(a) NSEP award recipients. The award recipient of any scholarship or fellowship award through NSEP will:
(1) Maintain satisfactory academic progress in the course of study for which assistance is provided, according to the regularly prescribed standards and practices of the institution in which the award recipient is matriculating.
(2) As a condition of receiving an award, sign an NSEP service agreement as required by 50 U.S.C. chapter 37, which among other requirements, must acknowledge an understanding and agreement by the award recipient that failure to maintain satisfactory academic progress constitutes grounds upon which the award may be terminated and trigger the mandatory requirement to return to the U.S. Treasury the scholarship, fellowship, or EHLS funds provided to the award recipient.
(3) Notify the DASD(FE&T) within ten business days if advised of failure to maintain academic progress by the institution of matriculation.
(4) Notify the DASD(FE&T) in a timely manner and in advance of the service deadline should any request for deferral, extension, or waiver become necessary.
(i) Deferrals. NSEP award recipients actively seeking to fulfill the NSEP service agreement in a well-documented manner may request approval of a one-year extension of their service deadline. Approvals of deferrals for pursuit of education will be considered on a case-by-case basis. Renewal of a deferral may be granted if adequately justified.
(ii) Extensions. A thorough outline describing all further plans to complete the NSEP service agreement must accompany all extension requests. No more than two extensions may be granted to an NSEP award recipient.
(iii) Waivers.
(A) In extraordinary circumstances, an NSEP award recipient may be relieved of responsibilities associated with the NSEP service agreement. As a result of receiving a waiver, the award recipient will no longer receive job search assistance from NSEP; is no longer a beneficiary of the special hiring advantages available to award recipients who have a service requirement; and will not be eligible to receive NSEP letters of certification, or endorsements or recommendations. Upon request, the NSEP office will continue to certify that the award recipient received an NSEP scholarship or fellowship.
(B) The DASD(FE&T), will consider requests for extensions and waivers of the NSEP service agreement only under special circumstances as defined in paragraph (b) of this section. The request must set forth the basis, situation, and causes which support the requested action. The award recipient must submit requests electronically on www.nsepnet.org or to [email protected]. Final approval of work in fulfillment of the NSEP service agreement, deferrals, extensions, and waivers rest with, and are at the discretion of, the DASD(FE&T).
(5) Immediately upon successful completion of the award program and either completion of the degree for which the award recipient is matriculated or withdrawal from such degree program, begin the federal job search. Award recipients should concurrently seek positions within DoD, any element of the Intelligence Community, the DHS, or DOS.
(6) Work to satisfy all service requirements in accordance with applicable NSEP service agreements until all NSEP service requirements are satisfied. Work in fulfillment of the NSEP service agreement must be wholly completed within five years of the award recipient's first date of service unless an approved deferral or extension has been granted.
(7) Work for the total period of time specified in the NSEP service agreement either consecutively in one organization, or through follow-on employment in two or more organizations.
(8) Repay the U.S. Treasury the award funds provided to the award recipient if the requirements of the NSEP service agreement are not met.
(9) Submit DD Form 2753 to NSEP no later than one month after termination of the period of study funded by NSEP and annual reports thereafter until the NSEP service requirement is satisfied. The DD Form 2753 will include:
(i) Any requests for deferrals, extensions, or waivers with adequate support for such requests.
(ii) The award recipient's current status (e.g., not yet graduated from, or terminated enrollment in, the degree program pursued while receiving NSEP support; engaged in work in fulfillment of the requirement.)
(iii) Updated contact information.
(10) Notify the ASD(R), through the DASD(FE&T), within ten business days of any changes to the award recipient's mailing address.
(b) Procedures and requirements applicable to NSEP aard recipients -
(1) NSEP service agreement. Award recipients of any scholarship, fellowship, or EHLS award through this program must comply with the terms of the NSEP service agreement they signed. NSEP awards entered into before the date of this part will be governed by the laws, regulations, and policies in effect at the time that the award was made. The NSEP service agreement for recipients awarded as of the date of this part will:
(i) In accordance with 50 U.S.C. 1902(b) outlines requirements for NSEP award recipients to fulfill their federal service requirement through work in positions that contribute to the national security of the United States. An emphasis is placed on work within one of four organizations: DoD, any element of the Intelligence Community, DHS, or DOS. On a case-by-case basis, NSEP may consider employment with a federal contractor of one of these four priority organizations as meeting the service requirement should the award recipient provide adequate documentary evidence that the salary for the position is funded by the U.S. Government.
(ii) Stipulate that absent the availability of a suitable position in the four priority organizations or a contractor thereof, award recipients may satisfy the service requirement by serving in any federal agency or office in a position with national security responsibilities. It will also stipulate that absent the availability of a suitable position in DoD, any element of the Intelligence Community, DHS, DOS, a contractor thereof, or any federal agency with national security responsibilities, award recipients may satisfy the service requirement by working in the field of education in a discipline related to the study supported by the program if the recipient satisfactorily demonstrates to the Secretary of Defense through the Director, NSEP, that no position is available in the departments, agencies, and offices covered by paragraph (b)(1)(i) of this section.
