(a) General license for educational activities. Persons subject to U.S. jurisdiction, including U.S. academic institutions and their faculty, staff, and students, are authorized to engage in the travel-related transactions set forth in Sec. 515.560(c) and such additional transactions as are directly incident to:
(1) Participation in a structured educational program in Cuba as part of a course offered for credit by a U.S. graduate or undergraduate degree-granting academic institution that is sponsoring the program;
(2) Noncommercial academic research in Cuba specifically related to Cuba and for the purpose of obtaining an undergraduate or graduate degree;
(3) Participation in a formal course of study at a Cuban academic institution, provided the formal course of study in Cuba will be accepted for credit toward the student's graduate or undergraduate degree;
(4) Teaching at a Cuban academic institution related to an academic program at the Cuban institution, provided that the individual is regularly employed by a U.S. or other non-Cuban academic institution;
(5) Sponsorship, including the payment of a stipend or salary, of a Cuban scholar to teach or engage in other scholarly activity at the sponsoring U.S. academic institution (in addition to those transactions authorized by the general license contained in Sec. 515.571). Such earnings may be remitted to Cuba as provided in Sec. 515.570 or carried on the person of the Cuban scholar returning to Cuba as provided in Sec. 515.560(d)(3);
Note to Sec. 515.565(a)(5):
See Sec. 515.571(a) for authorizations related to certain banking transactions by Cuban nationals.
(6) Educational exchanges sponsored by Cuban or U.S. secondary schools involving secondary school students' participation in a formal course of study or in a structured educational program offered by a secondary school or other academic institution and led by a teacher or other secondary school official. This includes participation by a reasonable number of adult chaperones to accompany the secondary school students to Cuba.
(7) Sponsorship or co-sponsorship of noncommercial academic seminars, conferences, and workshops related to Cuba or global issues involving Cuba and attendance at such events by faculty, staff, and students of a participating U.S. academic institution;
(8) The organization of, and preparation for, activities described in paragraphs (a)(1) through (a)(7) of this section by members of the faculty and staff of the sponsoring U.S. academic institution or secondary school; or
(9) Facilitation by an organization that is a person subject to U.S. jurisdiction, or a member of the staff of such an organization, of licensed educational activities in Cuba on behalf of U.S. academic institutions or secondary schools, provided that:
(i) The organization is directly affiliated with one or more U.S. academic institutions or secondary schools;
(ii) The organization facilitates educational activities that meet the requirements of one or more of the general licenses set forth in Sec. 515.565(a)(1), (a)(2), (a)(3), and (a)(6); and
(iii) The educational activities the organization facilitates in Cuba must, by prior agreement, be accepted for credit by the affiliated U.S. academic institution or approved by the affiliated secondary school.
Note 1 to Sec. 515.565(a):
U.S. academic institutions or secondary schools engaging in activities authorized pursuant to this section are permitted to open and maintain accounts at Cuban financial institutions for the purpose of accessing funds in Cuba for transactions authorized pursuant to this section.
Note 2 to Sec. 515.565(a):
This paragraph authorizes all members of the faculty and staff (including adjunct faculty and part-time staff) of the sponsoring U.S. academic institution to participate in the activities described in this paragraph. A student currently enrolled in a U.S. academic institution is authorized pursuant to this paragraph to participate in the academic activities in Cuba described above through any sponsoring U.S. academic institution.
(b) General license for people-to-people travel. The travel-related transactions set forth in Sec. 515.560(c) and such additional transactions as are directly incident to educational exchanges not involving academic study pursuant to a degree program are authorized, provided that:
(1) The exchanges take place under the auspices of an organization that is a person subject to U.S. jurisdiction and that sponsors such exchanges to promote people-to-people contact;
(2) Travel-related transactions pursuant to this authorization must be for the purpose of engaging, while in Cuba, in a full-time schedule of activities intended to enhance contact with the Cuban people, support civil society in Cuba, or promote the Cuban people's independence from Cuban authorities;
(3) Each traveler has a full-time schedule of educational exchange activities that will result in meaningful interaction between the traveler and individuals in Cuba;
(4) An employee, paid consultant, or agent of the sponsoring organization accompanies each group traveling to Cuba to ensure that each traveler has a full-time schedule of educational exchange activities; and
(5) The predominant portion of the activities engaged in by individual travelers is not with individuals or entities acting for or on behalf of a prohibited official of the Government of Cuba, as defined in 31 CFR 515.337 of this part, or a prohibited member of the Cuban Communist Party, as defined in 31 CFR 515.338 of this part.
Example to Sec. 515.565(b): An organization wishes to sponsor and organize educational exchanges not involving academic study pursuant to a degree program for individuals to learn side-by-side with Cuban individuals in areas such as environmental protection or the arts. The travelers will have a full-time schedule of educational exchange activities that will result in meaningful interaction between the travelers and individuals in Cuba. The organization's activities qualify for the general license.
Note to Sec. 515.565(b):
An organization that sponsors and organizes trips to Cuba in which travelers engage in individually selected and/or self-directed activities would not qualify for the general license. Authorized trips are expected to be led by the organization and to have a full-time schedule of activities in which the travelers will participate.
Note to Sec. 515.565(a) and (b):
Each person relying on the general authorizations in these paragraphs, including entities sponsoring travel pursuant to the authorization in Sec. 515.565(b), must retain specific records related to the authorized travel transactions. See Sec. Sec. 501.601 and 501.602 of this chapter for applicable recordkeeping and reporting requirements.
(c) Transactions related to activities that are primarily tourist-oriented, including self-directed educational activities that are intended only for personal enrichment, are not authorized pursuant to this section.
(d) Specific licenses. Specific licenses may be issued on a case-by-case basis authorizing the travel-related transactions set forth in Sec. 515.560(c) and such other transactions as are related to educational activities that do not qualify for the general licenses under paragraph (a) or (b) of this section. [80 FR 2296, Jan. 16, 2015]