Higher Education Technical Amendments of 1979 - Amends the Higher Education Act of 1965 to extend authorizations of appropriations through fiscal year 1980 for: (1) community services and continuing education programs; (2) college library programs, including research libraries; (3) developing institutions; (4) basic educational opportunity grants; (5) supplemental educational opportunity grants; (6) grants to States for student incentives; (7) special programs for students from disadvantaged backgrounds; (8) Educational Information Centers; (9) veterans' cost-of-instruction payments to institutions of higher education; (10) direct student loans; (11) teacher corps and teacher training programs; (12) acquisition of television and other equipment and minor remodeling for improvement of undergraduate instruction; (13) grants and loans for construction and renovation of undergraduate academic facilities and graduate academic facilities; (14) annual interest grants for such construction and renovation; (15) graduate programs and fellowships; (16) Statewide plans for community colleges, and the establishment and expansion of community colleges; (17) law school clinical programs; and (18) comprehensive statewide planning.
Amends the General Education Provisions Act to extend authorizations of appropriations through fiscal year 1980 for the Fund for the Improvement of Postsecondary Education and the National Institute of Education. Authorizes the appropriation to the National Institute of Education of $125,000,000 for fiscal year 1980.
Amends the National Defense Education Act to extend the authorization of appropriations for language development centers and research and studies through fiscal year 1980.
Amends the Middle Income Student Assistance Act to make such Act effective with respect to student enrollment on or after July 1, 1979, (presently August 1, 1979).
Amends the Higher Education Act of 1965 to: (1) provide that any excess basic educational opportunity grant funds for the academic year 1978-1979 shall remain available for such purpose through September 30, 1981, rather than used for other educational purposes; (2) provide that all eligible lenders shall be considered approved for purposes of Federal interest subsidies unless the Commissioner of Education promulgates required regulations by September 30, 1979; (3) remove limitations on special allowance payments effective October 1, 1979, except with regard to loans held during the third quarter of 1979; (4) authorize the Commissioner to collect defaulted direct student loans; and (5) include vocational schools within the definition of "institution of higher education".