, i.e. should enable students to acquire a job quickly upon graduation. STEM majors that have low prospects of employment may not be offered under USP;

● Scholarships will be offered at the undergraduate level only. Graduate studies for degree or for auditing purposes are not allowed under USP;

● Undergraduate degrees offered as mandatory prerequisites for graduate studies such as biology major as a prerequisite for medicine are not allowed;

● Any proposed major must have at least one functional current class that is not predominantly populated by currently enrolled USP scholars;

● Teaching diplomas may be offered as additional coursework and duration subject to student graduation occuringoccurring during the same cycle;

● To qualify as an allowable major under USP(9), at least five cohorts of students must have graduated from the specific major and concrete employment data must be available;

● All proposed majors should ensure that the student graduates at least three months prior to the award cycle completion.

Additionally, the applicant must update its list of majors, within the first eighteen months of implementation, through a labor market survey that may be supported administratively and financially by USP9. The mandatory survey may be completed within the first eighteen months, however, the program is encouraged to complete the study earlier within the first six months to update its list of majors as of the first cycle of recruitment. The methodology of conducting the labor market survey must take in consideration the following:

- How employers, stakeholders and private/public sector key informants will be engaged through professional orders, chambers of commerce, relevant unions and syndicates, and major employers in the country;

- USAID will not cover the cost of alumni studies and surveys that are regularly updated by the universities’ development and alumni relations offices. As such, the survey cannot be an alumni survey;

- USAID will not cover the cost to update past surveys; more recent data is required to reflect current labor market patterns;

- Commissioning of such surveys may be undertaken through sub-awards subject to USAID approval, or through specialized consultants working in the field.

The USAID supported “Key Approaches to Labor Market Assessment”4 - an interactive guide -may be a helpful resource in implementing a labor market assessment.

Any newly-proposed major must satisfy the USP9 requirements with regard to prospects of employment, graduation requirements before the project ends, and must not require additional studies or internships. The applicant must also present its approach to inform students, update

4 Key Approaches to Labor Market Assessment: An Interactive Guide may be accessed at https://www.youthpower.org/labor-market-assessment-module-1-economic-context their applications, and advise after the study results that may lead to changes in the proposed list of majors. The applicant must note that USAID, through substantial involvement, will review and make a final determination of suggested changes to the list of majors based on the recommendations of the labor market survey. The results of the labor market survey will impact the list of majors as of cycle two, unless the report is completed prior to the enrollment of cycle one.

The applicant must explain in detail what safeguards will be in place to ensure that the university is not channeling scholarships to underpopulated majors or majors that the university is trying to promote. Moreover, the applicant must put in place safeguards to ensure that students are not requested by the university to change majors during the selection process to meet a given university’s internal needs.

[SPACE LEFT BLANK INTENTIONALLY]

The proposed list of majors must include the following tabular information:

Major and date the Universit y started offering the major

Total Number of Credits required for Graduatio n as per course catalogue

Normal Program Duration as per Universit y Catalogu e in years

Expected Number of Semester s based on normal progress as per universit y catalogue

Does the major require a mandator y internship

Employa b ility of the major based on the labor market study?

Are summe r semest ers mandat ory for this major?

Justific ation

Are students eligible to enroll in a

TD

(Teaching Diploma) under this field, if yes how many additional credits and semesters

Current Gender Breakdo wn at the Universit y (% Females)

Propos ed means to address gender gap or stereot ypi ng under

USP

when applyi ng to this major

Major A

X credits

X years

Total of X semesters including X summer

No

Yes

Provid e rational e for includi ng Major A under

USP

Major B

X credits

X years

Total of X semesters including 0 summer

Provid e rational e for includi ng Major B under

USP

Yes, 30 credits, 2 full

1.4.b. Admissions

The following USP9 conditions should be taken into consideration:

- Acceptance must be offered during the same year of recruitment. Illustratively, students who applied under cycle one may only be admitted during the same year of cycle one recruitment. Students may not be considered for cycle two as the applicant is expected to undertake program dissemination and seek new applications for cycle two;

- Admission into any major will take into consideration the academic requirements of the university, the program eligibility, and the justification provided by the student in support of their choice;

- Candidates may not be offered a scholarship for a major they did not explicitly select in their admission application, even if they qualify academically for it, unless proper career guidance and academic advising is done and documented during the selection process.

- Students must be enrolled as full-time students at all times. Part-time enrollment is not allowed;

- Students must make normal progress towards their graduation as per course plans set in the university catalogue. Delays are not allowable and will not be paid for under USP, except as detailed in the conditions to maintain the scholarship.

The total number of scholars expected to enroll under USP9 and for which academic programs must be clearly reflected in a tabular format. The below breakdown per academic program is illustrative for budgetary purposes. Adjustments to the number of students under each program category may be made during implementation depending on the number of qualified students in the recruitment/selection phase and the number of students targeted per cycle.

Cycle 1 Cycle 2 Cycle 3 Cycle 4 Total Minimum number of expected students, at least (must be at least met at all times):

Total number of students in three-year academic programs:

Total number of students in four-year academic programs, excluding the intensive year (must not exceed 25% of the total number of students for budgeting purposes):

Total number of students enrolled in teaching diplomas (must not exceed 10% of the total number of students for budgeting purposes):

Total number of students enrolled in a full-year university preparation, including intensive and remedial students (must not exceed 50% of the total number of students at all times):

The program must include methodology, eligibility criteria, and any cost implication on USAID for the following:

● Major and minor degree options, taking into consideration that USAID will not cover the cost of additional semesters. The applicant must present as well if there are any cost implications on USAID for additional courses taken without extending the graduation date;

● Teaching diploma; and

● Double majors.

USAID will not cover the cost of any course that will not count towards the degree, such as, but not limited to pre-medical courses or the cost of any post-graduation academic such as internships, further studies, specific additional…