As used in this part:

Act means the Rural Electrification Act of 1936, as amended (7 U.S.C. 901 et seq.).

Appropriated means funds appropriated based on subsidy.

Bank means the Rural Telephone Bank, an agency and instrumentality of the United States within the United States Department of Agriculture.

Borrower means any organization which has an outstanding telephone loan made by the Bank or RUS, or guaranteed by RUS, or which is seeking such financing.

Governor means the Governor of the Bank.

REA means the Rural Electrification Administration, formerly an agency of the United States Department of Agriculture and predecessor agency to RUS with respect to administering certain electric and telephone loan programs.

RUS means the Rural Utilities Service, an agency of the United States Department of Agriculture established pursuant to Section 232 of the Federal Crop Insurance Reform and Department of Agriculture Reorganization Act of 1994 (Pub.L. 103-354, 108 Stat. 3178), successor to REA with respect to administering certain electric and telephone programs. See 7 CFR 1700.1.

RUS cost-of-money-loan means a loan made under section 305(d)(2) of the Act bearing an interest rate as determined under 7 CFR 1735.31(c). RUS cost-of-money loans are made concurrently with Bank loans.

TIER (Times Interest Earned Ratio) means the ratio of the borrower's net income (after taxes) plus interest expense, all divided by interest expense. For the purpose of this calculation, all amounts will be annual figures and interest expense will include only interest on debt with a maturity greater than one year.