Admission and Training of Midshipmen at the United States Merchant Marine Academy; Amendment Providing an Emergency Waiver for Scholastic Requirements

This final rule adopts, without change, an October 22, 2020, interim final rule (IFR) amending Maritime Administration (MARAD) regulations governing admission to the United States Merchant Marine Academy (USMMA). The amendments allow the MARAD Administrator to waive the requirement for USMMA applicants to have taken the College Board's Scholastic Aptitude Test (SAT) or the American College Testing Program (ACT) examination in the event of a State or national emergency. The ability to waive SAT and ACT requirements for prospective students is necessary to address testing disruptions caused by the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic and to provide for future emergencies.