(2) Implementation. The NSEP service agreement will be implemented as follows:
(i) Prior to receiving assistance, the award recipient must sign an NSEP service agreement. The award recipient will submit to the NSEP Administrative Agent, in advance of program of study start date, any proposed changes to the approved award program (i.e., course and schedule changes, withdrawals, course or program incompletions, unanticipated or increased costs).
(ii) The minimum length of service requirement for undergraduate scholarship, graduate fellowship, and EHLS award recipients is one year. The duration of the service requirement for graduate fellowship award recipients is equal to the duration of assistance provided by NSEP.
(iii) In accordance with 50 U.S.C. 1902(b), undergraduate scholarship students must begin fulfilling the NSEP service agreement within three years of completion or termination of their undergraduate degree program.
(iv) In accordance with 50 U.S.C. 1902(b), graduate fellowship students must begin fulfilling the NSEP service agreement within two years of completion or termination of their graduate degree program.
(v) In accordance with 50 U.S.C. 1902(b), EHLS award recipients must begin fulfilling the service requirement within three years of completion of their program.
(vi) The award recipient must accept a reasonable offer of employment, as defined by the Director, NSEP, or his or her designee, in accordance with the NSEP service agreement, at a salary deemed by the hiring organization as commensurate with the award recipient's education level, and consistent with the terms and conditions of the NSEP service agreement.
(vii) The award recipient will annually submit a DD Form 2753 to NSEP until all NSEP service agreement requirements are satisfied. The DD Form 2753 must be received and reviewed by the NSEP Service Approval Committee. The receipt of a completed DD Form 2753 will be acknowledged through official correspondence from NSEP. Award recipients who do not submit the DD Form 2753 as required will be notified by NSEP of the intent to pursue collection action.
(viii) If the award recipient fails to maintain satisfactory academic progress for any term in which assistance is provided, probationary measures of the host institution will apply to the award recipient. Failure to meet the institution's requirements to resume satisfactory academic progress within the prescribed guidelines of the institution will result in the termination of assistance to the award recipient.
(ix) Extenuating circumstances, such as illness of the award recipient or a close relative, death of a close relative, or an interruption of study caused by the host institution, may be considered acceptable reasons for non-satisfactory academic progress. The award recipient must notify the NSEP Administrative Agent of any extenuating circumstances within 10 business days of occurrence. The NSEP Administrative Agent will review these requests to determine what course of action is appropriate and make a recommendation to NSEP for final determination. The DASD(FE&T) will upon receipt of the NSEP Administrative Agent recommendation, determine by what conditions to terminate or reinstate the award to the award recipient.
(x) NSEP award recipients may apply to the DASD(FE&T) for a deferral of the NSEP service agreement requirement if pursuing qualified further education.
(xi) NSEP award recipients may apply to the DASD(FE&T), to receive an extension of the NSEP service agreement requirement if actively seeking to fulfill the NSEP service agreement in a well-documented manner.
(xii) In extraordinary circumstances an NSEP award recipient may request a waiver to be relieved of responsibilities associated with the NSEP service agreement. Conditions for requesting a waiver to the NSEP service agreement may include:
(A) Situations in which compliance is either impossible or would involve extreme hardship to the award recipient.
(B) Interruptions in service due to temporary physical or medical disability or other causes beyond the award recipient's control.
(C) Unreasonable delays in the hiring process not caused by the award recipient, including delays in obtaining a security clearance if required for employment.
(D) Hiring freezes that adversely affect award recipients who are seeking positions with the U.S. Government.
(E) Permanent physical or medical disability that prevent the award recipient from fulfilling the obligation.
(F) Inability to complete the NSEP service agreement due to terminations or interruptions of work beyond the award recipient's control.
(G) Death of the award recipient.
(xiii) In cases where assistance to the award recipient is terminated, the amount owed to the U.S. Government is equal to the support received from NSEP. Repayment to the U.S. Treasury must be made within a period not to exceed six months from expiration of the service deadline. Noncompliance with repayment requirements will result in the initiation of standard U.S. Government collection procedures to obtain payment for overdue indebtedness, unless a waiver is specifically granted by the DASD(FE&T). Further job search assistance to an award recipient will be denied if any outstanding debt remains unpaid as a result of an award termination.
(A) Repayment to the U.S. Treasury for the amount of assistance provided becomes due, either in whole or in part, if the award recipient fails to fulfill the NSEP service agreement. Award recipients who do not submit the SAR as required will be notified by NSEP of the intent to pursue collection action. Noncompliance with repayment requirements will result in the initiation of standard U.S. Government collection procedures to obtain payment for overdue indebtedness, unless a waiver is specifically granted by the DASD(FE&T).
(B) Repayment recovery procedures will include one or a combination of the following:
(1) Voluntary repayment schedule arranged between the award recipient and the administrative agent.
(2) Deduction from accrued pay, compensation, amount of retirement credit, or any other amount due the employee from the U.S. Government.
(3) Such other methods as are provided by law for recovery of amounts owed to the U.S. Government.