Title 20EducationRelease 119-73

§1058 Definitions; eligibility

Title 20 › Chapter CHAPTER 28— - HIGHER EDUCATION RESOURCES AND STUDENT ASSISTANCE › Subchapter SUBCHAPTER III— - INSTITUTIONAL AID › Part Part A— - Strengthening Institutions › § 1058

Last updated Apr 6, 2026|Official source

Summary

Defines key words and sets who can get money. Educational and general expenditures — total college spending on teaching, research, libraries and academic support, student services, scholarships, campus upkeep, and any required transfers. Eligible institution — a college that meets several tests: it has the required enrollment of needy students; its average spending per full‑time equivalent undergraduate is low compared with similar schools (except where another rule applies); it is legally allowed to award a bachelor’s degree in the State or is a junior/community college or one of these schools: College of the Marshall Islands, College of Micronesia/FSM, or Palau Community College; it is accredited or making reasonable progress toward accreditation; it meets any other Secretary rules; and it is located in a State. Branch campuses qualify if they separately meet the needy‑enrollment and low‑spending tests. Endowment fund — a fund set up by a State, the school, or a tax‑exempt foundation to earn income for the school; it does not include real estate. Enrollment of needy students — either at least 50 percent of degree students received need‑based aid under subchapter IV in the second fiscal year before the year being judged (not counting loans with an interest subsidy under section 1078), or a substantial share received Pell Grants compared with all such schools in that same year (unless waived). Full‑time equivalent students — full‑time students plus part‑time students converted by adding all part‑time credit hours and dividing by 12. Junior or community college — admits adults past compulsory school age who can benefit, does not award a bachelor’s degree, and offers at least a 2‑year program that transfers toward a bachelor’s or a 2‑year technician program in engineering, math, or the physical/biological sciences. Low‑income individual — from a family whose taxable income last year did not exceed 150 percent of the poverty level as set by the Census Bureau. Historically Black colleges that receive funds under part B may not receive funds under this part.

Full Legal Text

Title 20, §1058

Education — Source: USLM XML via OLRC

(a)For the purpose of this part, the term “educational and general expenditures” means the total amount expended by an institution of higher education for instruction, research, public service, academic support (including library expenditures), student services, institutional support, scholarships and fellowships, operation and maintenance expenditures for the physical plant, and any mandatory transfers which the institution is required to pay by law.
(b)For the purpose of this part, the term “eligible institution” means—
(1)an institution of higher education—
(A)which has an enrollment of needy students as required by subsection (d);
(B)except as provided in section 1068a(b) of this title, the average educational and general expenditures of which are low, per full-time equivalent undergraduate student, in comparison with the average educational and general expenditures per full-time equivalent undergraduate student of institutions that offer similar instruction;
(C)which is—
(i)legally authorized to provide, and provides within the State, an educational program for which such institution awards a bachelor’s degree;
(ii)a junior or community college; or
(iii)the College of the Marshall Islands, the College of Micronesia/Federated States of Micronesia, and Palau Community College;
(D)which is accredited by a nationally recognized accrediting agency or association determined by the Secretary to be reliable authority as to the quality of training offered or which is, according to such an agency or association, making reasonable progress toward accreditation;
(E)which meets such other requirements as the Secretary may prescribe; and
(F)located in a State; and
(2)any branch of any institution of higher education described under paragraph (1) which by itself satisfies the requirements contained in subparagraphs (A) and (B) of such paragraph.
(c)For the purpose of this part, the term “endowment fund” means a fund that—
(1)is established by State law, by an institution of higher education, or by a foundation that is exempt from Federal income taxation;
(2)is maintained for the purpose of generating income for the support of the institution; and
(3)does not include real estate.
(d)Except as provided in section 1059e(b) of this title, for the purpose of this part, the term “enrollment of needy students” means an enrollment at an institution of higher education or a junior or community college which includes—
(1)at least 50 percent of the degree students so enrolled who are receiving need-based assistance under subchapter IV of this chapter in the second fiscal year preceding the fiscal year for which the determination is being made (other than loans for which an interest subsidy is paid pursuant to section 1078 of this title), or
(2)a substantial percentage of students receiving Pell Grants in the second fiscal year preceding the fiscal year for which determination is being made, in comparison with the percentage of students receiving Pell Grants at all such institutions in the second fiscal year preceding the fiscal year for which the determination is made, unless the requirement of this paragraph is waived under section 1068a(a) of this title.
(e)For the purpose of this part, the term “full-time equivalent students” means the sum of the number of students enrolled full time at an institution, plus the full-time equivalent of the number of students enrolled part time (determined on the basis of the quotient of the sum of the credit hours of all part-time students divided by 12) at such institution.
(f)For the purpose of this part, the term “junior or community college” means an institution of higher education—
(1)that admits as regular students persons who are beyond the age of compulsory school attendance in the State in which the institution is located and who have the ability to benefit from the training offered by the institution;
(2)that does not provide an educational program for which it awards a bachelor’s degree (or an equivalent degree); and
(3)that—
(A)provides an educational program of not less than 2 years that is acceptable for full credit toward such a degree, or
(B)offers a 2-year program in engineering, mathematics, or the physical or biological sciences, designed to prepare a student to work as a technician or at the semiprofessional level in engineering, scientific, or other technological fields requiring the understanding and application of basic engineering, scientific, or mathematical principles of knowledge.
(g)For the purpose of this part, the term “low-income individual” means an individual from a family whose taxable income for the preceding year did not exceed 150 percent of an amount equal to the poverty level determined by using criteria of poverty established by the Bureau of the Census.
(h)For the purposes of this section, no historically black college or university which is eligible for and receives funds under part B of this subchapter is eligible for or may receive funds under this part.

