(a) The purposes of the James Madison Memorial Fellowship Program are to:

(1) Provide incentives for master's degree level graduate study of the history, principles, and development of the United States Constitution by outstanding in-service teachers of American history, American government, social studies, and political science in grades 7-12 and by outstanding college graduates who plan to become teachers of the same subjects; and

(2) Strengthen teaching in the nation's secondary schools about the principles, framing, ratification, and subsequent history of the United States Constitution.

(b) The Foundation may from time to time operate its own programs and undertake other closely-related activities to fulfill these goals.

To achieve its principal purposes, the Foundation holds an annual national competition to select teachers in grades 7-12, college seniors, and college graduates to be James Madison Fellows.

Individuals eligible to apply for and hold James Madison Fellowships are United States citizens, United States nationals, or permanent residents of the Northern Mariana Islands who are:

(a) Teachers of American history, American government, social studies, or political science in grades 7-12 who:

(1) Are teaching full time during the year in which they apply for a fellowship;

(2) Are under contract, or can provide evidence of being under prospective contract, to teach full time as teachers of American history, American government, social studies, or political science in grades 7-12;

(3) Have demonstrated records of willingness to devote themselves to civic responsibilities and to professional and collegial activities within their schools and school districts;

(4) Are highly recommended by their department heads, school heads, school district superintendents, or other supervisors;

(5) Qualify for admission with graduate standing at accredited universities of their choice that offer master's degree programs allowing at least 12 semester hours or their equivalent of study of the origins, principles, and development of the Constitution of the United States and of its comparison with the constitutions of other forms of government;

(6) Are able to complete their proposed courses of graduate study within five calendar years from the commencement of study under their fellowships, normally through part-time study during summers or in evening or weekend programs;

(7) Agree to attend the Foundation's four-week Summer Institute on the Constitution, normally during the summer following the commencement of study under their fellowships; and

(8) Sign agreements that, after completing the education for which the fellowship is awarded, they will teach American history, American government, social studies, or political science full time in secondary schools for a period of not less than one year for each full year of study for which assistance was received, preferably in the State listed as their legal residence at the time of their fellowship award. For the purposes of this provision, a full academic year of study is considered by the Foundation to be 18 credit hours or 27 quarter hours. Fellows' teaching obligations will be figured at full academic years of study; and when Fellows have studies for partial academic years, those years will be rounded upward to the nearest one-half year to determine Fellows' total teaching obligations.

(b) Those who aspire to become full-time teachers of American history, American government, social studies, or political science in grades 7-12 who:

(1) Are matriculated college seniors pursuing their baccalaureate degrees full time and will receive those degrees no later than August 31st of the year of the fellowship competition in which they apply or prior recipients of baccalaureate degrees;

(2) Plan to begin graduate study on a full-time basis;

(3) Have demonstrated records of willingness to devote themselves to civic responsibilities;

(4) Are highly recommended by faculty members, deans, or other persons familiar with their potential for graduate study of American history and government and with their serious intention to enter the teaching profession as secondary school teachers of American history, American government, social studies, or political science in grades 7-12;

(5) Qualify for admission with graduate standing at accredited universities of their choice that offer master's degree programs that allow at least 12 semester hours or their equivalent of study of the origins, principles, and development of the Constitution of the United States and of its comparison with the constitutions and history of other forms of government;

(6) Are able to complete their proposed courses of graduate study in no more than two calendar years from the commencement of study under their fellowships, normally through full-time study;

(7) Agree to attend the Foundation's four-week Summer Institute on the Constitution, normally during the summer following the commencement of study under their fellowships; and

(8) Sign an agreement that, after completing the education for which the fellowship is awarded, they will teach American history, American government, social studies, or political science full time in secondary schools for a period of not less than one year for each full academic year of study for which assistance was received, preferably in the State listed as their legal residence at the time of their fellowship award. Fellows' teaching obligations will be figured at full academic years of study; and when Fellows have studies for partial academic years, those years will be rounded upward to the nearest one-half year to determine Fellows' total teaching obligations.

As used in this part:

Academic year means the period of time in which a full-time student would normally complete two semesters, two trimesters, three quarters, or their equivalent of study.

