Bill Text: IA HF2385 | 2017-2018 | 87th General Assembly | Introduced

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Bill Title: A bill for an act expanding the skilled workforce shortage tuition grant program administered by the college student aid commission and making an appropriation.

Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 2-0)

Status: (Introduced - Dead) 2018-02-16 - Introduced, referred to Education. H.J. 289. [HF2385 Detail]

Download: Iowa-2017-HF2385-Introduced.html

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House File 2385 - Introduced




                                 HOUSE FILE       
                                 BY  PRICHARD and STECKMAN

                                      A BILL FOR

  1 An Act expanding the skilled workforce shortage tuition grant
  2    program administered by the college student aid commission
  3    and making an appropriation.
  4 BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF IOWA:
    TLSB 5743YH (7) 87
    kh/jh

PAG LIN



  1  1    Section 1.  Section 84A.6, subsection 4, Code 2018, is
  1  2 amended by striking the subsection.
  1  3    Sec. 2.  Section 261.130, Code 2018, is amended to read as
  1  4 follows:
  1  5    261.130  Skilled workforce shortage Community college tuition
  1  6 grant program.
  1  7    1.  A skilled workforce shortage community college tuition
  1  8 grant may be awarded to any resident of Iowa who is admitted
  1  9 and in attendance as a full=time or part=time student in
  1 10 a career=technical or career option program to pursue an
  1 11 associate's associate degree or other training credential at a
  1 12 community college in the state, and who establishes financial
  1 13 need.
  1 14    2.  Skilled workforce shortage tuition grants shall be
  1 15 awarded only to students pursuing a career=technical or career
  1 16 option program in an industry identified as having a shortage
  1 17 of skilled workers by a community college after conducting a
  1 18 regional skills gap analysis or by the department of workforce
  1 19 development in the department's most recent quarterly report
  1 20 pursuant to section 84A.6, subsection 4.  To qualify for a
  1 21 community college tuition grant, an individual must meet all of
  1 22 the following conditions:
  1 23    a.  Have achieved a cumulative high school grade point
  1 24 average upon graduation of at least two on a four=point grade
  1 25 scale, or its equivalent if another grade scale is used.
  1 26 However, if the individual is an adult learner or cannot
  1 27 otherwise provide evidence of meeting the required cumulative
  1 28 grade point average, the individual, prior to receiving a
  1 29 grant under this program, must enroll at least part time for
  1 30 one semester, or the equivalent, in a program of study at a
  1 31 community college and maintain satisfactory academic progress
  1 32 during the semester, or the equivalent, as defined by the
  1 33 community college.
  1 34    b.  Enter into an agreement with the college student aid
  1 35 commission in which the qualified student agrees to reside and
  2  1 be employed in this state within six months after receiving a
  2  2 credential or associate degree from a community college under
  2  3 this program.  The agreement shall require repayment of the
  2  4 total grant amount awarded to the grant recipient, in whole
  2  5 or in part, if the grant recipient chooses to reside or be
  2  6 employed outside of the state within the three=year period
  2  7 following obtainment of the credential or associate degree for
  2  8 which the grant was awarded.  However, the commission shall not
  2  9 require a grant recipient to repay any grant amount received
  2 10 unless the individual was informed of the three=year residency
  2 11 and employment requirement in writing before initial acceptance
  2 12 of the grant awarded under this section.  
  2 13    3.  The amount of a skilled workforce shortage community
  2 14 college tuition grant shall not exceed the lesser of one=half
  2 15 of a student's tuition and mandatory fees for an approved
  2 16 career=technical or career option a program leading to a
  2 17 credential or associate degree or the amount of the student's
  2 18 established financial need.
  2 19    4.  All classes identified by the community college
  2 20 as required for completion of the student's approved
  2 21 career=technical or career option program shall be considered a
  2 22 part of the student's career=technical or career option program
  2 23 for the purpose of determining the student's eligibility
