§ 1068a. Waiver authority and reporting requirement
(a)
Waiver requirements; need-based assistance students
The Secretary may waive the requirements set forth in section
1058
(b)(1)(A) of this title in the case of an institution—
(1)
which is extensively subsidized by the State in which it is located and charges low or no tuition;
(2)
which serves a substantial number of low-income students as a percentage of its total student population;
(3)
which is contributing substantially to increasing higher education opportunities for educationally disadvantaged, underrepresented, or minority students, who are low-income individuals;
(4)
which is substantially increasing higher educational opportunities for individuals in rural or other isolated areas which are unserved by postsecondary institutions;
(b)
Waiver determinations; expenditures
(1)
The Secretary may waive the requirements set forth in section
1058
(b)(1)(B) of this title if the Secretary determines, based on persuasive evidence submitted by the institution, that the institution’s failure to meet that criterion is due to factors which, when used in the determination of compliance with such criterion, distort such determination, and that the institution’s designation as an eligible institution under part A of this subchapter is otherwise consistent with the purposes of such parts.[1]
(2)
The Secretary shall submit to the Congress every other year a report concerning the institutions which, although not satisfying the criterion contained in section
1058
(b)(1)(B) of this title, have been determined to be eligible institutions under part A which enroll significant numbers of Black American, Hispanic, Native American, Asian American, or Native Hawaiian students under part A, as the case may be. Such report shall—
(3)
The Secretary may waive the requirement set forth in section
1058
(b)(1)(E) [2] of this title in the case of an institution located on or near an Indian reservation or a substantial population of Indians, if the Secretary determines that the waiver will substantially increase higher education opportunities appropriate to the needs of American Indians.
(c)
Waiver authority with respect to institutions located in an area affected by a Gulf hurricane disaster
(1)
Waiver authority
Notwithstanding any other provision of law, unless enacted with specific reference to this section, for any affected institution that was receiving assistance under this subchapter at the time of a Gulf hurricane disaster, the Secretary shall, for each of the fiscal years 2009 through 2011 (and may, for each of the fiscal years 2012 and 2013)—
(B)
waive or modify any statutory or regulatory provision to ensure that affected institutions that were receiving assistance under this subchapter at the time of a Gulf hurricane disaster are not adversely affected by any formula calculation for fiscal year 2009 or for any of the four succeeding fiscal years, as necessary; and
(C)
make available to each affected institution an amount that is not less than the amount made available to such institution under this subchapter for fiscal year 2006, except that for any fiscal year for which the funds appropriated for payments under this subchapter are less than the appropriated level for fiscal year 2006, the amount made available to such institutions shall be ratably reduced among the institutions receiving funds under this subchapter.
(2)
Definitions
In this subsection:
(A)
Affected institution
The term “affected institution” means an institution of higher education that—
(i)
is—
(B)
Area affected by a Gulf hurricane disaster; Gulf hurricane disaster
The terms “area affected by a Gulf hurricane disaster” and “Gulf hurricane disaster” have the meanings given such terms in section 209 of the Higher Education Hurricane Relief Act of 2005 (Public Law 109–148, 119 Stat. 2809).
[1] So in original. Probably should be “part.”
[2] See References in Text note below.