((a)) ** .—** There is authorized within the Coast Guard a college student pre-commissioning initiative program (in this section referred to as the “Program” ) for eligible undergraduate students to enlist and receive a guaranteed commission as an officer in the Coast Guard.
((b)) ** .—** To be eligible for the Program a student must meet the following requirements upon submitting an application:
((1)) ** .—** A student must be not less than 19 years old and not more than 27 years old as of September 30 of the fiscal year in which the Program selection panel selecting such student convenes.
((2))
((A)) ** .—** All applicants must be of outstanding moral character and meet other character requirements as set forth by the Commandant.
((B)) ** .—** An applicant serving in the Coast Guard may not be commissioned if in the 36 months prior to the first Officer Candidate School class convening date in the selection cycle, such applicant was convicted by a court-martial or awarded nonjudicial punishment, or did not meet performance or character requirements set forth by the Commandant.
((3)) ** .—** A student must be a United States citizen.
((4)) ** .—** A student must be eligible for a secret clearance.
((5))
((A)) ** .—** A student may not have more than 2 dependents.
((B)) ** .—** A student who is single may not have sole or primary custody of dependents.
((6))
((A)) ** .—** A student must be an undergraduate sophomore or junior—
((i)) at a historically Black college or university described in section 322(2) of the Higher Education Act of 1965 () or an institution of higher education described in section 371(a) of the Higher Education Act of 1965 (); or
((ii)) an undergraduate sophomore or junior enrolled at an institution of higher education (as defined in section 101 of the Higher Education Act of 1965 ()) that, at the time of application of the sophomore or junior, has had for 3 consecutive years an enrollment of undergraduate full-time equivalent students (as defined in section 312(e) of such Act ()) that is a total of at least 50 percent Black American, Hispanic, Asian American (as defined in section 371(c) of such Act ()), Native American Pacific Islander (as defined in such section), or Native American (as defined in such section), among other criteria, as determined by the Commandant.
((B)) ** .—** The institution at which such student is an undergraduate must be within 100 miles of a Coast guard unit or Coast Guard Recruiting Office unless otherwise approved by the Commandant.
((C)) ** .—** A student must meet credit and grade point average requirements set forth by the Commandant.
((7)) ** .—** A student must meet other medical and administrative requirements as set forth by the Commandant.
((c)) ** .—** Individuals selected and accept to participate in the Program shall enlist in the Coast Guard in pay grade E–3 with a 4-year duty obligation and 4-year inactive Reserve obligation.
((d)) ** .—** Individuals enrolled in the Program shall participate in military activities each month, as required by the Commandant, prior to attending Officer Candidate School.
((e)) ** .—** Each graduate of the Program shall attend the first enrollment of Officer Candidate School that commences after the date of such graduate’s graduation.
((f)) ** .—** Upon graduation from Officer Candidate School, Program graduates shall be discharged from enlisted status and commissioned as an O–1 with an initial 3-year duty obligation.
((g))
((1)) ** .—** Not later than August 15 of each year, the Commandant shall provide a briefing to the Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure of the House of Representatives and the Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation of the Senate on the Program.
((2)) ** .—** The briefing required under paragraph (1) shall describe—
((A)) outreach and recruitment efforts over the previous year; and
((B)) demographic information of enrollees including—
((i)) race;
((ii)) ethnicity;
((iii)) gender;
((iv)) geographic origin; and
((v)) educational institution.