The purpose of the authority shall be to assist institutions for higher education, health care institutions, nursing homes, child care or child development facilities, and qualified nonprofit organizations in the construction, financing and refinancing of projects or in any other manner provided in this chapter, and for this purpose the authority is authorized and empowered: (a) To have perpetual succession as a body politic and corporate and to adopt bylaws for the regulation of its affairs and the conduct of its business; (b) To adopt an official seal and alter the same at pleasure; (c) To maintain an office at such place or places as it may designate; (d) To sue and be sued in its own name, and plead and be impleaded; (e) To determine the location and character of any project to be financed under the provisions of this chapter, and to construct, reconstruct, renovate, replace, maintain, repair, operate, lease, as lessee or lessor, and regulate the same, to enter into contracts for any or all of such purposes, to enter into contracts for the management and operation of a project, and to designate a participating institution for higher education, a participating health care institution, a participating corporation, a participating nursing home or a participating qualified nonprofit organization as its agent to determine the location and character of a project undertaken by such participating institution for higher education, by such participating health care institution, by such participating corporation, by such participating nursing home or by such participating qualified nonprofit organization under the provisions of this chapter and as the agent of the authority, to construct, reconstruct, renovate, replace, maintain, repair, operate, lease, as lessee or lessor, and regulate the same, and, as the agent of the authority, to enter into contracts for any or all of such purposes, including contracts for the management and operation of such project; (f) To issue bonds, bond anticipation notes and other obligations of the authority for any of its corporate purposes, and to fund or refund the same, all as provided in this chapter; (g) Generally, to fix and revise from time to time and charge and collect rates, rents, fees and charges for the use of and for the services furnished or to be furnished by a project or any portion thereof and to contract with any person, partnership, association or corporation or other body public or private in respect thereof; (h) To establish rules and regulations for the use of a project or any portion thereof and to designate a participating institution for higher education, a participating health care institution, a participating corporation, a participating nursing home or qualified nonprofit organization as its agent to establish rules and regulations for the use of a project undertaken by such participating institution for higher education, by such participating health care institution, by such participating corporation or by such participating nursing home or by such participating qualified nonprofit organization; (i) To employ consulting engineers, architects, attorneys, accountants, construction and financial experts, superintendents, managers, and such other employees and agents as may be necessary in its judgment, and to fix their qualifications, duties and compensation; (j) To receive and accept from any public agency insurance, loans or grants for or in aid of the construction of a project or any portion thereof, and to receive and accept loans, grants, aid or contributions from any source of either money, property, labor or other things of value, to be held, used and applied only for the purposes for which such loans, grants, aid and contributions are made; (k) To mortgage any project and the site thereof for the benefit of the holders of bonds issued to finance such project; (l) To make loans to any participating institution for higher education, to any participating health care institution, to any participating corporation, to any participating nursing home and to any participating qualified nonprofit organization for the cost of a project in accordance with an agreement between the authority and such participating institution for higher education, such participating health care institution, such participating corporation, such participating nursing home or such participating qualified nonprofit organization and to utilize the services of an agent in making such loans or to agree to purchase federally guaranteed securities from any third parties making such loans; provided no such loan shall exceed the total cost of the project as determined by the participating institution for higher education, the participating health care institution, the participating corporation, the participating nursing home or the participating qualified nonprofit organization, and approved by the authority; (m) To make loans to a participating institution for higher education, to a participating health care institution, to a participating corporation, to a participating nursing home or to a participating qualified nonprofit organization, to refinance or refund outstanding obligations or mortgages on the project, or advances issued for the cost of a project, made or given by such participating institution for higher education, such participating health care institution, such participating corporation, such participating nursing home or such participating qualified nonprofit organization, to utilize the services of an agent in making such loans or to agree to purchase federally guaranteed securities from any third parties making such loans and to create a security interest in revenues to be pledged to the authority; (n) To charge to and equitably apportion among participating institutions for higher education, participating health care institutions, participating corporations, participating nursing homes and participating qualified nonprofit organizations its administrative costs and expenses incurred in the exercise of the powers and duties conferred by this chapter; (o) To acquire and to agree to acquire any federally guaranteed security and to pledge or otherwise use any such federally guaranteed security in such manner as the authority deems in its best interest to secure or otherwise provide a source of repayment on any of its bonds or notes or to agree to make a loan to any participating institution for higher education, participating health care institution, participating corporation, participating nursing home or participating qualified nonprofit organization for the purpose of acquiring and entering into commitments to acquire any federally guaranteed security; provided that any agreement entered into pursuant to this subdivision may contain such provisions as are deemed necessary or desirable by the authority for the security or protection of the authority or the holders of its bonds or notes; provided further that the authority, prior to making any such acquisition, commitment or loan, shall agree with any such participating institution for higher education, participating health care institution, participating corporation, participating nursing home or participating qualified nonprofit organization or any other appropriate institution or corporation to require that the proceeds derived from the acquisition of any such federally guaranteed security will be used for the purpose of financing or refinancing any project for such participating institution for higher education, participating health care institution, participating corporation, participating nursing home or participating qualified nonprofit organization; (p) To do all things necessary or convenient to carry out the purposes of this chapter. In carrying out the purposes of this chapter, the authority may undertake a project for two or more participating institutions for higher education jointly, two or more participating health care institutions jointly, two or more participating