Bill Text: HI HB496 | 2017 | Regular Session | Introduced

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Bill Title: Relating To Education.

Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 2-0)

Status: (Introduced - Dead) 2017-01-23 - Referred to EDN, FIN, referral sheet 2 [HB496 Detail]

Download: Hawaii-2017-HB496-Introduced.html

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HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES	H.B. NO.	496
TWENTY-NINTH LEGISLATURE, 2017
STATE OF HAWAII

A BILL FOR AN ACT

 

 

relating to education.

 

 

BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF HAWAII:

 

     SECTION 1.  Chapter 302A, Hawaii Revised Statutes, is amended by adding a new section to be appropriately designated and to read as follows:

     "§302A-    Hawaii underserved complex area educator scholarship program.  (a)  There is established the Hawaii underserved complex area educator scholarship program to be administered by the department to address the shortfall of accredited teachers within certain complex areas in Hawaii.  The program shall be used to provide financial assistance in the form of scholarships to students who meet the requirements of subsection (b).

     (b)  A student is eligible for scholarship consideration if the student meets the following requirements:

     (1)  Is enrolled at a University of Hawaii campus and qualifies for Hawaii resident tuition;

     (2)  Is enrolled in an undergraduate, graduate, or certificate program to teach primary or secondary education, as determined by the department;

     (3)  Maintains satisfactory academic progress, as defined by the federal title IV requirements and the program in which the student is enrolled;

     (4)  Completes and submits the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) each academic year, and accepts all federal and state aid, grants, scholarships, and other funding sources that do not require repayment;

     (5)  Submits an application to the department and agrees to teach at a public school for five years in a complex area designated by the department to be underserved after completion of the program in which the student is enrolled; and

     (6)  Has unmet direct cost needs.

     (c)  Scholarships shall be awarded:

     (1)  On a first-come, first-served basis;

     (2)  In an amount up to fifty per cent of the student's unmet direct cost needs based on the FAFSA calculation of need minus what is available from federal Pell grants and other scholarships; and

     (3)  To the extent funds are available to support the scholarship award.

     (d)  Scholarship recipients shall teach at a public school in a complex area designated by the department to be underserved for five of the ten years immediately following completion of their program at the University of Hawaii.  If a recipient fails to complete an eligible degree or certificate program, or to satisfy the teaching requirement within the allotted time, scholarship funds shall be repaid as follows:

     (1)  For each year less than five years that a scholarship recipient does not teach at a school in a complex area designated by the department to be underserved, the recipient shall repay twenty per cent of the total scholarship funds received; and

     (2)  The department shall set the terms and conditions for scholarship repayment, including circumstances under which recipients may be eligible for deferment or forgiveness due to hardship or inability to secure employment.

     (e)  If a recipient accepts a position and begins teaching at a school in a complex area designated by the department to be underserved and the department withdraws the underserved designation from the complex area before the recipient has satisfied the requirements of subsection (d), the complex area shall continue to be designated as underserved for the purpose of that recipient's teaching requirement as long as the recipient continues to teach at a school in that complex area.

     (f)  The department shall adopt rules pursuant to chapter 91 to implement and administer the scholarship program.

     (g)  For purposes of this section:

     "Department" means the department of education.

     "Direct cost" means the costs of tuition, fees, books, supplies, and transportation."

     SECTION 2.  There is appropriated out of the general revenues of the State of Hawaii the sum of $2,500,000 or so much thereof as may be necessary for fiscal year 2017-2018 and the same sum or so much thereof as may be necessary for fiscal year 2018-2019 for the establishment and implementation of the Hawaii underserved complex area educator scholarship program.

     The sums appropriated shall be expended by the department of education for the purposes of this Act.

     SECTION 3.  New statutory material is underscored.

     SECTION 4.  This Act shall take effect on July 1, 2017.

 

INTRODUCED BY:	_____________________________

 

 

Report Title:

University of Hawaii; Department of Education; Scholarship; Education Majors; Teacher Shortages; Appropriation

 

Description:

Establishes an underserved complex area educator scholarship program to be administered by the department of education to address the shortage of teachers in school complex areas designated by the department as underserved.  Appropriates funds for the program for 2017-2018 and 2018-2019 fiscal years.

 

 

 

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