Academic Freedom Act of 1979

Academic Freedom Act of 1979 - States the findings of the Congress to be that: (1) the excessive demands on time which administrators and teachers of institutions of higher education must utilize in order to conform with regulations, reporting requirements, and other administrative regulations adversely affects the financial resources and educational quality of such institutions; (2) increasing Federal intrusion into the curriculums and grading, admission, and hiring policies of institutions of higher education is endangering academic freedom; (3) the diversity and independence of higher education in the United States, founded on the philosophy of local autonomy and service to a local community, offers Americans the greatest freedom to pursue their education and exercise their first amendment freedoms; and (4) the Congress should take action to promote its long-standing protection of academic freedom among institutions of higher learning.

Requires any Federal agency issuing a regulation affecting any institution of higher education to adopt an education impact statement which shall: (1) determine whether any information sought under such regulation is already available or being gathered; and (2) assess the compliance cost and time to affected institutions.

Prohibits any Federal agency or authority from promulgating or enforcing any regulation or Executive order which directly or indirectly requires or promotes: (1) the reduction of academic admissions requirements to any undergraduate or graduate school; or (2) the abandonment of any undergraduate or graduate degree program.

States that any institution of higher education shall not be considered a recipient of Federal financial assistance under any equal employment opportunity law unless the total Federal financial assistance it received during the last fiscal year exceeds $300,000 or five percent of its annual current funds budget.

Provides that Federal regulations shall apply only to those institutions of higher education or programs which are direct recipients of Federal financial assistance.

Limits the power of a Federal agency to terminate financial assistance only to a program in noncompliance with a lawful regulation and prohibits such noncomplying program from being used as the basis for terminating assistance to other programs or to the recipient higher education institution itself.

Provides that scholarships, loans, grants, and wages extended to an institution of higher education on behalf of its students, or extended directly to such students, shall not be construed as Federal financial assistance to such institution.

Provides that no Federal financial assistance to any institution of higher education shall be withheld or terminated on the basis on noncompliance with a Federal rule or regulation when such institution has sought judicial review until all appeals of such court action have been exhausted.