corporations jointly, two or more participating nursing homes jointly or two or more participating qualified nonprofit organizations jointly, or for any combination thereof of participating institutions for higher education, participating health care institutions, participating corporations, participating nursing homes or participating qualified nonprofit organizations, and, thereupon, all other provisions of this chapter shall apply to and for the benefit of the authority and such joint participants; (q) To make loans to any participating health care institution, to any participating institution for higher education, to any participating corporation, or to any participating qualified nonprofit organization which is organized, controlled or supervised by a health care institution or an institution of higher education to finance or refinance the cost of a project to be used to provide housing and auxiliary facilities for staff members, employees or students of any such health care institution or institution of higher education and their immediate families, for physically or mentally handicapped persons or for any one or more of the above purposes; (r) To make and enter into all contracts and agreements necessary or incidental to the performance of its duties and the execution of its powers under its enabling legislation, including contracts and agreements for such professional services as financial consultants, bond counsel, underwriters, technical specialists, as the board of directors shall deem necessary; (s) To invest any funds not needed for immediate use or disbursement, including reserve funds, in obligations issued or guaranteed by the United States of America or the state of Connecticut, including the state's Short-Term or Long-Term Investment Fund, and in other securities or obligations which are legal investments for banks in this state, or in investment agreements with financial institutions whose short-term obligations are rated within the top two rating categories of any nationally recognized rating service or of any rating service recognized by the Banking Commissioner, or investment agreements fully secured by obligations of, or guaranteed by, the United States or agencies or instrumentalities of the United States or in securities or obligations which are legal investments for savings banks in this state, subject to repurchase agreements in the manner in which such agreements are negotiated in sales of securities in the market place, provided that the authority shall not enter into any such agreement with any securities dealer or bank acting as a securities dealer unless such dealer or bank is included in the list of primary dealers, effective at the time of such agreement, as prepared by the Federal Reserve Bank of New York, provided the investment of escrowed proceeds of refunding bonds shall be governed by section 10a-192 , and further provided nothing in this subsection shall limit the investment of reserve funds of the authority, or of any moneys held in trust or otherwise for the payment of bonds or notes of the authority, pursuant to section 10a-190a ; (t) To adopt regular procedures for exercising its power under its enabling legislation not in conflict with existing statutes; (u) To make grants or provide other forms of financial assistance to any institution for higher education, to any health care institution, to any nursing home, to any child care or child development facility and to any qualified nonprofit organization in such amounts, for such purposes and subject to such eligibility and other requirements as are established pursuant to written procedures adopted by the board of directors pursuant to subsection (h) of section 10a-179 ; (v) (1) In connection with, or incidental to, the issuance or carrying of bonds, notes or other obligations of the authority, or acquisition or carrying of any investment or program of investment, to enter into any contract which the authority determines to be necessary or appropriate to place the obligation or investment of the authority, as represented by the bonds, notes or other obligations, investment or program of investment and the contract or contracts, in whole or in part, on the interest rate, currency, cash flow or other basis desired by the authority, including, without limitations, contracts commonly known as interest rate swap agreements, currency swap agreements, forward payment conversion agreements, futures or contracts providing for payments based on levels of, or changes in, interest rates, currency exchange rates, stock or other indices, or contracts to exchange cash flows or a series of payments, or contracts, including, without limitation, interest rate floors or caps, options, puts or calls to hedge payment, currency, rate, spread or similar exposure or, contracts for the purchase of option rights with respect to the mandatory tender for purchase of bonds, notes or other obligations of the authority, which are subject to mandatory tender or redemption, including the issuance of certificates evidencing the right of the owner to exercise such option rights. Such contracts or arrangements may also be entered into by the authority in connection with, or incidental to, entering into or maintaining any agreement which secures its bonds, notes or other obligations, subject to the terms and conditions thereof respecting outstanding obligations. (2) Bonds, notes and other obligations issued by the authority may be payable in accordance with their terms, in whole or in part, in currency other than lawful money of the United States of America, provided the authority enters into a currency swap or similar agreement for payments in lawful money of the United States of America, which covers the entire amount of the debt service payment obligation of the authority with respect to the bonds, notes or other obligations payable in other currency, and further provided if the term of that agreement is less than the term of the bonds, notes or other obligations, the authority shall include a best efforts covenant to enter into additional agreements as may be necessary to cover the entire amount of the debt service payment obligation. (3) In connection with, or incidental to, the issuance or carrying of bonds, notes or other obligations or entering into any of the contracts or agreements referred to in subdivision (1) of this subsection, the authority may enter into credit enhancement or liquidity agreements, with payment, interest rate, currency, security, default, remedy and other terms and conditions as the authority determines; (w) To make grants or provide other forms of financial assistance to any institution of higher education, to any health care institution, to any nursing home, to any child care or child development facility and to any qualified nonprofit organization in such amounts, for energy efficient construction or renovation projects or renewable energy construction or renovation projects subject to such eligibility and other requirements the board of directors establishes pursuant to written procedures adopted by the board pursuant to subsection (h) of section 10a-179 ; (x) To provide and be compensated for such services to or on behalf of the Connecticut Higher Education Supplemental Loan Authority as are appropriate for the operation and management of said authority, including, without limitation, to provide to said authority and to be reimbursed for costs associated with such space, equipment, supplies and employees as are necessary and appropriate for the operations of said authority; (y) To provide and be compensated for such services to or on behalf of the Connecticut Student Loan Foundation as are appropriate for the operation and management of said foundation, including, without limitation, to provide to said foundation and to be reimbursed for costs associated with such space, equipment, supplies and employees as are necessary and appropriate for the operations of said foundation.