(ii) information on campus and community resources and funding used to help low-income students access child care services;

(iii) information on progress made toward accreditation of any child care facility; and

(iv) information on the impact of the grant on the quality, availability, and affordability of campus-based child care services.

(2) CONTINUING ELIGIBILITY.-The Secretary shall make the third annual grant payment under this section to an institution of higher education only if the Secretary determines, on the basis of the 18-month report submitted under paragraph (1), that the institution is making a good faith effort to ensure that low-income students at the institution have access to affordable, quality child care services.

(f) CONSTRUCTION.-No funds provided under this section shall be used for construction, except for minor renovation or repair to meet applicable State or local health or safety requirements.

(g) AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.-There are authorized to be appropriated to carry out this section $45,000,000 for fiscal year 1999 and such sums as may be necessary for each of the 4 succeeding fiscal years.

Subpart 8-Learning Anytime Anywhere

Partnerships

SEC. 420D. [20 U.S.C. 1070f] FINDINGS.
Congress makes the following findings:

(1) The nature of postsecondary education delivery is changing, and new technology and other related innovations can provide promising education opportunities for individuals who are currently not being served, particularly for individuals without easy access to traditional campus-based postsecondary education or for whom traditional courses are a poor match with education or training needs.

(2) Individuals, including individuals seeking basic or technical skills or their first postsecondary experience, individuals with disabilities, dislocated workers, individuals making the transition from welfare-to-work, and individuals who are limited by time and place constraints can benefit from nontraditional, noncampus-based postsecondary education opportunities and appropriate support services.

(3) The need for high-quality, nontraditional, technologybased education opportunities is great, as is the need for skill competency credentials and other measures of educational progress and attainment that are valid and widely accepted, but neither need is likely to be adequately addressed by the uncoordinated efforts of agencies and institutions acting independently and without assistance.

(4) Partnerships, consisting of institutions of higher education, community organizations, or other public or private agencies or organizations, can coordinate and combine institutional resources—

(A) to provide the needed variety of education options to students; and

(B) to develop new means of ensuring accountability and quality for innovative education methods.

SEC. 420E. [20 U.S.C. 1070f-1] PURPOSE; PROGRAM AUTHORIZED.

(a) PURPOSE.-It is the purpose of this subpart to enhance the delivery, quality, and accountability of postsecondary education and career-oriented lifelong learning through technology and related innovations.

(A) IN GENERAL.-The Secretary may, from funds appropriated under section 420J make grants to, or enter into contracts or cooperative agreements with, eligible partnerships to carry out the authorized activities described in section 420G.

(B) DURATION.-Grants under this subpart shall be awarded for periods that do not exceed 5 years.

(2) DEFINITION OF ELIGIBLE PARTNERSHIP.-For purposes of this subpart, the term "eligible partnership" means a partnership consisting of 2 or more independent agencies, organizations, or institutions. The agencies, organizations, or institutions may include institutions of higher education, community organizations, and other public and private institutions, agencies, and organizations.

SEC. 420F. [20 U.S.C. 1070f-2] APPLICATION.

(a) REQUIREMENT.-An eligible partnership desiring to receive a grant under this subpart shall submit an application to the Secretary, in such form and containing such information, as the Secretary may require.

(b) CONTENTS.-Each application shall include

(1) the name of each partner and a description of the responsibilities of the partner, including the designation of a nonprofit organization as the fiscal agent for the partnership;

(2) a description of the need for the project, including a description of how the project will build on any existing services and activities;

(3) a listing of human, financial (other than funds provided under this subpart), and other resources that each member of the partnership will contribute to the partnership, and a description of the efforts each member of the partnership will make in seeking additional resources; and

(4) a description of how the project will operate, including how funds awarded under this subpart will be used to meet the purpose of this subpart.

SEC. 420G. [20 U.S.C. 1070f-3] AUTHORIZED ACTIVITIES.

Funds awarded to an eligible partnership under this subpart shall be used to

(1) develop and assess model distance learning programs or innovative educational software;

(2) develop methodologies for the identification and measurement of skill competencies;

or

(3) develop and assess innovative student support services;

(4) support other activities that are consistent with the purpose of this subpart.

SEC. 420H. [20 U.S.C. 1070f-4] MATCHING REQUIREMENT.

Federal funds shall provide not more than 50 percent of the cost of a project under this subpart. The non-Federal share of project costs may be in cash or in kind, fairly evaluated, including services, supplies, or equipment.

SEC. 4201. [20 U.S.C. 1070f–5] PEER REVIEW.

The Secretary shall use a peer review process to review applications under this subpart and to make recommendations for funding under this subpart to the Secretary.

SEC. 420J. [20 U.S.C. 1070f-6] AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.

There are authorized to be appropriated to carry out this subpart $10,000,000 for fiscal year 1999 and such sums as may be necessary for each of the 4 succeeding fiscal years.

PART B-FEDERAL FAMILY EDUCATION LOAN PROGRAM

SEC. 421. [20 U.S.C. 1071] STATEMENT OF PURPOSE; NONDISCRIMINATION; AND APPROPRIATIONS AUTHORIZED.

(a) PURPOSE; DISCRIMINATION PROHIBITED.—

(1) PURPOSE.-The purpose of this part is to enable the Secretary

(A) to encourage States and nonprofit private institutions and organizations to establish adequate loan insurance programs for students in eligible institutions (as defined in section 435),

(B) to provide a Federal program of student loan insurance for students or lenders who do not have reasonable access to a State or private nonprofit program of student loan insurance covered by an agreement under section 428(b),

(C) to pay a portion of the interest on loans to qualified students which are insured under this part, and (D) to guarantee a portion of each loan insured under a program of a State or of a nonprofit private institution or organization which meets the requirements of section 428(a)(1)(B).

