U.S. Universities Alumni: The East and Northeast India Connect Program (REPOST) | K NOFO 17 103

Opportunity Information: Apply for K NOFO 17 103

The U.S. Universities Alumni: The East and Northeast India Connect Program (REPOST) is a U.S. Mission to India grant opportunity administered through the Public Affairs Section of the U.S. Consulate General in Kolkata (PAS Kolkata). It is designed to expand awareness of U.S. higher education options and increase the number of qualified applicants from eastern and northeastern India by tapping into a local network of U.S. university alumni. The central idea is to connect prospective Indian students and their parents with credible, first-hand voices: alumni who have studied in the United States and can speak realistically about academics, campus life, admissions, funding, and outcomes.

The project’s main objectives are threefold: promote higher education opportunities in the United States, strengthen and amplify EducationUSA outreach in the region, and encourage more Indian students to apply to U.S. colleges and universities. To do this, the selected grantee is expected to work closely with USIEF (United States-India Educational Foundation), EducationUSA, and PAS Kolkata in a cooperative framework, meaning the U.S. government partners will likely remain actively involved in shaping and coordinating elements of the program rather than simply issuing funds and stepping back.

A major early deliverable is identifying U.S. university alumni living across the east and northeast India region covered by the Kolkata Consular District and building a structured database of these alumni. This database is meant to become a practical resource for ongoing outreach, allowing organizers to match alumni expertise and backgrounds with student interests, target programming by city and audience, and sustain engagement beyond one-off events.

Using that alumni network, the grantee must develop a year-long programming plan in collaboration with EducationUSA. The plan should include workshops and interactive sessions that bring alumni together with prospective applicants and their parents. These engagements are to be hosted both at the American Center in Kolkata and at partner institutions in additional high-potential cities. The announcement specifically highlights locations such as Patna, Guwahati, Siliguri, Jamshedpur, Shillong, and Ranchi, indicating an emphasis on taking programming outside Kolkata to reach students where demand is growing but access to reliable advising may be limited.

The signature component of the program is an Alumni Fair in each target city, organized with a partnering organization. These fairs serve as foundational anchor events around which other activities can be built, such as themed panels (admissions strategy, student visas, choosing majors, research opportunities), small-group advising, parent-focused sessions on safety and cost, and practical guidance on applications and standardized testing. By centering alumni, the program aims to make U.S. education feel more approachable and locally relevant while reinforcing EducationUSA as the trusted advising platform.

From an administrative standpoint, this opportunity is categorized as discretionary funding and will be awarded as a cooperative agreement under the education activity category (CFDA 19.040). Eligible applicants include public and state-controlled institutions of higher education, private institutions of higher education, and U.S.-based nonprofits with 501(c)(3) status (other than institutions of higher education). The posted award ceiling is USD 60,000, the opportunity was created on September 11, 2017, and the original application closing date was November 10, 2017. The full announcement (referenced as being under related documents) would typically provide additional specifics on expected outputs, monitoring and evaluation, budget rules, branding requirements, and reporting timelines.

• The U.S. Mission to India in the education sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "U.S. Universities Alumni: The East and Northeast India Connect Program (REPOST)" and is now available to receive applicants.
• Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 19.040.
• This funding opportunity was created on 2017-09-11.
• Applicants must submit their applications by 2017-11-10. (Agency may still review applications by suitable applicants for the remaining/unused allocated funding in 2026.)
• Each selected applicant is eligible to receive up to $60,000.00 in funding.
• Eligible applicants include: Public and State controlled institutions of higher education, Nonprofits having a 501 (c) (3) status with the IRS, other than institutions of higher education, Private institutions of higher education.

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