(E) graduates' burden of repayment as reflected by the graduates' ability to save for retirement or invest in a home; and

(F) students' future earnings.

(b) REPORT.-After conclusion of the study required by subsection (a), the Secretary of Education shall submit a final report regarding the findings of the study to the Committee on Labor and Human Resources of the Senate and the Committee on Education and the Workforce of the House of Representatives not later than 18 months after the date of enactment of the Higher Education Amendments of 1998.

(c) INFORMATION.-After the study and report under this section are concluded, the Secretary of Education shall determine which information described in subsection (a) would be useful for families to know and shall include such information as part of the comparative information provided to families about the costs of higher education under the provisions of part C of title I.

SEC. 804. [20 U.S.C. 1099b note] STUDY OF TRANSFER OF CREDITS.

(a) STUDY REQUIRED.-The Secretary of Education shall conduct a study to evaluate policies or practices instituted by recognized accrediting agencies or associations regarding the treatment of the transfer of credits from one institution of higher education to another, giving particular attention to

(1) adopted policies regarding the transfer of credits between institutions of higher education which are accredited by different agencies or associations and the reasons for such policies;

(2) adopted policies regarding the transfer of credits between institutions of higher education which are accredited by national agencies or associations and institutions of higher education which are accredited by regional agencies and associations and the reasons for such policies;

(3) the effect of the adoption of such policies on students transferring between such institutions of higher education, including time required to matriculate, increases to the student of tuition and fees paid, and increases to the student with regard to student loan burden;

(4) the extent to which Federal financial aid is awarded to such students for the duplication of coursework already completed at another institution; and

(5) the aggregate cost to the Federal Government of the adoption of such policies.

(b) REPORT.-Not later than one year after the date of enactment of this Act, the Secretary of Education shall submit a report to the Chairman and Ranking Minority Member of the Committee on Education and the Workforce of the House of Representatives and the Committee on Labor and Human Resources of the Senate detailing the Secretary's findings regarding the study conducted under subsection (a). The Secretary's report shall include such recommendation with respect to the recognition of accrediting agencies or associations as the Secretary deems advisable.

SEC. 805. [20 U.S.C. 1001 note] STUDY OF OPPORTUNITIES FOR PARTICIPATION IN ATHLETICS PROGRAMS.

(a) STUDY.-The Comptroller General shall conduct a study of the opportunities for participation in intercollegiate athletics. The study shall address issues including

(1) the extent to which the number of

(A) secondary school athletic teams has increased or decreased in the 20 years preceding 1998 (in aggregate terms); and

(B) intercollegiate athletic teams has increased or decreased in the 20 years preceding 1998 (in aggregate terms) at 2-year and 4-year institutions of higher education;

(2) the extent to which participation by student-athletes in secondary school and intercollegiate athletics has increased or decreased in the 20 years preceding 1998 (in aggregate terms);

(3) over the 20-year period preceding 1998, a list of the men's and women's secondary school and intercollegiate sports, ranked in order of the sports most affected by increases or decreases in levels of participation and numbers of teams (in the aggregate);

(4) all factors that have influenced campus officials to add or discontinue sports teams at secondary schools and institutions of higher education, including

(A) institutional mission and priorities;

(B) budgetary pressures;

(C) institutional reforms and restructuring;

(D) escalating liability insurance premiums;

(E) changing student and community interest in a

sport;

(F) advancement of diversity among students;

(G) lack of necessary level of competitiveness of the

sports program;

(H) club level sport achieving a level of competitiveness to make the sport a viable varsity level sport;

(I) injuries or deaths; and

(J) conference realignment;

(5) the actions that institutions of higher education have taken when decreasing the level of participation in intercollegiate sports, or the number of teams, in terms of providing information, advice, scholarship maintenance, counseling, advance warning, and an opportunity for student-athletes to be involved in the decisionmaking process;

(6) the administrative processes and procedures used by institutions of higher education when determining whether to increase or decrease intercollegiate athletic teams or participation by student-athletes;

(7) the budgetary or fiscal impact, if any, of a decision by an institution of higher education—

(A) to increase or decrease the number of intercollegiate athletic teams or the participation of student-athletes; or

(B) to be involved in a conference realignment; and

(8) the alternatives, if any, institutions of higher education have pursued in lieu of eliminating, or severely reducing the funding for, an intercollegiate sport, and the success of such alternatives.

(b) REPORT.-The Comptroller General shall submit a report regarding the results of the study to the Committee on Labor and Human Resources of the Senate and the Committee on Education and the Workforce of the House of Representatives.

SEC. 806. STUDY OF THE EFFECTIVENESS OF COHORT DEFAULT RATES FOR INSTITUTIONS WITH FEW STUDENT LOAN BORROWERS.

(a) STUDY REQUIRED.-The Secretary of Education shall conduct a study of the effectiveness of cohort default rates as an indicator of administrative capability and program quality for institutions of higher education at which less than 15 percent of students eligible to borrow participate in the Federal student loan programs under title IV of the Higher Education Act of 1965 and fewer than 30 borrowers enter repayment in any fiscal year. At a minimum, the study shall include

(1) identification of the institutions included in the study and of the student populations the institutions serve;

(2) analysis of cohort default rates as indicators of administrative shortcomings and program quality at the institutions; (3) analysis of the effectiveness of cohort default rates as a means to prevent fraud and abuse in the programs assisted under such title;

(4) analysis of the extent to which the institutions with high cohort default rates are no longer participants in the Federal student loan programs under such title; and

(5) analysis of the costs incurred by the Department of Education for the calculation, publication, correction, and appeal of cohort default rates for the institutions in relation to any benefits to taxpayers.

