20 U.S.C. § 4

OPERATION DESERT SHIELD/DESERT STORM WAIVER AUTHORITY.

Read at: OLRCuscode.house.gov CornellLII GovInfogovinfo.gov JustiaTitle 20 CasesGoogle Scholar

“(a)Purpose.—It is the purpose of this section to ensure that—“(1) the men and women serving on active duty in connection with Operation Desert Shield or Operation Desert Storm who are borrowers of Stafford Loans or Perkins Loans are not placed in a worse position financially in relation to those loans because of such service;“(2) the administrative requirements placed on all borrowers of student loans made in accordance with title IV of the Act [20 U.S.C. 1070 et seq.] who are engaged in such military service are minimized to the extent possible without impairing the integrity of the student loan programs, in order to ease the burden on such borrowers, and to avoid inadvertent, technical defaults; and“(3) the future eligibility of such an individual for Pell Grants is not reduced by the amount of such assistance awarded for a period of instruction that such individual was unable to complete, or for which the individual did not receive academic credit, because he or she was called up for such service.“(b)Waiver Requirement.—Notwithstanding any other provision of law, unless enacted with specific reference to this section, the Secretary of Education shall waive or modify any statutory or regulatory provision applicable to the student financial aid programs under title IV of the Act that the Secretary deems necessary to achieve the purposes stated in subsection (a), including—“(1) the length of, and eligibility requirements for, the military deferments authorized under sections 427(a)(2)(C)(ii), 428(b)(1)(M)(ii), and 464(c)(2)(A)(ii) of the Act [20 U.S.C. 1077(a)(2)(C)(ii), 1078(b)(1)(M)(ii), 1087dd(c)(2)(A)(ii)], in order to enable the borrower of a Stafford Loan or a Perkins Loan who is or was serving on active duty in connection with Operation Desert Shield or Operation Desert Storm to obtain a military deferment, under which interest shall accrue and shall, if otherwise payable by the Secretary, be paid by the Secretary of Education, for the duration of such service;“(2) administrative requirements placed on all borrowers of student loans made in accordance with title IV of the Act who are or were engaged in such military service;“(3) the number of years for which individuals who are engaged in such military service may be eligible for Pell Grants under subpart 1 of part A of title IV of the Act [20 U.S.C. 1070a et seq.];“(4) the point at which the borrower of a Stafford Loan who is or was engaged in such military service is required to resume repayment of principal and interest on such loan after the borrower completes a period of deferment under section 427(a)(2)(C)(ii) or 428(b)(1)(M)(ii) of the Act;“(5) the point at which the borrower of a Stafford Loan who is or was engaged in such military service is required to resume repayment of principal and interest on such loan after the borrower completes a single period of deferment under section 427(a)(2)(C)(i) or 428(b)(1)(M)(i) of the Act subsequent to such service; and“(6) the modification of the terms ‘annual adjusted family income’ and ‘available income,’ as used in the determination of need for student financial assistance under title IV of the Act for such individual (and the determination of such need for his or her spouse and dependents, if applicable), to mean the sums received in the first calendar year of the award year for which such determination is made, in order to reflect more accurately the financial condition of such individual and his or her family.“(c)Notice of Waiver.—Notwithstanding section 431 [now 437] of the General Education Provisions Act (20 U.S.C. 1232) and section 553 of title 5, United States Code, the Secretary shall, by notice in the Federal Register, publish the waivers or modifications of statutory and regulatory provisions the Secretary deems necessary to achieve the purposes of this section. Such notice shall include the terms and conditions to be applied in lieu of such statutory and regulatory provisions. The Secretary is not required to exercise the waiver or modification authority under this section on a case-by-case basis.“(d)Definitions.—For purposes of this Act [probably should be “section”]—“(1) Individuals ‘serving on active duty in connection with Operation Desert Shield or Operation Desert Storm’ shall include—“(A) any Reserve of an Armed Force called to active duty under section 672(a) [now 12301(a)], 672(g) [now 12301(g)], 673 [now 12302], 673b [now 12304], 674 [now 12306], or 688 of title 10, United States Code, for service in connection with Operation Desert Shield or Operation Desert Storm, regardless of the location at which such active duty service is performed; and“(B) for purposes of waivers of administrative requirements under subsection (b)(2) only, any other member of an Armed Force on active duty in connection with Operation Desert Shield or Operation Desert Storm, who has been assigned to a duty station at a location other than the location at which such member is normally assigned.“(2) The term ‘active duty’ has the meaning given such term in section 101(22) of title 10, United States Code [now 10 U.S.C. 101(d)(1)], except that such term does not include active duty for training or attendance at a service school.