,i #aafth ,,congress #ast ,session ,h4 ,r4 #fff ,,in ,,the ,,house ,,of ,,representatives ,january #ag1 #bjai,mr4 ,hastings 7for himself1 ,mr4 ,thompson of ,mississippi1 ,mr4 ,deutch1 ,ms4 ,fudge1 ,mrs4 ,lowey1 ,mr4 ,johnson of ,georgia1 ,ms4 ,clarke of ,new ,york1 ,ms4 ,wasserman ,schultz1 ,mr4 ,soto1 ,mr4 ,grijalva1 ,mr4 ,levin of ,michigan1 and ,ms4 ,wilson of ,florida7 introduced the following bill2 which was referred to the ,committee on ,foreign ,affairs ,a ,,bill ,to establish a scholarship program in the ,department of ,state for ,haitian students whose studies were interrupted as a result of the ,january #ab1 #bjaj1 earthquake1 or the ,october #d1 #bjaf1 hurricane1 ,hurricane ,matthew4 #a4 ,short title ,this ,act may be cited as the ,haitian ,educational ,empowerment ,act of #bjai4 #b4 ,findings ,congress finds the following3 7#a7 ,on ,october #d1 #bjaf1 ,hurricane ,matthew devastated ,haiti1 killing over #a1jjj people1 and directly affected #b4a million people1 including the internal displacement of #age1jjj and #a4d million people in need of urgent humanitarian aid4 7#b7 ,the storm damage has been estimated to be #a1jjj1jjj1jjj1 or about #aa4d percent of the gross domestic product of ,haiti4 7#c7 ,hurricane ,matthew was the worst hurricane to hit ,haiti in over #ej years4 7#d7 ,haiti is the poorest country in the ,western ,hemisphere4 7#e7 ,eighty percent of the population lives below the poverty line1 and approximately #de percent of the population is illiterate4 7#f7 ,on ,january #ab1 #bjaj1 a #g4j-magnitude earthquake struck the country of ,haiti4 7#g7 ,the earthquake caused massive devastation across ,haiti1 destroying government buildings1 hospitals1 schools1 and vital aid offices1 including the headquarters of the ,united ,nations mission to ,haiti4 7#h7 ,an estimated three million people were directly affected by the earthquake in ,haiti1 nearly one-third of the country's population4 7#i7 ,many universities suffered significant structural damage1 including the ,state ,university of ,haiti1 the country's main public university1 which had #hj percent of its buildings destroyed4 7#aj7 ,the earthquake claimed the lives of many students and several prominent academics4 7#aa7 ,a more highly educated population is vital to ,haiti's long-term development4 #c4 ,establishment of scholarship program for certain ,haitian students 7a7 ,in general ,the ,secretary of ,state1 acting through the ,assistant ,secretary of ,state for ,educational and ,cultural ,affairs1 shall establish a scholarship program for ,haitian students whose studies were interrupted as a result of the ,january #ab1 #bjaj1 earthquake1 or the ,october #d1 #bjaf1 hurricane1 ,hurricane ,matthew4 7b7 ,eligibility ,to be eligible to receive a scholarship under this section1 a ,haitian undergraduate or graduate student shall-- 7#a7 have been enrolled as a full-time or part-time student in a ,haitian university or institution of higher education in the ,united ,states at the time of the ,january #ab1 #bjaj1 earthquake1 or when ,hurricane ,matthew hit ,haiti on ,october #d1 #bjaf2 and 7#b7 submit to the ,assistant ,secretary of ,state for ,educational and ,cultural ,affairs an application at such time1 in such manner1 and containing such information as the ,assistant ,secretary may require4 7c7 ,duration ,a scholarship under this section shall be awarded to a ,haitian student for one academic year and may be renewed in accordance with subsection 7d74 7d7 ,renewal 7#a7 ,in general ,a scholarship awarded under this section may be renewed for an additional academic year upon demonstration to the ,secretary of ,state of satisfactory academic achievement in the prior academic year4 7#b7 ,maximum renewals ,a scholarship awarded under this section may not be renewed for more than six academic years4 7e7 ,preference ,preference in the awarding of scholarships shall be given to the following categories of ,haitian students3 7#a7 ,haitian students who are studying subjects of importance to ,haiti's long-term social1 economic1 or political development4 7#b7 ,haitian students who were enrolled in programs that were forced to cease operations as a result of the ,january #ab1 #bjaj1 earthquake1 or the ,october #d1 #bjaf1 hurricane1 ,hurricane ,matthew4 7f7 ,return ,upon completion of an undergraduate or graduate degree at an institution of higher education1 a ,haitian student who has received a scholarship under this section shall return to ,haiti for not less than two years1 and to the extent possible1 find employment in an economic sector of importance to ,haiti's long-term social1 economic1 or political development4 7g7 ,scholarship amount ,a scholarship awarded to a ,haitian student under this section may not exceed an amount equal to the total costs related to the tuition and fees for one academic year at an institution of higher education in which the student is enrolled as a full-time student4 #d4 ,grants to ,united ,states colleges and universities ,the ,secretary of ,state1 acting through the ,assistant ,secretary of ,state for ,educational and ,cultural ,affairs1 may make grants to institutions of higher education that have enrolled a significant number of ,haitian students who have been enrolled as full-time or part-time students in a ,haitian university at the time of the ,january #ab1 #bjaj1 earthquake1 or the ,october #d1 #bjaf1 hurricane1 ,hurricane ,matthew4 ,such grants shall be used to provide social and educational support services to such students4 #e4 ,definitions ,for purposes of this ,act3 7#a7 ,fees ,the term fees means-- 7,a7 fees normally assessed a full-time student1 as determined by an institution of higher education1 including-- 7i7 costs for the rental or purchase of any equipment1 materials1 or supplies required of all students in the same course of study2 and 7ii7 an allowance for room and board at such institution2 and 7,b7 travel expenses to such institution from ,haiti and1 upon the completion of a degree at such institution1 from such institution to ,haiti4 7#b7 ,institution of higher education ,the term institution of higher education has the meaning given such term in section #aja of the ,higher ,education ,act of #aife 7#bj ,u4,s4,c4 #ajja74 7#c7 ,scholarship ,the term scholarship means an amount awarded to a ,haitian student under this section that shall only be used to pay costs related to the tuition and fees at the institution of higher education in which the student is enrolled as a full-time student4