Eligibility Criterion

Eligibility Policy for American Outbound Youth Programs

Eligibility:  The Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs’ (ECA) Youth Programs Division seeks to make youth exchange programs funded by ECA available to a wide and diverse American audience.  Also, ECA wants to prevent conflict of interest issues from arising with regard to Department employees who are involved in particular scholarships and exchange programs. Therefore, in addition to the specific requirements for each program, an applicant for ECA-funded youth exchange programs must meet the following eligibility criteria:

Previous participation:  A candidate will be considered ineligible if s/he has previously traveled outside the United States on any ECA-funded program within the past three years or if s/he has accepted a scholarship for an impending U.S. Government-funded exchange program.

One award per participant:  An applicant may participate in only one ECA-funded program taking place within a calendar or an academic year.  Should an applicant be accepted for more than one ECA-funded program in this timeframe s/he must choose between the programs and select only one program in which to participate.

NSLI-Y exception:  An exception to the previous requirements is the National Strategic Language Initiative for Youth Program (NSLI-Y). Because the NSLI-Y program aims to generate competence in languages critical to national security, an applicant who has been on other U.S. Government-funded programs and demonstrates a commitment to continued study of the same or a related language may be considered for a NSLI-Y scholarship.

Family members of Department employees:   Family members of employees of the Department whose official duties involve an ECA Youth Programs Division exchange program would be precluded from applying for that program.  This is because there would be a conflict of interest or the appearance thereof if employees engage in official matters that affect the interests of their family members.  In circumstances where a family member other than a spouse or dependent child wants to participate in a program where the employee has official duties, the appropriateness of the employee engaging in such matters should be discussed with a Department Ethics attorney.

Family members of affiliated private sector employees:  Family members of ECA-funded implementers of grant programs and Department contractors whose official duties involve a particular ECA-funded youth exchange program are technically ineligible for that program.  Family members include spouse and dependent children.

August 29, 2011