Page:United States Statutes at Large Volume 112 Part 2.djvu/927

 PUBLIC LAW 105-244 —OCT. 7, 1998 112 STAT. 1811 such as school or college personnel, parents, students, community agency representatives, retirees, and representatives of the business community; (E) awards scholarships without regard to age, sex, marital status, race, creed, color, religion, national origin, or disability; and (F) gives priority to awarding scholarships for postsecondary education to deserving students from low-income families in the local community. (3) NATIONAL ORGANIZATION. — The term "national organization" means an organization that— (A) has the capacity to create, develop and sustain local entities and affiliated regional, State, or community program centers; (B) has the capacity to sustain newly created local entities in towns, cities, and neighborhoods through ongoing training support programs; (C) is described in section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, and exempt from taxation under section 501(a) of such Code; (D) is a publicly supported organization within the meaning of section 170(b)( IXA)(iv) of such Code; (E) ensures that each of the organization's local entities meet the criteria described in subparagraphs (C) and (D); and (F) has a program for or experience in cooperating with secondary and postsecondary institutions in carrying out the organization's scholarship and academic support activities. (4) HIGH POVERTY AREA. —The term "high poverty area" means a community with a higher percentage of children from low-income families than the national average of such percentage and a lower percentage of children pursuing postsecondary education than the national average of such percentage. (5) SECRETARY.— The term "Secretary" means the Secretary of Education. (6) STUDENTS FROM LOW-INCOME FAMILIES. —The term "students from low-income families" means students determined, pursuant to part F of title IV of the Higher Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 1087kk et seq.), to be eligible for a Federal Pell Grant under subpart 1 of part A of title IV of such Act (20 U.S.C. 1070a). SEC. 814. PURPOSE; ENDOWMENT GRANT AUTHORITY. 20 USC 1070 (a) PURPOSE. —It is the purpose of this part to establish and support regional. State or community program centers to enable such centers to foster the development of local entities in high poverty areas that promote higher education goals for students from low-income families by— (1) providing academic support, including guidance, counseling, mentoring, tutoring, and recognition; and (2) providing scholarship assistance for the cost of postsecondary education. (b) ENDOWMENT GRANT AUTHORITY.— From the funds appropriated pursuant to the authority of section 816, the Secretary shall award an endowment grant, on a competitive basis, to a national organization to enable such orgsinization to support the

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