Iowa-2017-HF2385-Introduced
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:
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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.
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