eligibility for student assistance

eligibility for student assistance Sec. 504. (a) If an institution of higher education determines, after affording notice and opportunity for nearing to an individual attending, or employed by, such institution, that such individual has been convicted by any court of record of any crime which was committed after the date of enactment of this Act and which involved the use of (or assistance to others in the use of) force, disruption, or the seizure of property under control of any institution of higher education to prevent officials or students in such institution from engaging in their duties or pursuing their studies, and that such crime was of a serious nature and contributed to a substantial disruption of the administration of the institution with respect to which such crime was committed, then the institution which such individual attends, or is employed by, shall deny for a period of two years any further payment to, or for the direct benefit of, such individual under any of the programs specified in subsection (c). If an institution denies an individual assistance under the authority of the preceding sentence of this subsection, then any institution which such individual subsequently attends shall deny for the remainder of the two-year period any further payment to, or for the direct benefit of, such individual under any of the programs specified in subsection (c). (b) If an institution of higher education determines, after affording notice and opportunity for hearing to an individual attending, or employed by, such institution, that such individual has willfully refused to obey a lawful regulation or order of such institution after the date of enactment of this Act, and that such refusal was of a serious nature and contributed to a substantial disruption of the administration of such institution, then such institution shall deny, for a period of two years, any further payment to, or for the direct benefit of, such individual under any of the programs specified in subsection (c). (c) The programs referred to in subsections (a) and (b) are as follows: (1) The student loan program under title II of the National Defense Education Act of 1958. (2) The educational opportunity grant program under part A of title IV of the Higher Education Act of 1965. (3) The student loan insurance program under part B of title IV of the Higher Education Act of 1965. (4) The college work-study program under part C of title IV of the Higher Education Act or 1965. (5) Any fellowship program carried on under title II, III, or V of the Higher Education Act of 1965 or title IV or VI of the National Defense Education Act of 1958. (d) (1) Nothing in this Act, or any Act amended by this Act., shall be construed to prohibit any institution of higher education from re-82 Stat. 1063fusing to award, continue, or extend any financial assistance under any such Act to any individual because of any misconduct which in its judgment bears adversely on his fitness for such assistance. (2) Nothing in this section shall be construed as limiting or prejudicing the rights and prerogatives of any institution of higher education to institute and carry out an independent, disciplinary proceeding pursuant to existing authority, practice, and law. (3) Nothing in this section shall be construed to limit the freedom of any student to verbal expression of individual views or opinions.