  2 24 for a grant. Notwithstanding subsection 5, if a student is
  2 25 making satisfactory academic progress but the student cannot
  2 26 complete a career=technical or career option the program in
  2 27 the time frame allowed for a student to receive a skilled
  2 28 workforce shortage community college tuition grant as provided
  2 29 in subsection 5 because additional classes are required to
  2 30 complete the program, the student may continue to receive a
  2 31 skilled workforce shortage tuition grant extension for not
  2 32 more than one additional enrollment period semester, or the
  2 33 equivalent.
  2 34    5.  a.  A Except as provided in subsection 4, a qualified
  2 35 full=time student may receive skilled workforce shortage
  3  1  community college tuition grants for not more than four
  3  2 semesters or the trimester or quarter equivalent of two full
  3  3 years of study. A qualified part=time student enrolled in a
  3  4 course of study including at least three semester hours but
  3  5 fewer than twelve semester hours, or the trimester or quarter
  3  6  equivalent, may receive skilled workforce shortage community
  3  7 college tuition grants for not more than eight semesters or the
  3  8 trimester or quarter equivalent of two full years of full=time
  3  9 study.
  3 10    b.  However, if a student resumes study after at least a
  3 11 two=year absence, the student may again be eligible for the
  3 12 specified amount of time, except that the student shall not
  3 13 receive assistance for courses for which credit was previously
  3 14 received.
  3 15    6.  A skilled workforce shortage community college
  3 16  tuition grant shall be awarded on an annual basis, requiring
  3 17 reapplication by the student for each year. Payments under
  3 18 the grant shall be allocated equally among the semesters or
  3 19 quarters, or the equivalent, of the year upon certification
  3 20 by the community college that the student is in full=time or
  3 21 part=time attendance in a career=technical or career option
  3 22  program consistent with the requirements of this section. If
  3 23 the student discontinues attendance before the end of any term
  3 24 after receiving payment of the grant, the entire amount of any
  3 25 refund due that student, up to the amount of any payments made
  3 26 under the annual grant, shall be paid by the community college
  3 27 to the state.
  3 28    7.  If a student receives financial aid under any other
  3 29 program, the full amount of that financial aid shall be
  3 30 considered part of the student's financial resources available
  3 31 in determining the amount of the student's financial need for
  3 32 that period.
  3 33    8.  a.  The college student aid commission may defer the
  3 34 residency or three=year employment requirement of the agreement
  3 35 entered into pursuant to subsection 2, paragraph "b", under
  4  1 either of the following circumstances: 
  4  2    (1)  In consultation with the department of workforce
  4  3 development, the commission determines that there are no
  4  4 employment positions available that would reasonably allow the
  4  5 grant recipient to meet the requirements of the agreement. 
  4  6    (2)  The commission determines that special circumstances
  4  7 exist.
  4  8    b.  If the commission authorizes a period of deferment
  4  9 under this subsection that ends on a date certain, the grant
  4 10 recipient shall begin or resume employment or residency in
  4 11 this state, as appropriate, or become subject to repayment as
  4 12 provided in paragraph "c".
  4 13    c.  The written agreement under subsection 2, paragraph "b",
  4 14 shall provide that if the grant recipient fails to meet the
  4 15 residency or employment requirements and the grant recipient is
  4 16 not granted a period of deferment under this subsection, the
  4 17 grant converts into a loan and the grant recipient shall repay
  4 18 the total grant amount received based on one of the following
  4 19 options, as determined by the commission:
  4 20    (1)  On a pro rata basis at an interest rate and on a
  4 21 schedule as determined by the commission for each year the
  4 22 grant recipient does not meet the residency or employment
  4 23 requirements of the agreement and this section.  
  4 24    (2)  In its entirety at an interest rate and on a schedule as
  4 25 determined by the commission.
  4 26    8.  9.  The commission shall administer this program and
  4 27 shall:
  4 28    a.  Provide application forms for distribution to students by
  4 29 Iowa high schools and community colleges.
  4 30    b.  Adopt rules for approving career=technical or career
