# § 3902. Definitions
For the purpose of this chapter—
**(1)** The term “area career and technical education school” has the same meaning given that term under section 2302(3) of this title.
**(2)** The term “Director” means the Director of the National Science Foundation.
**(3)** The term “elementary school” has the same meaning given that term under section 7801 of this title.
**(4)** The term “Governor” means the chief executive of a State.
**(5)** The term “Foundation” means the National Science Foundation.
**(6)** The term “institution of higher education” has the same meaning given that term by section 1001 of this title.
**(7)** The term “local educational agency” has the same meaning given that term under section 7801 of this title.
**(8)** The term “secondary school” has the same meaning given that term under section 7801 of this title.
**(9)** The term “Secretary” means the Secretary of Education.
**(10)** The term “State” means each of the several States, the District of Columbia, the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, Guam, American Samoa, the Virgin Islands, the Trust Territory of the Pacific Islands, and the Northern Mariana Islands.
**1** The term “State agency for higher education” means the State board of higher education or other agency or officer primarily responsible for the State supervision of higher education, or, if there is no such officer or agency, an officer or agency designated for the purpose of this chapter [^1] by the Governor or by State law.
See References in Text note below.
**(12)** The term “State educational agency” has the meaning given that term under section 7801 of this title.
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**Source Credit**: (Pub. L. 98–377, § 3, Aug. 11, 1984, 98 Stat. 1267; Pub. L. 99–159, title II, § 221, Nov. 22, 1985, 99 Stat. 897; Pub. L. 105–244, title I, § 102(a)(6)(F), Oct. 7, 1998, 112 Stat. 1618; Pub. L. 107–110, title X, § 1076(*l*)(1), Jan. 8, 2002, 115 Stat. 2092; Pub. L. 109–270, § 2(d), Aug. 12, 2006, 120 Stat. 747; Pub. L. 114–95, title IX, § 9215(dd)(1), Dec. 10, 2015, 129 Stat. 2173.)
## Editorial Notes
### References in Text
This chapter, referred to in par. (11), was in the original “this title” and has been translated as if the reference was to “this Act” to reflect the probable intent of Congress inasmuch as this section is not part of a title of .
### Amendments
2015—Pars. (3), (7). , (B), made technical amendment to reference in original act which appears in text as reference to .
Par. (8). , substituted “” for “section 198(a)(7) of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965”.
Par. (12). , made technical amendment to reference in original act which appears in text as reference to .
2006—Par. (1). substituted “area career and technical education school” for “area vocational education school” and “.” for “..”
2002—Par. (3). ()(1)(A), substituted “7801 of this title” for “198(a)(7) of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965”.
Par. (7). ()(1)(B), substituted “7801 of this title” for “198(a)(10) of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965”.
Par. (12). ()(1)(C), substituted “7801 of this title” for “198(a)(17) of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965”.
1998—Par. (6). substituted “section 1001” for “section 1141(a)”.
1985—Par. (1). substituted reference to for reference to section 195(2) of the Vocational Education Act of 1965.
## Statutory Notes and Related Subsidiaries
### Effective Date of 2015 Amendment
Amendment by effective , except with respect to certain noncompetitive programs and competitive programs, see , set out as a note under .
### Effective Date of 2002 Amendment
Amendment by effective , except with respect to certain noncompetitive programs and competitive programs, see , set out as an Effective Date note under .
### Effective Date of 1998 Amendment
Amendment by effective , except as otherwise provided in , see , set out as a note under .
## Executive Documents
### Termination of Trust Territory of the Pacific Islands
For termination of Trust Territory of the Pacific Islands, see note set out preceding , Territories and Insular Possessions.