Legislative History

Notes & Related Subsidiaries

Editorial Notes

Prior Provisions

A prior section 1058, Pub. L. 89–329, title III, § 312, as added Pub. L. 96–374, title III, § 301, Oct. 3, 1980, 94 Stat. 1391, defined terms used in this subchapter, prior to the general revision of this subchapter by Pub. L. 99–498.

Amendments

2008—Subsec. (b)(1)(A). Pub. L. 110–315, § 302(1), substituted “subsection (d)” for “subsection (c) of this section”. Subsec. (d). Pub. L. 110–315, § 305(b), substituted “Except as provided in section 1059e(b) of this title, for the purpose” for “For the purpose” in introductory provisions. Subsec. (d)(2). Pub. L. 110–315, § 302(2), substituted “paragraph” for “subdivision”. Subsecs. (g), (h). Pub. L. 110–315, § 302(3), (4), added subsec. (g) and redesignated former subsec. (g) as (h). 1998—Subsec. (b)(1)(B). Pub. L. 105–244, § 301(c)(2)(A), substituted “section 1068a(b)” for “section 1067(b)”. Subsec. (c). Pub. L. 105–244, § 303(b)(2), added subsec. (c). Former subsec. (c) redesignated (d). Subsec. (c)(2). Pub. L. 105–244, § 301(c)(2)(B), substituted “section 1068a(a)” for “section 1067(a)”. Subsecs. (d) to (g). Pub. L. 105–244, § 303(b)(1), redesignated subsecs. (c) to (f) as (d) to (g), respectively. 1994—Subsec. (b)(1)(C). Pub. L. 103–382, § 353(1), amended subpar. (C) generally. Prior to amendment, subpar. (C) read as follows: “(C)(i) which is legally authorized to provide, and provides within the State, an educational program for which it awards a bachelor’s degree, or (ii) which is a junior or community college;”. Subsec. (b)(1)(F). Pub. L. 103–382, § 353(2), (3), added subpar. (F). 1993—Subsec. (c)(2). Pub. L. 103–208 inserted “the” after “such institutions in”. 1992—Subsec. (b)(1), (2). Pub. L. 102–325, § 302(a)(1), (2), inserted “and” at end of subpar. (D), struck out subpar. (E), redesignated subpar. (F) as (E) and inserted “and” at end, and substituted period for semicolon at end of par. (2). Prior to amendment, subpar. (E) of par. (1) read as follows: “except as provided in section 1067(b) of this title which has, during the 5 academic years preceding the academic year for which it seeks assistance under this part— “(i) met the requirement of either subparagraph (C)(i) or (C)(ii), or of both such subparagraphs (simultaneously or consecutively); and “(ii) met the requirement of subparagraph (D); and”. Subsec. (b)(3) to (5). Pub. L. 102–325, § 302(a)(3), struck out pars. (3) to (5) which read as follows: “(3) any institution of higher education which has an enrollment of which at least 20 percent are Mexican American, Puerto Rican, Cuban, or other Hispanic students, or combination thereof, and which also satisfies the requirements of subparagraphs (A), (B), (C), and (D) of paragraph (1); “(4) any institution of higher education which has an enrollment of at least 60 percent American Indian, or in the case of Alaska natives, an enrollment of at least 5 percent, and which also satisfies the requirements of subparagraphs (A), (B), (C), and (D) of paragraph (1); and “(5) any institution of higher education which has an enrollment of which at least 5 percent are Native Hawaiian, Asian American, American Samoan, Micronesian, Guamian (Chamorro), and Northern Marianian, or any combination thereof, and which also satisfies the requirements of subparagraphs (A), (B), (C), and (D) of paragraph (1).” Subsec. (c)(2). Pub. L. 102–325, § 302(b), substituted “second fiscal year preceding the fiscal year for which the determination is made, unless the requirement” for “second preceding fiscal year, unless the requirement”. 1988—Subsec. (f). Pub. L. 100–369 added subsec. (f). 1987—Subsec. (b)(1)(C), (D). Pub. L. 100–50, § 2(a)(2)(A), inserted “which” before “is” wherever appearing. Subsec. (b)(1)(E). Pub. L. 100–50, § 2(a)(2)(B), inserted “which” before “has”. Subsec. (b)(1)(F). Pub. L. 100–50, § 2(a)(2)(C), inserted “which” before “meets”. Subsec. (b)(3), (5). Pub. L. 100–50, § 2(a)(3), (4), substituted “subparagraphs (A), (B), (C), and (D)” for “subparagraphs (A) and (B)”. Subsec. (c)(1). Pub. L. 100–50, § 2(a)(5), inserted “in the second fiscal year preceding the fiscal year for which the determination is being made” after “chapter 34 of title 42”. Subsec. (c)(2). Pub. L. 100–50, § 2(a)(6), substituted “fiscal year preceding the fiscal year for which determination is being made” for “preceding fiscal year” and “second preceding fiscal year” for “such fiscal year”.

Statutory Notes and Related Subsidiaries

Effective Date

of 1998 AmendmentAmendment by Pub. L. 105–244 effective Oct. 1, 1998, except as otherwise provided in Pub. L. 105–244, see section 3 of Pub. L. 105–244, set out as a note under section 1001 of this title.

Effective Date

of 1993 AmendmentAmendment by Pub. L. 103–208 effective as if included in the Higher Education

Amendments

of 1992, Pub. L. 102–325, except as otherwise provided, see section 5(a) of Pub. L. 103–208, set out as a note under section 1051 of this title.

Effective Date

of 1992 AmendmentAmendment by Pub. L. 102–325 effective Oct. 1, 1992, see section 2 of Pub. L. 102–325, set out as a note under section 1001 of this title.

Effective Date

of 1987 AmendmentAmendment by Pub. L. 100–50 effective as if enacted as part of the Higher Education

Amendments

of 1986, Pub. L. 99–498, see section 27 of Pub. L. 100–50, set out as a note under section 1001 of this title.

Reference

Citations & Metadata

Citation

20 U.S.C. § 1058

Title 20Education

Last Updated

Apr 6, 2026

Release point: 119-73