  4 31 option programs in industries identified by the department of
  4 32 workforce development pursuant to section 84A.6, subsection 4
  4 33 programs for which grants may be awarded under this section;
  4 34 determining financial need; defining residence and employment
  4 35  for the purposes of this section; processing and approving
  5  1 applications for grants; and determining priority for grants.
  5  2    c.  Approve and award grants on an annual basis.
  5  3    d.  Make an annual report to the governor and general
  5  4 assembly. The report shall include the number of students
  5  5 receiving assistance, the number of grant recipients who earn a
  5  6 credential or associate degree and are meeting the terms of the
  5  7 agreements entered into pursuant to subsection 2, the number
  5  8 of grant recipients receiving deferrals, and the industries
  5  9 identified by the community colleges and by the department of
  5 10 workforce development pursuant to section 84A.6, subsection
  5 11 4, for which students were admitted to a career=technical
  5 12 or career option program commission's recommendations for
  5 13 modifications to the program.
  5 14    9.  10.  Each applicant, in accordance with the rules
  5 15 established by the commission, shall:
  5 16    a.  Complete and file an application for a skilled workforce
  5 17 shortage community college tuition grant.
  5 18    b.  Be responsible for the submission of the financial
  5 19 information required for evaluation of the applicant's need for
  5 20 a grant, on forms determined by the commission.
  5 21    c.  Report promptly to the commission any information
  5 22 requested.
  5 23    d.  Submit a new application for reevaluation of the
  5 24 applicant's eligibility to receive a second=year renewal of the
  5 25 grant.
  5 26    Sec. 3.  COLLEGE STUDENT AID COMMISSION.  There is
  5 27 appropriated from the general fund of the state to the college
  5 28 student aid commission for the fiscal year beginning July 1,
  5 29 2018, and ending June 30, 2019, the following amount, or so
  5 30 much thereof as is necessary, to be used for the purposes
  5 31 designated:
  5 32    For the community college tuition grant program established
  5 33 in section 261.130, as amended by this Act, if enacted:
  5 34 .................................................. $ 36,000,000
  5 35                           EXPLANATION
  6  1 The inclusion of this explanation does not constitute agreement with
  6  2 the explanation's substance by the members of the general assembly.
  6  3    This bill modifies the skilled workforce shortage tuition
  6  4 grant program administered by the college student aid
  6  5 commission by changing the name of the program to the community
  6  6 college tuition grant program, changing the requirements for
  6  7 qualification, requiring the student to enter into an agreement
  6  8 with the commission, and providing that the grant pays the
  6  9 lesser of the student's tuition and mandatory fees for not more
  6 10 than the equivalent of two full years of study at a community
  6 11 college, or the amount of the student's financial need for that
  6 12 period. The bill appropriates $36 million from the general
  6 13 fund of the state for FY 2018=2019 to the college student aid
  6 14 commission for the program.
  6 15    Under the bill, the students may pursue an associate degree
  6 16 or other credential at a community college, and are not limited
  6 17 to enrollment in approved career=technical or career option
  6 18 program.
  6 19    The bill requires that students enter the program with a
  6 20 minimum cumulative grade point average of 2.0 on a 4.0 scale.
  6 21 If a student cannot provide evidence of a satisfactory grade
  6 22 point average, prior to receiving a grant under the program,
  6 23 the student must attend the community college at least part
  6 24 time for one semester and maintain satisfactory academic
  6 25 progress.
  6 26    Qualified students must enter into an agreement to reside
  6 27 and be employed in the state for three years after receiving a
  6 28 credential from the community college.  If a grant recipient
  6 29 fails to meet the residency or employment requirements of the
  6 30 agreement, the total grant amount, in whole or in part, becomes
  6 31 a loan.  However, the commission may defer the residency or
  6 32 employment requirements if the commission finds there are no
  6 33 employment opportunities for the grant recipient or special
  6 34 circumstances exist. The bill makes a conforming change.
       LSB 5743YH (7) 87
       kh/jh