# What the Displaced Afghan Women and Girls Education Act Does

This bill creates a comprehensive support program to help Afghan women and girls who fled Afghanistan and came to the United States get an education. The bill recognizes that after the Taliban took control of Afghanistan in August 2021, tens of thousands of Afghans—mostly women and children—were evacuated to the U.S., and many of them face barriers to continuing their education.

The bill has three main parts. First, it requires states that receive federal education funding to charge Afghan refugee women and girls the same tuition as in-state residents at public colleges and universities, rather than the much higher out-of-state rates. This applies only while they're establishing residency and only at the first state where they settle. Second, the bill creates a new federal scholarship program that covers the full cost of attendance for eligible Afghan women and girls pursuing their first undergraduate degree—including room, board, books, and other expenses. Importantly, students don't need to fill out financial aid forms or prove financial need to qualify; they just need to be Afghan women or girls who arrived in the U.S. between July 2021 and two years after the bill passes. Third, the bill provides grants to states, schools, colleges, and community organizations to offer support services like counseling, mental health care, help with school registration, and childcare assistance.

The bill also creates a new position—a Special Official for Displaced Afghan Women and Girls within the Department of Education—to oversee these programs and report to Congress on how well they're working. The scholarship program is set to run through 2045, giving these students a long-term commitment of support. Overall, this bill aims to remove financial and logistical obstacles that might otherwise prevent Afghan refugee women and girls from pursuing education in the United States.

Displaced Afghan Women and Girls Education Act of 2022

Maloney, Carolyn B.

Displaced Afghan Women and Girls Education Act of 2022 This bill provides certain educational resources to certain displaced Afghan women and girls domiciled in the United States. For example, the bill (1) requires such displaced Afghan women and girls to receive in-state tuition rates at public institutions of higher education, and (2) provides funding for and establishes the Displaced Afghan Women and Girls Scholarship Grant.