Title 20 › CHAPTER 28 — HIGHER EDUCATION RESOURCES AND STUDENT ASSISTANCE › SUBCHAPTER IV — STUDENT ASSISTANCE › Part B — Federal Family Education Loan Program › § 1072
The Secretary can give money to States or to nonprofit groups that have agreed to run student loan insurance programs. The money is to build or strengthen those programs’ reserve funds or to help pay insurance obligations. If a State has no program for a year and the State’s governor agrees it likely won’t, the Secretary can instead advance money to nonprofit groups so students in that State can use an insured loan program. After June 30, 1968, any advance must be matched by an equal amount from non‑Federal sources (the State’s available non‑Federal reserve money can count), with a special way to calculate that “available” amount that subtracts certain prior Federal advances, earnings, or required State reserves — whichever results in the larger subtraction. The Secretary sets terms, repayment schedules, and limits. State allocations from one funding source are based on the State’s share of the population aged 18–22, but each State must get at least $25,000. For paying insurance obligations, advances are normally 10 percent of the principal on loans whose first principal payment was due in the prior fiscal year, reduced by earlier advances and unspent reserve balances; some first‑year or special cases get at least $50,000. The law also allows emergency advances and limits how often states may receive advances (schedules starting not before October 1, 1977). The law requires some advances to be repaid and directs the Secretary to recover money in certain years: $75,000,000 in fiscal year 1988 and $35,000,000 in fiscal year 1989. Agencies can be reimbursed for claims withheld between September 1, 1988 and December 31, 1989 if they provide a verified audited statement by January 1, 1993. The Secretary must pay certain withheld amounts within 30 days after July 23, 1992 for agencies that meet specific conditions, including those expected to become insolvent during or before 1996. The Secretary can require guaranty agencies to return reserve funds that are unnecessary or misused, stop improper spending, and recover funds held by others if needed; contracts about reserve funds must allow the Secretary to end the contract on 30 days’ notice in some cases. On September 1, 2002 the Secretary must recall $1,000,000,000 from guaranty agency reserves and deposit it in the Treasury, using a formula based on each agency’s reserve ratio as of September 30, 1996 (taking amounts over 2.0% first, then proportional reductions that do not cut any agency below a 0.58% reserve ratio). Agencies had to move their required shares into restricted accounts during fiscal years 1998–2002 in five equal annual installments (agencies with a reserve ratio ≤1.10% could use four installments starting in 1999). The Secretary must also recall additional amounts: $85,000,000 in fiscal year 2002, $82,500,000 in fiscal year 2006, and $82,500,000 in fiscal year 2007, with those sums deposited in the Treasury and apportioned by equal percentage reductions based on a $250,000,000 benchmark and 1996 reserve totals. Definitions in the law include “default reduction activities” (programs to lower loan defaults) and “reserve funds” (cash or liquid assets held for these programs).
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Legislative History
Reference
Citation
20 U.S.C. § 1072
Title 20, Education
Last Updated
Sep 22, 2026
Release point: 119-110