(II) institution eligible for assistance under part B or would be considered to be such an institution if section 324 referred to a postgraduate degree rather than a baccalaureate degree; or

(III) institution of higher education that makes a substantial contribution to postgraduate medical educational opportunities for minorities and the economically disadvantaged.

(ii) The Secretary may waive the requirements of subclauses (I) and (II) of clause (i) with respect to a postgraduate degree in the case of any institution otherwise eligible under clause (i) for an endowment challenge grant upon determining that the institution makes a substantial contribution to medical education opportunities for minorities and the economically disadvantaged.

(b) GRANTS AUTHORIZED.—(1) From sums available for this section under section 399, the Secretary is authorized to award endowment challenge grants to eligible institutions to establish or increase an endowment fund at such institution. Such grants shall be made only to eligible institutions described in paragraph (4) whose applications have been approved pursuant to subsection (g).

(2)(A) Except as provided in subparagraph (B), no institution shall receive a grant under this section, unless such institution has deposited in its endowment fund established under this section an amount equal to the amount of such grant. The source of funds for this institutional match shall not include Federal funds or funds from an existing endowment fund.

(B) The Secretary may make a grant under this part to an eligible institution in any fiscal year if the institution—

(i) applies for a grant in an amount not exceeding $500,000; and

(ii) has deposited in the eligible institution's endowment fund established under this section an amount which is equal to 12 of the amount of such grant.

(C) An eligible institution of higher education that is awarded a grant under subparagraph (B) shall not be eligible to receive an additional grant under subparagraph (B) until 10 years after the date on which the grant period terminates.

(3) The period of a grant under this section shall be not more than 10 years. During the grant period, an institution may not withdraw or expend any of the endowment fund corpus. After the termination of the grant period, an institution may use the endowment fund corpus plus any endowment fund income for any educational purpose.

(4)(A) An institution of higher education is eligible to receive a grant under this section if it is an eligible institution as described in subsection (a)(2)(D) of this section.

(B) No institution shall be ineligible for an endowment challenge grant under this section for a fiscal year by reason of the previous receipt of such a grant but no institution shall be eligible to receive such a grant for more than 2 fiscal years out of any period of 5 consecutive fiscal years.

(5) An endowment challenge grant awarded under this section to an eligible institution shall be in an amount which is not less than $50,000 in any fiscal year.

(6)(A) An eligible institution may designate a foundation, which was established for the purpose of raising money for the institution, as the recipient of the grant awarded under this section. (B) The Secretary shall not award a grant to a foundation on behalf of an institution unless

(i) the institution assures the Secretary that the foundation is legally authorized to receive the endowment fund corpus and is legally authorized to administer the fund in accordance with this section and any implementing regulation;

(ii) the foundation agrees to administer the fund in accordance with the requirements of this section and any implementing regulation; and

(iii) the institution agrees to be liable for any violation by the foundation of the provisions of this section and any implementing regulation, including any monetary liability that may arise as a result of such violation.

(c) GRANT AGREEMENT; ENDOWMENT FUND PROVISIONS. (1) An institution awarded a grant under this section shall enter into an agreement with the Secretary containing satisfactory assurances that it will (A) immediately comply with the matching requirements of subsection (b)(2), (B) establish an endowment fund independent of any other such fund of the institution, (C) invest the endowment fund corpus, and (D) meet the other requirements of this section.

(2)(A) An institution shall invest the endowment fund corpus and endowment fund income in low-risk securities in which a regulated insurance company may invest under the law of the State in which the institution is located such as a federally insured bank savings account or comparable interest-bearing account, certificate of deposit, money market fund, mutual fund, or obligations of the United States.

(B) The institution, in investing the endowment fund established under this section, shall exercise the judgment and care, under the circumstances then prevailing, which a person of prudence, discretion, and intelligence would exercise in the management of such person's own affairs.

(3)(A) An institution may withdraw and expend the endowment fund income to defray any expenses necessary to the operation of such college, including expenses of operations and maintenance, administration, academic and support personnel, construction and renovation, community and student services programs, and technical assistance.

(B)(i) Except as provided in clause (ii), an institution may not spend more than 50 percent of the total aggregate endowment fund income earned prior to the time of expenditure.

(ii) The Secretary may permit an institution to spend more than 50 percent of the endowment fund income notwithstanding clause (i) if the institution demonstrates such an expenditure is necessary because of (I) a financial emergency, such as a pending insolvency or temporary liquidity problem; (II) a life-threatening

situation occasioned by a natural disaster or arson; or (III) any other unusual occurrence or exigent circumstance.

(d) REPAYMENT PROVISIONS.-(1) If at any time an institution withdraws part of the endowment fund corpus, the institution shall repay to the Secretary an amount equal to 50 percent of the withdrawn amount, which represents the Federal share, plus income earned thereon. The Secretary may use such repaid funds to make additional challenge grants, or to increase existing endowment grants, to other eligible institutions.

(2) If an institution expends more of the endowment fund income than is permitted under subsection (c), the institution shall repay the Secretary an amount equal to 50 percent of the amount improperly expended (representing the Federal share thereof). The Secretary may use such repaid fund to make additional challenge grants, or to increase existing challenge grants, to other eligible institutions.

(e) AUDIT INFORMATION.-An institution receiving a grant under this section shall provide to the Secretary (or a designee thereof) such information (or access thereto) as may be necessary to audit or examine expenditures made from the endowment fund corpus or income in order to determine compliance with this section.

