NOFO: Education USA Advising Services Project (Kazakhstan)

About

The U.S. Mission to Kazakhstan’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. 

Pending availability of funding, the awardee will be an impartial source of information for students, parents, and higher education institutions (HEIs) to learn about U.S. higher education opportunities.  The EducationUSA Center funded through this opportunity will become a part of Kazakhstan’s EducationUSA network, conduct outreach, and offer seminars for Kazakh prospective students and representatives of U.S. HEIs. 

This award will support the U.S. Mission to Kazakhstan’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.  

Project Goal

• Increase the number of Kazakh students who successfully apply for, gain admittance to, and attend a U.S. higher education institution.

Project Objectives

• Increase awareness of higher education opportunities in the United States among prospective undergraduate and graduate students from public and private schools.

• 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.)

• 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’s education goals. 

Funding Information

• Estimated Total Project Funding: $26,000

• Estimated Award Ceiling: $26,000

• Estimated Award Floor: $20,000

• Length of Project Period: one year

Project Audience(s)

• Beneficiaries will include:

  • Secondary school and university students in one region of Kazakhstan (proposals should identify a proposed region outside of Astana and Almaty)

  • Students at both public and private schools in the identified region

  • Parents of prospective students in the identified region

  • High school counselors at public and private schools in the identified region

  • Representatives of U.S. HEIs, including community colleges

Eligibility

• The following organizations are eligible to apply:

  • Not-for-profit organizations

  • Civil society/non-governmental organizations

  • Public and private educational institutions

  • Public International Organizations and Governmental institutions

• For-profit entities, even those that may fall into the categories listed, 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.

• Cost sharing or matching is not required for this funding opportunity.

• Pre-award costs are not an allowable expense for this funding opportunity. 

• In order to be eligible to receive an award, all organizations must have a Unique Entity Identifier (UEI) number.

• This award does not allow:

  • Projects relating to partisan political activity;

  • Charitable or development activities;

  • Construction projects;

  • Projects that support specific religious activities;

  • Fund-raising campaigns;

  • Lobbying for specific legislation or programs

  • Scientific research or surveys;

  • Commercial projects;

  • Projects intended primarily for the growth or institutional development of the organization;

  • Projects that duplicate existing projects; or

  • Illegal activities

Post Date: January 10, 2024