The Secretary is authorized to make planning grants to institutions of higher education for the development and testing of innovative techniques in postsecondary education. Such grants shall not exceed $20,000.
The Secretary is authorized to award one grant or contract to an institution of higher education to enable such institution to establish and maintain a center to study and develop best practices for institutions of higher education to support single parents who are also students attending such institutions.
The Secretary shall award the grant or contract under this subsection to a four-year institution of higher education that has demonstrated expertise in the development of programs to assist single parents who are students at institutions of higher education, as shown by the institution’s development of a variety of targeted services to such students, including on-campus housing, child care, counseling, advising, internship opportunities, financial aid, and financial aid counseling and assistance.
No funds made available under this part shall be used to provide direct financial assistance in the form of grants or scholarships to students who do not meet the requirements of section 1091(a) of this title.
Nothing in this subsection shall be construed to prevent a student who does not meet the requirements of section 1091(a) of this title from participating in programs funded under this part.
In making grants under this part to any institution of higher education after August 14, 2008, the Secretary may give priority to institutions that meet or exceed the most current version of ASHRAE/IES Standard 90.1 (as such term is used in section 6313(a)(6) of title 42) for any new facilities construction or major renovation of the institution after such date, except that this subsection shall not apply with respect to barns or greenhouses or similar structures owned by the institution.
The Secretary shall enter into a contract with a nonprofit organization with demonstrated success in carrying out the activities described in this subsection to carry out a program to provide postsecondary education scholarships for eligible students.
Scholarships awarded under this subsection shall be awarded based on need with priority given to eligible students who are eligible to receive Federal Pell Grants under subpart 1 of part A of subchapter IV.
The maximum scholarship amount awarded to an eligible student under this subsection for an award year shall be the lesser of $5,000, or the student’s cost of attendance (as defined in section 1087ll of this title).
All of the amounts appropriated to carry out this subsection for a fiscal year shall be used for scholarships awarded under this subsection, except that the nonprofit organization receiving a contract under this subsection may use not more than one percent of such amounts for the administrative costs of the contract.