(f) SELECTION CRITERIA.-In selecting eligible institutions for grants under this section for any fiscal year, the Secretary shall

(1) give priority to an applicant that is receiving assistance under part A or part B or has received a grant under part A or part B of this title within the 5 fiscal years preceding the fiscal year in which the applicant is applying for a grant under this section;

(2) give priority to an applicant with a greater need for such a grant, based on the current market value of the applicant's existing endowment in relation to the number of fulltime equivalent students enrolled at such institution; and

(3) consider

(A) the effort made by the applicant to build or maintain its existing endowment fund; and

(B) the degree to which an applicant proposes to match the grant with nongovernmental funds.

(g) APPLICATION.-Any institution which is eligible for assistance under this section may submit to the Secretary a grant application at such time, in such form, and containing such information as the Secretary may prescribe, including a description of the longand short-term plans for raising and using the funds under this part. Subject to the availability of appropriations to carry out this section and consistent with the requirement of subsection (f), the Secretary may approve an application for a grant if an institution, in its application, provides adequate assurances that it will comply with the requirements of this section.

(h) TERMINATION AND RECOVERY PROVISIONS.-(1) After notice and an opportunity for a hearing, the Secretary may terminate and recover a grant awarded under this section if the grantee institution

(A) expends portions of the endowment fund corpus or expends more than the permissible amount of the endowment funds income as prescribed in subsection (c)(3);

(B) fails to invest the endowment fund in accordance with the investment standards set forth in subsection (c)(2); or

(C) fails to properly account to the Secretary concerning the investment and expenditures of the endowment funds.

(2) If the Secretary terminates a grant under paragraph (1), the grantee shall return to the Secretary an amount equal to the sum of each original grant under this section plus income earned thereon. The Secretary may use such repaid funds to make additional endowment grants, or to increase existing challenge grants, to other eligible institutions under this part.

PART D-HISTORICALLY BLACK COLLEGE AND UNIVERSITY CAPITAL FINANCING

SEC. 341. [20 U.S.C. 1066] FINDINGS.

The Congress finds that

(1) a significant part of the Federal mission in education has been to attain equal opportunity in higher education for low-income, educationally disadvantaged Americans and African Americans;

(2) the Nation's historically Black colleges and universities have played a prominent role in American history and have an unparalleled record of fostering the development of African American youth by recognizing their potential, enhancing their academic and technical skills, and honing their social and political skills through higher education;

(3) the academic and residential facilities on the campuses of all historically Black colleges and universities have suffered from neglect, deferred maintenance and are in need of capital improvements in order to provide appropriate settings for learning and social development through higher education;

(4) due to their small enrollments, limited endowments and other financial factors normally considered by lenders in construction financing, historically Black colleges and universities often lack access to the sources of funding necessary to undertake the necessary capital improvements through borrowing and bond financing;

(5) despite their track record of long-standing and remarkable institutional longevity and viability, historically Black colleges and universities often lack the financial resources necessary to gain access to traditional sources of capital financing such as bank loans and bond financing; and

(6) Federal assistance to facilitate low-cost capital basis for historically Black colleges and universities will enable such colleges and universities to continue and expand their educational mission and enhance their significant role in American higher education.

SEC. 342. [20 U.S.C. 1066a] DEFINITIONS.

For the purposes of this part:

(1) The term "eligible institution" means a "part B institution" as that term is defined in section 322(2) of the Higher Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 1061(2)).

(2) The term "loan" means a loan made to an eligible institution under the provisions of this part and pursuant to an agreement with the Secretary.

(3) The term "qualified bond” means any obligation issued by the designated bonding authority at the direction of the Secretary, the net proceeds of which are loaned to an eligible institution for the purposes described in section 343(b).

(4) The term "funding" means any payment under this part from the Secretary to the eligible institution or its assignee in fulfillment of the insurance obligations of the Secretary pursuant to an agreement under section 343.

(5) The term "capital project" means, subject to section 344(b) the repair, renovation, or, in exceptional circumstances, the construction or acquisition, of

(A) any classroom facility, library, laboratory facility, dormitory (including dining facilities) or other facility customarily used by colleges and universities for instructional or research purposes or for housing students, faculty, and staff;

(B) a facility for the administration of an educational program, or a student center or student union, except that not more than 5 percent of the loan proceeds provided under this part may be used for the facility, center or union if the facility, center or union is owned, leased, managed, or operated by a private business, that, in return for such use, makes a payment to the eligible institution;

(C) instructional equipment technology,,1 research instrumentation, and any capital equipment or fixture related to facilities described in subparagraph (A);

(D) a maintenance, storage, or utility facility that is essential to the operation of a facility, a library, a dormitory, equipment, instrumentation, a fixture, real property or an interest therein, described in this paragraph;

(E) a facility designed to provide primarily outpatient health care for students or faculty;

(F) physical infrastructure essential to support the projects authorized under this paragraph, including roads, sewer and drainage systems, and water, power, lighting, telecommunications, and other utilities;

(G) any other facility, equipment or fixture which is essential to the maintaining of accreditation of the member institution by a nationally recognized accrediting agency or association; and

(H) any real property or interest therein underlying facilities described in subparagraph (A) or (G).

(6) The term "interest" includes accredited value or any other payment constituting interest on an obligation.

(7) The term "outstanding", when used with respect to bonds, shall not include bonds the payment of which shall have

1So in original.