source:
  type: regulation
  id: reg-b-1002.8
  authority: 12 CFR §1002.8 — Special purpose credit programs (Regulation B)
  description: 12 CFR §1002.8 — Special purpose credit programs.
  coverage_tier: operative
obligations:
- id: reg-b-1002.8-full
  canonical_id: reg-b-1002.8-full
  section: 12 CFR §1002.8 — Special purpose credit programs
  type: do
  tags:
  - regulator-direct
  - ecoa
  - corpus-expansion
  - tier-operative
  primary_source:
    tier: 1
    authority: 12 CFR §1002.8 — Special purpose credit programs
    source_class: cfpb-regulation
    source_url: https://www.law.cornell.edu/cfr/text/12/1002.8
    snapshot_id: 6c4065e05a886f50
    fetched_at: '2026-06-17T17:54:38Z'
    content_hash: sha256:0416699a9ec8eb895270c98535db24afa81c576470614da9b7a5e89d97c0fff6
    paragraph_quote: '§ 1002.8 Special purpose credit programs. Link to an amendment
      published at 91 FR 21668 , Apr. 22, 2026. (a) Standards for programs. Subject
      to the provisions of paragraph (b) of this section, the Act and this part permit
      a creditor to extend special purpose credit to applicants who meet eligibility
      requirements under the following types of credit programs: (1) Any credit assistance
      program expressly authorized by Federal or state law for the benefit of an economically
      disadvantaged class of persons; (2) Any credit assistance program offered by
      a not-for-profit organization , as defined under section 501(c) of the Internal
      Revenue Code of 1954 , as amended, for the benefit of its members or for the
      benefit of an economically disadvantaged class of persons; or (3) Any special
      purpose credit program offered by a for-profit organization , or in which such
      an organization participates to meet special social needs, if: (i) The program
      is established and administered pursuant to a written plan that identifies the
      class of persons that the program is designed to benefit and sets forth the
      procedures and standards for extending credit pursuant to the program ; and
      (ii) The program is established and administered to extend credit to a class
      of persons who, under the organization ''s customary standards of creditworthiness,
      probably would not receive such credit or would receive it on less favorable
      terms than are ordinarily available to other applicants applying to the organization
      for a similar type and amount of credit . (b) Rules in other sections —(1) General
      applicability. All the provisions of this part apply to each of the special
      purpose credit programs described in paragraph (a) of this section except as
      modified by this section. (2) Common characteristics. A program described in
      paragraph (a)(2) or (a)(3) of this section qualifies as a special purpose credit
      program only if it was established and is administered so as not to discriminate
      against an applicant on any prohibited basis ; however, all program participants
      may be required to share one or more common characteristics (for example, race,
      national origin, or sex) so long as the program was not established and is not
      administered with the purpose of evading the requirements of the Act or this
      part. (c) Special rule concerning requests and use of information. If participants
      in a special purpose credit program described in paragraph (a) of this section
      are required to possess one or more common characteristics (for example, race,
      national origin, or sex) and if the program otherwise satisfies the requirements
      of paragraph (a) of this section, a creditor may request and consider information
      regarding the common characteristic(s) in determining the applicant ''s eligibility
      for the program . (d) Special rule in the case of financial need. If financial
      need is one of the criteria under a special purpose credit program described
      in paragraph (a) of this section, the creditor may request and consider, in
      determining an applicant ''s eligibility for the program , information regarding
      the applicant ''s marital status ; alimony, child support, and separate maintenance
      income; and the spouse''s financial resources. In addition, a creditor may obtain
      the signature of an applicant ''s spouse or other person on an application or
      credit instrument relating to a special purpose credit program if the signature
      is required by Federal or state law. Internal Revenue Code of 1954'
  judgment: false
