The authority shall have power to do all of the following:
(a)
Adopt bylaws for the regulation of its affairs and the conduct of its business.
(b)
Adopt and have an official common seal and alter it at pleasure.
(c)
Sue and be sued in its own name, and plead and be impleaded.
(d)
Borrow money, issue bonds and notes and other obligations of the authority, and provide for the rights of the holders thereof as provided in this chapter.
(e)
Acquire, lease as lessee, hold, and dispose of real and
personal property or any interest therein, in the exercise of its powers and the performance of its duties under this chapter.
(f)
Acquire, in the name of the authority by purchase or otherwise, on the terms and conditions and in the manner as it deems proper, any land or interest in land and other property that it determines is reasonably necessary for a project, including any lands held by
a county, municipality, or other governmental subdivision of the
state, to hold and use the property, and to sell, convey, lease, or otherwise dispose of the acquired property that is no longer necessary for the authority’s purposes.
(g)
Receive and accept, from any
source, loans, contributions, or grants for, or in aid of, the acquisition, construction, financing, or refinancing of a project, or any portion of a project, in money, property, labor, or other things of value.
(h)
Prepare, or cause to be prepared, plans, specifications, designs, and estimates of costs for the construction and equipment of projects for participating colleges and participating nonprofit entities under this chapter, and from time to time to modify those plans, specifications, designs, or estimates.
(i)
By contract or contracts,
or by its own employees, to construct, acquire, reconstruct, rehabilitate and improve, and furnish and equip, projects for participating colleges and participating nonprofit entities.
(j)
Employ consulting engineers, architects, accountants, construction and financial experts, superintendents, and other employees and agents that may be necessary in its judgment and to fix their compensation.
(k)
Determine the location and character of any project to be undertaken pursuant to this chapter, and construct, reconstruct, repair, lease, as lessee or lessor, the project,
enter into contracts for any or all of those
purposes, and designate a participating private college or participating nonprofit entity as its agent to determine the location and character of a project undertaken by the participating private college or participating nonprofit entity under this chapter and, as the agent of the authority, construct, reconstruct, maintain, repair, operate, lease, as lessee or lessor, and regulate the project and, as agent of the authority, to enter into contracts for any and all of those purposes including contracts for the management and operation of the project.
(l)
Establish rules and regulations for the use of a project,
or any portion
of a project, and to designate a participating private college or participating nonprofit entity as its agent to establish rules and regulations for the use of a project undertaken by the participating private college or participating nonprofit entity.
(m)
Generally establish, revise from time to time, and charge and collect, rates, rents, fees, and other charges for the use of and for the services furnished or to be furnished by a project, or any portion of a project, and contract with holders of its bonds and with any other person, party, association, corporation, or other body, public or private, in
respect thereof.
(n)
Enter into any and all agreements or contracts, execute any and all instruments, and do and perform any and all acts or things necessary, convenient, or desirable for the purposes of the authority or to carry out any power expressly given in this chapter.
(o)
Invest any moneys held in reserve or sinking funds, or any moneys not required for immediate use or disbursement, at the discretion of the authority, in obligations that are authorized by law for the investment of trust funds in the custody of the Treasurer.
(p)
Charge, and equitably apportion among participating private colleges and participating nonprofit entities, its administrative costs and expenses incurred in the exercise of the powers and duties conferred by this chapter.
(q)
Finance, directly or through an intermediary, or purchase or take assignments of, or make commitments to finance, directly or through an intermediary, or purchase or to take assignments of, student loans, to contract in advance for those student loans, and to contract in advance for that financing, purchase, or assignment, and to pay any amounts payable in respect thereto. A student loan shall be eligible for financing or purchase by the authority or for assignment hereunder regardless of the repayment status of the loan. A pledge made to secure authority financing for student loan project purposes shall be valid and binding from the time the pledge is made. The revenues and receipts of property or interest in the property pledged and thereafter received by the authority, a participating college or
public institution of higher education, a servicer, a trustee, or a custodian shall immediately be subject to the lien of the pledge without any physical delivery thereof or further act, and the lien of a pledge shall be valid and binding against all parties having claims of any kind in tort, contract, or otherwise against the authority, participating college or public institution of higher education, servicer, trustee, or custodian irrespective of whether the parties have notice thereof. Neither the resolution nor any other instrument by which a pledge is created need be recorded.
(r)
Hold or invest in student loans, create pools of student loans, and sell bonds bearing interest on a taxable or tax-exempt basis or other interests backed by the pools
of student loans.
(s)
Contract or otherwise provide for the distribution, processing, origination, purchase, sale, servicing, securing, and collection of student loans, the payment of fees, charges, and administrative expenses in connection with student loans, and the funding of reserves required or provided for in any resolution authorizing, or trust agreement securing, authority financing for student loan purposes.
(t)
Assist in providing support to participating colleges or participating nonprofit entities to enhance the market acceptance of potential bond issues by the authority, including securing probable or actual credit ratings from nationally recognized bond rating
agencies, providing or obtaining liquidity or credit enhancement, providing or securing bond reserve funds, performing any other action deemed necessary by the authority, and incurring necessary expenses, payable from available authority funds, for any of these purposes.