Collapse to view only § 292r. Loan provisions
- § 292q. Agreements for operation of school loan funds
- § 292r. Loan provisions
- § 292s. Medical schools and primary health care
- § 292t. Individuals from disadvantaged backgrounds
- § 292u. Administrative provisions
- § 292v. Provision by schools of information to students
- § 292w. Procedures for appeal of termination of agreements
- § 292x. Distribution of assets from loan funds
- § 292y. General provisions
The Secretary is authorized to enter into an agreement for the establishment and operation of a student loan fund in accordance with this subpart with any public or other nonprofit school of medicine, osteopathic medicine, dentistry, pharmacy, podiatric medicine, optometry, or veterinary medicine.
Any standard established by the Secretary by regulation for the collection by schools of medicine, osteopathic medicine, dentistry, pharmacy, podiatric medicine, optometry, or veterinary medicine of loans made pursuant to loan agreements under this subpart shall provide that the failure of any such school to collect such loans shall be measured in accordance with this subsection. This subsection may not be construed to require such schools to reimburse the student loan fund under this subpart for loans that became uncollectible prior to August 1985 or to penalize such schools with respect to such loans.
The measurement of a school’s failure to collect loans made under this subpart shall be the ratio (stated as a percentage) that the defaulted principal amount outstanding of such school bears to the matured loans of such school.
Loans from a student loan fund (established under an agreement with a school under section 292q of this title) may not, subject to paragraph (2), exceed for any student for a school year (or its equivalent) the cost of attendance (including tuition, other reasonable educational expenses, and reasonable living costs) for that year at the educational institution attended by the student (as determined by such educational institution).
For purposes of paragraph (1), the amount of the loan may, in the case of the third or fourth year of a student at a school of medicine or osteopathic medicine, be increased to the extent necessary to pay the balances of loans that, from sources other than the student loan fund under section 292q of this title, were made to the individual for attendance at the school. The authority to make such an increase is subject to the school and the student agreeing that such amount (as increased) will be expended to pay such balances.
Subject to section 292s of this title, any such loans shall be made on such terms and conditions as the school may determine, but may be made only to a student who is in need of the amount thereof to pursue a full-time course of study at the school leading to a degree of doctor of medicine, doctor of dentistry or an equivalent degree, doctor of osteopathy, bachelor of science in pharmacy or an equivalent degree, doctor of pharmacy or an equivalent degree, doctor of podiatric medicine or an equivalent degree, doctor of optometry or an equivalent degree, or doctor of veterinary medicine or an equivalent degree.
The liability to repay the unpaid balance of such a loan and accrued interest thereon shall be canceled upon the death of the borrower, or if the Secretary determines that he has become permanently, and totally disabled.
Such loans shall bear interest, on the unpaid balance of the loan, computed only for periods for which the loan is repayable, at the rate of 5 percent per year.
Loans shall be made under this subpart without security or endorsement, except that if the borrower is a minor and the note or other evidence of obligation executed by him would not, under the applicable law, create a binding obligation, either security or endorsement may be required.
No note or other evidence of a loan made under this subpart may be transferred or assigned by the school making the loan except that, if the borrowers transfer to another school participating in the program under this subpart, such note or other evidence of a loan may be transferred to such other school.
Subject to regulations of the Secretary, a school may assess a charge with respect to loans made this subpart 1
Subject to regulations of the Secretary, and in accordance with this section, a school shall assess a charge with respect to a loan made under this subpart for failure of the borrower to pay all or any part of an installment when it is due and, in the case of a borrower who is entitled to deferment of the loan under subsection (c), for any failure to file timely and satisfactory evidence of such entitlement. No such charge may be made if the payment of such installment or the filing of such evidence is made within 60 days after the date on which such installment or filing is due. The amount of any such charge may not exceed an amount equal to 6 percent of the amount of such installment. The school may elect to add the amount of any such charge to the principal amount of the loan as of the first day after the day on which such installment or evidence was due, or to make the amount of the charge payable to the school not later than the due date of the next installment after receipt by the borrower of notice of the assessment of the charge.
A school may provide, in accordance with regulations of the Secretary, that during the repayment period of a loan from a loan fund established pursuant to an agreement under this subpart payments of principal and interest by the borrower with respect to all the outstanding loans made to him from loan funds so established shall be at a rate equal to not less than $40 per month.
The Secretary is authorized to attempt to collect any loan which was made under this subpart, which is in default, and which was referred to the Secretary by a school with which the Secretary has an agreement under this subpart, on behalf of that school under such terms and conditions as the Secretary may prescribe (including reimbursement from the school’s student loan fund for expenses the Secretary may reasonably incur in attempting collection), but only if the school has complied with such requirements as the Secretary may specify by regulation with respect to the collection of loans under this subpart. A loan so referred shall be treated as a debt subject to section 5514 of title 5. Amounts collected shall be deposited in the school’s student loan fund. Whenever the Secretary desires the institution of a civil action regarding any such loan, the Secretary shall refer the matter to the Attorney General for appropriate action.
It is the purpose of this subsection to ensure that obligations to repay loans under this section are enforced without regard to any Federal or State statutory, regulatory, or administrative limitation on the period within which debts may be enforced.