(2) DISCRIMINATION BY CREDITORS PROHIBITED.-No agency, organization, institution, bank, credit union, corporation, or other lender who regularly extends, renews, or continues credit or provides insurance under this part shall exclude from receipt or deny the benefits of, or discriminate against any borrower or applicant in obtaining, such credit or insurance on the basis of race, national origin, religion, sex, marital status, age, or handicapped status.

(b) AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.-For the purpose of carrying out this part

(1) there are authorized to be appropriated to the student loan insurance fund (established by section 431) (A) the sum of $1,000,000, and (B) such further sums, if any, as may be

come necessary for the adequacy of the student loan insurance fund,

(2) there are authorized to be appropriated, for payments under section 428 with respect to interest on student loans and for payments under section 437, such sums for the fiscal year ending June 30, 1966, and succeeding fiscal years, as may be required therefor,

(3) there is authorized to be appropriated the sum of $17,500,000 for making advances pursuant to section 422 for the reserve funds of State and nonprofit private student loan insurance programs,

(4) there are authorized to be appropriated (A) the sum of $12,500,000 for making advances after June 30, 1968, pursuant to sections 422 (a) and (b), and (B) such sums as may be necessary for making advances pursuant to section 422(c), for the reserve funds of State and nonprofit private student loan insurance programs, and

(5) there are authorized to be appropriated such sums as may be necessary for the purpose of paying an administrative cost allowance in accordance with section 428(f) to guaranty agencies. Sums appropriated under paragraphs (1), (2), (4), and (5) of this subsection shall remain available until expended. No additional sums are authorized to be appropriated under paragraph (3) or (4) of this subsection by reason of the reenactment of such paragraphs by the Higher Education Amendments of 1986.

(c) DESIGNATION. The program established under this part shall be referred to as the "Robert T. Stafford Federal Student Loan Program". Loans made pursuant to sections 427 and 428 shall be known as "Federal Stafford Loans”.

SEC. 422. [20 U.S.C. 1072] ADVANCES FOR RESERVE FUNDS OF STATE AND NONPROFIT PRIVATE LOAN INSURANCE PROGRAMS. (a) PURPOSE OF AND AUTHORITY FOR ADVANCES TO RESERVE FUNDS.

(1) PURPOSE; ELIGIBLE RECIPIENTS. From sums appropriated pursuant to paragraphs (3) and (4)(A) of section 421(b), the Secretary is authorized to make advances to any State with which the Secretary has made an agreement pursuant to section 428(b) for the purpose of helping to establish or strengthen the reserve fund of the student loan insurance program covered by that agreement. If for any fiscal year a State does not have a student loan insurance program covered by an agreement made pursuant to section 428(b), and the Secretary determines after consultation with the chief executive officer of that State that there is no reasonable likelihood that the State will have such a student loan insurance program for such year, the Secretary may make advances for such year for the same purpose to one or more nonprofit private institutions or organizations with which the Secretary has made an agreement pursuant to section 428(b) in order to enable students in the State to participate in a program of student loan insurance covered by such an agreement. The Secretary may make advances under this subsection both to a State program (with which he has such an agreement) and to one or more nonprofit private

institutions or organizations (with which he has such an agreement) in that State if he determines that such advances are necessary in order that students in each eligible institution have access through such institution to a student loan insurance program which meets the requirements of section 428(b)(1).

(2) MATCHING REQUIREMENT.-No advance shall be made after June 30, 1968, unless matched by an equal amount from non-Federal sources. Such equal amount may include the unencumbered non-Federal portion of a reserve fund. As used in the preceding sentence, the term "unencumbered non-Federal portion" means the amount (determined as of the time immediately preceding the making of the advance) of the reserve fund less the greater of—

(A) the sum of—

(i) advances made under this section prior to July 1, 1968;

(ii) an amount equal to twice the amount of advances made under this section after June 30, 1968, and before the advance for purposes of which the determination is made; and

(iii) the proceeds of earnings on advances made under this section; or

(B) any amount which is required to be maintained in such fund pursuant to State law or regulation, or by agreement with lenders, as a reserve against the insurance of outstanding loans.

Except as provided in section 428(c)(9)(E) or (F), such unencumbered non-Federal portion shall not be subject to recall, repayment, or recovery by the Secretary.

(3) TERMS AND CONDITIONS; REPAYMENT.—Advances pursuant to this subsection shall be upon such terms and conditions (including conditions relating to the time or times of payment) consistent with the requirements of section 428(b) as the Secretary determines will best carry out the purpose of this section. Advances made by the Secretary under this subsection shall be repaid within such period as the Secretary may deem to be appropriate in each case in the light of the maturity and solvency of the reserve fund for which the advance was made. (b) LIMITATIONS ON TOTAL ADVANCES.

(1) IN GENERAL.-The total of the advances from the sums appropriated pursuant to paragraph (4)(A) of section 421(b) to nonprofit private institutions and organizations for the benefit of students in any State and to such State may not exceed an amount which bears the same ratio to such sums as the population of such State aged 18 to 22, inclusive, bears to the population of all the States aged 18 to 22 inclusive, but such advances may otherwise be in such amounts as the Secretary determines will best achieve the purposes for which they are made. The amount available for advances to any State shall not be less than $25,000 and any additional funds needed to meet this requirement shall be derived by proportionately reducing (but not below $25,000) the amount available for advances to each of the remaining States.