The governing board of each state educational institution is hereby authorized and empowered to comply with all provisions of federal law necessary to permit participation by such institution in the federal student loan program established by the "National Defense Education Act of 1958" or by any other act of Congress heretofore or hereafter enacted. The state matching funds needed to qualify the institution for receipt of federal contributions under any such program may be provided by the board from gifts or grants available to the institutions for loans to students unless the terms of the gift or grant would preclude its use for matching purposes.