Notwithstanding any other provision of Federal or State law, no limitation shall terminate the period within which suit may be filed, a judgment may be enforced, or an offset, garnishment, or other action may be initiated or taken by a school that has an agreement with the Secretary pursuant to section 292q of this title that is seeking the repayment of the amount due from a borrower on a loan made under this subpart after the default of the borrower on such loan.
Each agreement entered into with a student pursuant to paragraph (1) shall provide that, if the student fails to comply with such agreement, the loan involved will begin to accrue interest at a rate of 2 percent per year greater than the rate at which the student would pay if compliant in such year.
Subject to the provisions of this subsection, in the case of student loan funds established under section 292q of this title by schools of medicine or osteopathic medicine, each agreement entered into under such section with such a school shall provide (in addition to the provisions required in subsection (b) of such section) that, for the 1-year period ending on June 30, 1997; 2
Not later than 90 days after the close of each 1-year period described in paragraph (1), the Secretary shall make a determination of whether the school involved has for such period complied with such paragraph and shall in writing inform the school of the determination. Such determination shall be made only after consideration of the report submitted to the Secretary by the school under paragraph (6).
Each agreement under section 292q of this title with a school of medicine or osteopathic medicine shall provide that the school will submit to the Secretary a report for each 1-year period under paragraph (1) that provides such information as the Secretary determines to be necessary for carrying out this subsection. Each such report shall include statistics concerning the current training or practice status of all graduates of such school whose date of graduation from the school occurred approximately 4 years before the end of the 1-year period involved.
It is the sense of Congress that funds repaid under the loan program under this section should not be transferred to the Treasury of the United States or otherwise used for any other purpose other than to carry out this section.
With respect to Federal capital contributions to student loan funds under agreements under section 292q(b) of this title, any such contributions made before October 1, 1990, together with the school contributions appropriate under paragraph (2)(B) of such section to the amount of the Federal capital contributions, may be utilized for the purpose of making loans to individuals from disadvantaged backgrounds, subject to section 292s(a)(2)(B) of this title.
For purposes of this section, the term “disadvantaged”, with respect to an individual, shall be defined by the Secretary.
In making Federal capital contributions to student loan funds for purposes of subsection (a), the Secretary shall give special consideration to health professions schools that have enrollments of underrepresented minorities above the national average for health professions schools.
The Secretary may agree to modifications of agreements or loans made under this subpart, and may compromise, waive, or release any right, title, claim, or demand of the United States arising or acquired under this subpart.
In any case in which the Secretary intends to terminate an agreement with a school under this subpart, the Secretary shall provide the school with a written notice specifying such intention and stating that the school may request a formal hearing with respect to such termination. If the school requests such a hearing within 30 days after the receipt of such notice, the Secretary shall provide such school with a hearing conducted by an administrative law judge.
If a capital distribution is made under subsection (a), the school involved shall, after the capital distribution, pay to the Secretary, not less often than quarterly, the same proportionate share of amounts received by the school in payment of principal or interest on loans made from the loan fund established pursuant to section 292q(b) of this title as was determined by the Secretary under subsection (a).
The Secretary shall from time to time set dates by which schools must file applications for Federal capital contributions.
If the total of the amounts requested for any fiscal year in such applications exceeds the amounts appropriated under this section for that fiscal year, the allotment to the loan fund of each such school shall be reduced to whichever of the following is the smaller: (A) the amount requested in its application; or (B) an amount which bears the same ratio to the amounts appropriated as the number of students estimated by the Secretary to be enrolled in such school during such fiscal year bears to the estimated total number of students in all such schools during such year. Amounts remaining after allotment under the preceding sentence shall be reallotted in accordance with clause (B) of such sentence among schools whose applications requested more than the amounts so allotted to their loan funds, but with such adjustments as may be necessary to prevent the total allotted to any such school’s loan fund from exceeding the total so requested by it.
Funds available in any fiscal year for payment to schools under this subpart which are in excess of the amount appropriated pursuant to this section for that year shall be allotted among schools in such manner as the Secretary determines will best carry out the purposes of this subpart.
Allotments to a loan fund of a school shall be paid to it from time to time in such installments as the Secretary determines will not result in unnecessary accumulations in the loan fund at such school.
Subject to section 292s(b)(5) of this title, any amounts from student loan funds under section 292q of this title that are returned to the Secretary by health professions schools shall be expended to make Federal capital contributions to such funds.
Amounts described in paragraph (1) that are returned to the Secretary shall be obligated before the end of the succeeding fiscal year.
In making Federal capital contributions to student loans funds under section 292q of this title for a fiscal year from amounts described in paragraph (1), the Secretary shall give preference to health professions schools of the same disciplines as the health professions schools returning such amounts for the period during which the amounts expended for such contributions were received by the Secretary. Any such amounts that, prior to being so returned, were available only for the purpose of loans under this subpart to individuals from disadvantaged backgrounds shall be available only for such purpose.
For the purpose of making Federal capital contributions to student loan funds established under section 292q of this title by schools of medicine or osteopathic medicine, there is authorized to be appropriated $10,000,000 for each of the fiscal years 1994 through 1996.