OpportunityTitle: Education USA Advising Services
CategoryExplanation: The U.S. Mission to Kazakhstan&#8217;s Public Diplomacy Section (PDS), within the U.S. Department of State, is pleased to announce this Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO) for a cooperative agreement to administer EducationUSA advising services in one region outside of Astana and Almaty.  The awardee should identify and justify where they propose to establish an EducationUSA Advising Center.  The awardee will work with established advising Centers in Astana and Almaty to expand advising services to the selected region.
AdditionalInformationOnEligibility: 1. The following organizations are eligible to apply:&#8226; Not-for-profit organizations&#8226; Civil society/non-governmental organizations &#8226; Public and private educational institutions&#8226; Public International Organizations and Governmental institutions2. For-profit entities, even those that may fall into the categories listed above, are not eligible to apply for this NOFO.  Organizations may sub-contract with other entities, but only one, non-profit, non-governmental entity can be the prime recipient of the award. When sub-contracting with other entities, the responsibilities of each entity must be clearly defined in the proposal.
Description: EducationUSA is the U.S. Department of State&#8217;s global network of educational advising centers that work with prospective international students in more than 175 countries to promote U.S. higher education abroad. Advisers at more than 430 EducationUSA centers worldwide provide accurate, comprehensive, and current information about the diversity of U.S. higher education opportunities, guiding prospective students to find the institution that best fits their needs. In addition, the EducationUSA network assists accredited U.S. HEI leaders to meet their campus internationalization goals, including strategic guidance to U.S. institutions regarding relevant international higher education systems and partners to enhance their international networks and potential partnerships. The EducationUSA network, in collaboration with the U.S. Department of State&#8217;s Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs (ECA), also provides information on the U.S. higher education system to foreign governments and institutions. With approximately 2,000 Kazakh students pursuing higher education in the United States annually, Kazakhstan is the largest sender of international students to the United States in Central Asia. EducationUSA advising centers are currently located in Almaty, Astana, Aktau, Karaganda, and Shymkent. The successful applicant will submit a proposal that explains the necessity for operating an advising center in one proposed location outside of Astana and Almaty (possibly, but not necessarily, Aktau, Karaganda, or Shymkent). PDS will decide, in consultation with the award recipient, on the center&#8217;s location to meet the stated program goals. The award recipient should be prepared to work closely with current implementing partners in Kazakhstan to maintain continuity of programming and operations during the award&#8217;s performance period. This award will support the U.S. Mission to Kazakhstan&#8217;s Integrated Country Strategy by increasing Kazakh student mobility and engagement with American peers and institutions, and increasing networks and partnerships between U.S. and Kazakh HEIs, subsequently expanding ties between the American people and U.S. government with Kazakhstan. EducationUSA centers and advisers provide accurate, current, and comprehensive information on U.S. higher education and opportunities to study in the United States to prospective international students, their parents, and foreign governments and educational institutions. They promote the recruitment, application, and admission of students to accredited U.S. HEIs. In Kazakhstan, they also deliver the message that a U.S. education is both advantageous and attainable for Kazakh students. EducationUSA advisers support students from all economic backgrounds to find the institution best suited to their needs. ECA&#8217;s Educational Resources and Information Branch or EducationUSA Branch (ECA/A/S/A) oversees the global network of advising centers, engages the U.S. Mission in Kazakhstan in the strategic planning process, formulates policies for the network as a whole, and funds advising operations in part by the provision of funding to the U.S. Mission. The Branch hosts a central website for the network at www.EducationUSA.state.gov, provides guidance on digital content, oversees various training programs for advisers, and coordinates global outreach and resources in partnership with domestic and international stakeholders. ECA/A/S/A program officers serve as experts on educational issues and support the management of EducationUSA global operations, including close coordination with the U.S. Mission on its educational outreach strategies and operations. A Regional Educational Advising Coordinator (REAC), based in Dubai and employed by an NGO partner under a cooperative agreement with ECA, will monitor the awardee&#8217;s center, lead adviser training in the field, and serve as a regional expert on higher education for the network. ECA will offer appropriate professional development opportunities, such as workshops and other training programs for EducationUSA advisers; ECA will review and select adviser participants. Many of these services will be financially supported by ECA. The award recipient will support adviser participation in broader events to build and maintain their professional skills, in alignment with their adviser training plan. While providing coverage for daily advising activities, PDS encourages the recipient to support additional engagement or professional development opportunities through direct funding or cost-share. Project Goal: Increase the number of Kazakh students who successfully apply for, gain admittance to, and attend a U.S. higher education institution. Project Audience(s): Beneficiaries will include: &#183; Secondary school and university students in one region of Kazakhstan (proposals should identify a proposed region outside of Astana and Almaty) &#183; Students at both public and private schools in the identified region &#183; Parents of prospective students in the identified region &#183; High school counselors at public and private schools in the identified region &#183; Representatives of U.S. HEIs, including community colleges Project Objectives: 1. Increase awareness of higher education opportunities in the United States among prospective undergraduate and graduate students from public and private schools. 2. Increase understanding of application and admission requirements, including but not limited to financial aid options and test preparation and strengthen quality of university applications through training and advising on application best practices (Examples include how to write a standout personal essay, requesting recommendation letters, participation in extracurricular activities, etc.) 3. Assist U.S. HEIs in their overseas enrollment outreach and development of recruitment strategies in Kazakhstan. To achieve these objectives, the selected recipient will support advising operations in one region of Kazakhstan outside of Astana and Almaty, including in-person services at a physical center, regional outreach, and virtual advising. A successful proposal will articulate why the proposed location was selected and how a physical center in that location will contribute to student mobility and the U.S. Mission&#8217;s education goals.
GrantorContactEmailDescription: KZPDSGrantProposal@state.gov
GrantorContactText: Resource Coordination Unit