USE OF SUPPLEMENTAL EDUCATIONAL OPPORTUNITY GRANTS FOR EMERGENCY AID.

SEC. 3504. [20 U.S.C. 1001 note] USE OF SUPPLEMENTAL EDUCATIONAL OPPORTUNITY GRANTS FOR EMERGENCY AID. (a) In General.—Notwithstanding section 413B of the Higher Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 1070b-1), an institution of higher education may reserve any amount of an institution’s allocation under subpart 3 of part A of title IV of the Higher Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 1070b et seq.) for a fiscal year to award, in such fiscal year, emergency financial aid grants to assist undergraduate or graduate students for unexpected expenses and unmet financial need as the result of a qualifying emergency. (b) Determinations.—In determining eligibility for and awarding emergency financial aid grants under this section, an institution of higher education may— (1) waive the amount of need calculation under section 471 of the Higher Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 1087kk); (2) allow for a student affected by a qualifying emergency to receive funds in an amount that is not more than the maximum Federal Pell Grant for the applicable award year; and (3) utilize a contract with a scholarship-granting organization designated for the sole purpose of accepting applications from or disbursing funds to students enrolled in the institution of higher education, if such scholarship-granting organization disburses the full allocated amount provided to the institution of higher education to the recipients. (c) Special Rule.—Any emergency financial aid grants to students under this section shall not be treated as other financial assistance for the purposes of section 471 of the Higher Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 1087kk).