5 U.S.C. § 5379 Student Loan Repayments

• Library: United States Statutes
• Edition: 2023
• Currency: Current through P.L. 118-30 (published on www.congress.gov on 12/21/2023)
• Year: 2023
• Citation: 5 U.S.C. § 5379

(a)

(1) For the purpose of this section-

(A) the term "agency" means an agency under subparagraph (A), (B), (C), (D), or (E) of section 4101(1) of this title, the Architect of the Capitol, the Botanic Garden, and the Office of Congressional Accessibility Services; and

(B) the term "student loan" means-

(i) a loan made, insured, or guaranteed under part B of title IV of the Higher Education Act of 1965 ( 20 U.S.C. 1071 et seq.);

(ii) a loan made under part D or E of title IV of the Higher Education Act of 1965 ( 20 U.S.C. 1087a et seq., 1087aa et seq.); and

(iii) a health education assistance loan made or insured under part A of title VII of the Public Health Service Act ( 42 U.S.C. 292 et seq.) or under part E of title VIII of such Act ( 42 U.S.C. 297a et seq.).

(2) An employee shall be ineligible for benefits under this section if the employee occupies a position that is excepted from the competitive service because of its confidential, policy-determining, policy-making, or policy-advocating character.

(b)

(1) The head of an agency may, in order to recruit or retain highly qualified personnel, establish a program under which the agency may agree to repay (by direct payments on behalf of the employee) any student loan previously taken out by such employee.

(2) Payments under this section shall be made subject to such terms, limitations, or conditions as may be mutually agreed to by the agency and employee concerned, except that the amount paid by an agency under this section may not exceed-

(A) $10,000 for any employee in any calendar year; or

(B) a total of $60,000 in the case of any employee.

(3) Nothing in this section shall be considered to authorize an agency to pay any amount to reimburse an employee for any repayments made by such employee prior to the agency's entering into an agreement under this section with such employee.

(c)

(1) An employee selected to receive benefits under this section must agree in writing, before receiving any such benefit, that the employee will-

(A) remain in the service of the agency for a period specified in the agreement (not less than 3 years), unless involuntarily separated; and

(B) if separated involuntarily on account of misconduct, or voluntarily, before the end of the period specified in the agreement, repay to the Government the amount of any benefits received by such employee from that agency under this section.

(2) The payment agreed to under paragraph (1)(B) of this subsection may not be required of an employee who leaves the service of such employee's agency voluntarily to enter into the service of any other agency unless the head of the agency that authorized the benefits notifies the employee before the effective date of such employee's entrance into the service of the other agency that payment will be required under this subsection.