---
kind: "section"
citation: "42 U.S.C. § 15113"
title: "42"
title_heading: "The Public Health and Welfare"
number: "15113"
heading: "Reaching up scholarship program"
release: "119-102"
date: "2026-07-12"
url: "https://uscodex.org/usc/42/15113"
units:
  - "Chapter 144 — Developmental Disabilities Assistance and Bill of Rights"
  - "Subchapter III — Program for Direct Support Workers Who Assist Individuals with Developmental Disabilities"
---

# §15113. Reaching up scholarship program

- (a) **Program authorization—** The [Secretary](/usc/42/15112.md?p=3) may award grants to eligible entities, on a competitive basis, to enable the entities to carry out scholarship programs by providing vouchers for postsecondary education to direct support workers who assist individuals with [developmental disabilities](/usc/42/15112.md?p=1) residing in diverse settings. The [Secretary](/usc/42/15112.md?p=3) shall award the grants to pay for the Federal share of the cost of providing the vouchers.
- (b) **Eligible entity—** To be eligible to receive a grant under this section, an entity shall be—
  - (1) an [institution of higher education](/usc/42/15112.md?p=2);
  - (2) a [State agency](/usc/42/300s–3.md?p=12); or
  - (3) a [consortium](/usc/42/17061.md?p=4) of such institutions or [agencies](/usc/42/8262.md?p=1).
- (c) **Application requirements—** To be eligible to receive a grant under this section, an eligible entity shall submit to the [Secretary](/usc/42/15112.md?p=3) an application at such time, in such manner, and containing such information as the [Secretary](/usc/42/15112.md?p=3) may require, including a description of—
  - (1) the basis for awarding the vouchers;
  - (2) the number of individuals to receive the vouchers; and
  - (3) the amount of funds that will be made available by the eligible entity to pay for the non-Federal share of the cost of providing the vouchers.
- (d) **Selection criteria—** In awarding a grant under this section for a scholarship program, the [Secretary](/usc/42/15112.md?p=3) shall give priority to an entity submitting an application that—
  - (1) specifies that individuals who receive vouchers through the program will be individuals—
    - (A) who are direct support workers who assist individuals with [developmental disabilities](/usc/42/15112.md?p=1) residing in diverse settings, while pursuing postsecondary education; and
    - (B) each of whom verifies, prior to receiving the voucher, that the worker has completed 250 hours as a direct support worker in the past 90 days;
  - (2) [states](/usc/42/15092.md?p=a-5) that the vouchers that will be provided through the program will be in amounts of not more than $2,000 per year;
  - (3) provides an assurance that the eligible entity (or another specified entity that is not a voucher recipient) will contribute the non-Federal share of the cost of providing the vouchers; and
  - (4) meets such other conditions as the [Secretary](/usc/42/15112.md?p=3) may specify.
- (e) **Federal share—** The Federal share of the cost of providing the vouchers shall be not more than 80 percent.

## Source credit

(Pub. L. 106–402, title III, § 303, Oct. 30, 2000, 114 Stat. 1735.)