(b) CONSULTATION.-In conducting the study described in subsection (a), the Secretary of Education shall consult with institutions of higher education.

(c) REPORT TO CONGRESS.-The Secretary of Education shall report to the Committee on Labor and Human Resources of the Senate and the Committee on Education and the Workforce of the House of Representatives not later than September 30, 1999, regarding the results of the study described in subsection (a).

PART B-ADVANCED PLACEMENT INCENTIVE

PROGRAM

SEC. 810. [20 U.S.C. 1070a-11 note] ADVANCED PLACEMENT INCENTIVE PROGRAM.

(a) PROGRAM ESTABLISHED.-The Secretary of Education is authorized to make grants to States having applications approved under subsection (c) to enable the States to reimburse low-income individuals to cover part or all of the cost of advanced placement test fees, if the low-income individuals

(1) are enrolled in an advanced placement class; and
(2) plan to take an advanced placement test.

54-653 99-18

(b) INFORMATION DISSEMINATION.-The State educational agency shall disseminate information regarding the availability of test fee payments under this section to eligible individuals through secondary school teachers and guidance counselors.

(c) REQUIREMENTS FOR APPROVAL OF APPLICATIONS.-In approving applications for grants the Secretary of Education shall

(1) require that each such application contain a description of the advanced placement test fees the State will pay on behalf of individual students;

(2) require an assurance that any funds received under this section, other than funds used in accordance with subsection (d), shall be used only to pay advanced placement test fees;

(3) contain such information as the Secretary may require to demonstrate that the State will ensure that a student is eligible for payments under this section, including the documentation required by chapter 1 of subpart 2 of part A of title IV of the Higher Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 1070a-11 et seq.); and

(4) consider the number of children eligible to be counted under section 1124(c) of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 in the State in relation to the number of such children in all the States in determining grant award amounts.

(d) FUNDING RULES.

(1) USE OF FUNDS.-A State educational agency in a State in which no eligible low-income individual is required to pay more than a nominal fee to take advanced placement tests in core subjects may use any grant funds provided to that State educational agency, that remain after fees have been paid on behalf of all eligible low-income individuals, for activities directly related to increasing

(A) the enrollment of low-income individuals in advanced placement courses;

(B) the participation of low-income individuals in advanced placement tests; and

(C) the availability of advanced placement courses in schools serving high poverty areas.

(2) SUPPLEMENT, NOT SUPPLANT, RULE.-Funds provided under this section shall supplement and not supplant other non-Federal funds that are available to assist low-income individuals in paying advanced placement test fees.

(e) REGULATIONS.-The Secretary of Education shall prescribe such regulations as are necessary to carry out this section.

(f) REPORT.-Each State annually shall report to the Secretary of Education regarding

(1) the number of low-income individuals in the State who receive assistance under this section; and

(2) the activities described in subsection (d)(1), if applicable.

(g) DEFINITION.-In this section:

(1) ADVANCED PLACEMENT TEST.-The term "advanced placement test" includes only an advanced placement test

approved by the Secretary of Education for the purposes of this section.

(2) LOW-INCOME INDIVIDUAL.-The term "low-income individual" has the meaning given the term in section 402A(g)(2) of the Higher Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 1070a11(g)(2)).

(h) AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.-There are authorized to be appropriated $6,800,000 for fiscal year 1999 and such sums as may be necessary for each of the 4 succeeding fiscal years to carry out this section.

PART C-COMMUNITY SCHOLARSHIP

MOBILIZATION

SEC. 811. [20 U.S.C. 1070 note] SHORT TITLE.

This part may be cited as the "Community Scholarship Mobilization Act".

SEC. 812. [20 U.S.C. 1070 note] FINDINGS.

Congress finds that

(1) the local community, when properly organized and challenged, is one of the best sources of academic support, motivation toward achievement, and financial resources for aspiring postsecondary students;

(2) local communities, working to complement or augment services currently offered by area schools and colleges, can raise the educational expectations and increase the rate of postsecondary attendance of their youth by forming locallybased organizations that provide both academic support (including guidance, counseling, mentoring, tutoring, encouragement, and recognition) and tangible, locally raised, effectively targeted, publicly recognized, financial assistance;

(3) proven methods of stimulating these community efforts can be promoted through Federal support for the establishment of regional, State, or community program centers to organize and challenge community efforts to develop educational incentives and support for local students; and

(4) using Federal funds to leverage private contributions to help students from low-income families attain educational and career goals is an efficient and effective investment of scarce taxpayer-provided resources.

SEC. 813. [20 U.S.C. 1070 note] DEFINITIONS.

In this part:

(1) REGIONAL, STATE, OR COMMUNITY PROGRAM CENTER.The term "regional, State, or community program center" means an organization that—

(A) is a division or member of, responsible to, and overseen by, a national organization; and

(B) is staffed by professionals trained to create, develop, and sustain local entities in towns, cities, and neighborhoods.

(2) LOCAL ENTITY.-The term "local entity" means an organization that—