Act means the James Madison Memorial Fellowship Act.

College means an institution of higher education offering only a baccalaureate degree or the undergraduate division of a university in which a student is pursuing a baccalaureate degree.

Credit Hour Equivalent means the number of graduate credit hours obtained in credits, courses or units during a quarter, a trimester, or a semester which are needed to equal a specific number of semester graduate credit hours.

Fee means a typical and usually non-refundable charge levied by an institution of higher education for a service, privilege, or use of property which is required for a Fellow's enrollment and registration.

Fellow means a recipient of a fellowship from the Foundation.

Fellowship means an award, called a James Madison Fellowship, made to a person by the Foundation for graduate study.

Foundation means the James Madison Memorial Fellowship Foundation.

Full-time study means study for an enrolled student who is carrying at least 9 credit hours a semester or its equivalent.

Graduate study means the courses of study beyond the baccalaureate level, which are offered as part of a university's master's degree program and which lead to a master's degree.

Incomplete means a course which the Foundation has paid for but the Fellow has received an incomplete grade or the Fellow has not received graduate credit for the course.

Institution of higher education has the meaning given in Section 1201(a) of the Higher Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 1141(a)).

Junior Fellowship means a James Madison Fellowship granted either to a college senior or to a college graduate who has received a baccalaureate degree and who seeks to become a secondary school teacher of American history, American government, social studies, or political science for full-time graduate study toward a master's degree whose course of study emphasizes the framing, principles, history, and interpretation of the United States Constitution.

Master's degree means the first pre-doctoral graduate degree offered by a university beyond the baccalaureate degree, for which the baccalaureate degree is a prerequisite.

Matriculated means formally enrolled in a master's degree program in a university.

Repayment means if the fellowship is relinquished by the fellow or is terminated by the Foundation prior to the completion of the Fellow's degree, and/or the Fellow fails to fulfill the teaching obligation after the graduate degree is awarded, the Fellow must repay to the Foundation all Fellowship costs received plus interest at a rate of 6% per annum and, if applicable, reasonable collection fees.

Resident means a person who has legal residence in the state, recognized under state law. If a question arises concerning a Fellow's state of residence, the Foundation determines, for the purposes of this program, of which state the person is a resident, taking into account the Fellow's place of registration to vote, his or her parent's place of residence, and the Fellow's eligibility for in-state tuition rates at public institutions of higher education.

Satisfactory progress for a Junior Fellow means the completion of the number of required courses normally expected of full-time master's degree candidates at the university that the Fellow attends, with grades acceptable to that university, in not more than two calendar years from the commencement of that study. Satisfactory progress for a Senior Fellow means the completion each year of a specific number of required courses in the Fellow's master's degree program, as agreed upon each year with the Foundation and outlined on the Plan of Study form, with grades acceptable to the Fellow's university, in not more than five calendar years from the commencement of that study.

Secondary school means grades 7 through 12.

Senior means a student at the academic level recognized by an institution of higher education as being the last year of study before receiving the baccalaureate degree.

Senior Fellowship means a James Madison Fellowship granted to a secondary school teacher of American history, American government, social studies, or political science for part-time graduate study toward a master's degree whose course of study emphasizes the framing, principles, history, and interpretation of the United States Constitution.

State means each of the 50 States, the District of Columbia, the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, and, considered as a single entity, Guam, the United States Virgin Islands, American Samoa, and the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands.

Stipend means the amount paid by the Foundation to a Fellow or on his or her behalf for the allowable costs of graduate study which have been approved under the fellowship.

Teaching Obligation means that a Fellow, upon receiving a master's degree, must teach American history, American government, social studies, or political science on a full-time basis to students in secondary school for a period of not less than one year for each year for which financial assistance was received.

Term means the period—semester, trimester, or quarter—used by an institution of higher education to divide its academic year.

Termination means the non-voluntary ending of a fellowship by the Foundation when the Fellow has not complied with the rules and regulations of the fellowship or has not made satisfactory progress in his or her program of study.

University means an institution of higher education that offers post-baccalaureate degrees.

Withdrawal means the voluntary relinquishment or surrender of a Fellowship by the Fellow.