---
kind: "section"
citation: "20 U.S.C. § 3987"
title: "20"
title_heading: "Education"
number: "3987"
heading: "Approval of applications"
release: "119-102"
date: "2026-07-12"
url: "https://uscodex.org/usc/20/3987"
units:
  - "Chapter 52 — Education for Economic Security"
  - "Subchapter III — Partnerships in Education for Mathematics, Science, and Engineering"
  - "Part A — Higher Education Partnerships"
---

# §3987. Approval of applications

- (a) **Criteria; consistency of applications with State plans—**
  - (1) The [Secretary](/usc/20/3902.md?p=9) shall establish criteria for approval of applications under this part.
  - (2) No application may be approved by the [Secretary](/usc/20/3902.md?p=9) unless the [State educational agency](/usc/20/3902.md?p=12) or the [State agency for higher education](/usc/20/3902.md?p=11), as the case may be, determines that the application is consistent with [State](/usc/20/3902.md?p=10) plans for elementary and secondary education or [State](/usc/20/3902.md?p=10) plans for higher education, as the case may be, in the [State](/usc/20/3902.md?p=10).
- (b) **Procedures for equitable distribution of grants among States—** The [Secretary](/usc/20/3902.md?p=9) shall adopt approval procedures designed to assure that there is equitable distribution of grants among the [States](/usc/20/3902.md?p=10).

## Source credit

(Pub. L. 98–377, title III, § 308, Aug. 11, 1984, 98 Stat. 1286; Pub. L. 99–159, title II, § 231, Nov. 22, 1985, 99 Stat. 900; Pub. L. 100–418, title VI, § 6031(b)(2), Aug. 23, 1988, 102 Stat. 1483.)

## Notes

### Editorial Notes

### Amendments

1988—Subsec. (a)(1). Pub. L. 100–418 substituted “part” for “subchapter”.

1985—Pub. L. 99–159 substituted “Secretary” for “Foundation” in pars. (1) and (2) of subsec. (a) and in subsec. (b).