§ 1070a-12. Talent search
(a)
Program authority
The Secretary shall carry out a program to be known as talent search which shall be designed—
(1)
to identify qualified youths with potential for education at the postsecondary level and to encourage such youths to complete secondary school and to undertake a program of postsecondary education;
(b)
Required services
Any project assisted under this section shall provide—
(1)
connections to high quality academic tutoring services, to enable students to complete secondary or postsecondary courses;
(2)
advice and assistance in secondary course selection and, if applicable, initial postsecondary course selection;
(3)
assistance in preparing for college entrance examinations and completing college admission applications;
(4)
(c)
Permissible services
Any project assisted under this section may provide services such as—
(1)
academic tutoring, which may include instruction in reading, writing, study skills, mathematics, science, and other subjects;
(3)
information and activities designed to acquaint youth with the range of career options available to the youth;
(4)
exposure to the campuses of institutions of higher education, as well as cultural events, academic programs, and other sites or activities not usually available to disadvantaged youth;
(6)
mentoring programs involving elementary or secondary school teachers or counselors, faculty members at institutions of higher education, students, or any combination of such persons; and
(7)
programs and activities as described in subsection (b) or paragraphs (1) through (6) of this subsection that are specially designed for students who are limited English proficient, students from groups that are traditionally underrepresented in postsecondary education, students with disabilities, students who are homeless children and youths (as such term is defined in section
11434a of title
42), students who are in foster care or are aging out of the foster care system, or other disconnected students.
(d)
Requirements for approval of applications
In approving applications for projects under this section for any fiscal year the Secretary shall—
(1)
require an assurance that not less than two-thirds of the individuals participating in the project proposed to be carried out under any application be low-income individuals who are first generation college students;
(2)
require that such participants be persons who either have completed 5 years of elementary education or are at least 11 years of age but not more than 27 years of age, unless the imposition of any such limitation with respect to any person would defeat the purposes of this section or the purposes of section
1070a–16 of this title;
(3)
require an assurance that individuals participating in the project proposed in the application do not have access to services from another project funded under this section or under section
1070a–16 of this title; and