Bill Text: IA HF561 | 2017-2018 | 87th General Assembly | Introduced

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Bill Title: A bill for an act relating to the registration of postsecondary schools by the college student aid commission and student eligibility for state student financial aid programs. (Formerly HSB 94.)

Spectrum: Committee Bill

Status: (Introduced - Dead) 2017-04-04 - Referred to Education. H.J. 869. [HF561 Detail]

Download: Iowa-2017-HF561-Introduced.html

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House File 561 - Introduced




                                 HOUSE FILE       
                                 BY  COMMITTEE ON EDUCATION

                                 (SUCCESSOR TO HSB 94)

                                      A BILL FOR

  1 An Act relating to the registration of postsecondary schools by
  2    the college student aid commission and student eligibility
  3    for state student financial aid programs.
  4 BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF IOWA:
    TLSB 1195HV (2) 87
    kh/jh/rj

PAG LIN



  1  1    Section 1.  Section 261B.3, subsection 4, Code 2017, is
  1  2 amended to read as follows:
  1  3    4.  If a school fails to meet any of the registration
  1  4 criteria, or if the commission believes that false, misleading,
  1  5 or incomplete information has been submitted in connection with
  1  6 an application for registration, or if the school has engaged
  1  7 in conduct prohibited under section 261B.13, the commission
  1  8 may deny, suspend, or revoke registration and the school shall
  1  9 not operate in Iowa or otherwise offer its programs to Iowa
  1 10 residents. The commission shall conduct a hearing on the
  1 11 denial if a hearing is requested by a school. Upon a finding
  1 12 after the hearing that the school fails to meet any of the
  1 13 registration criteria, or that information contained in the
  1 14 registration application is false, misleading, or incomplete,
  1 15 the commission shall deny registration. The commission shall
  1 16 make the final decision on each registration. However, the
  1 17 decision of the commission is subject to judicial review in
  1 18 accordance with section 17A.19.
  1 19    Sec. 2.  Section 261B.3A, subsection 3, Code 2017, is amended
  1 20 to read as follows:
  1 21    3.  The commission may grant a provisional registration to
  1 22 a school that is not accredited by an agency or organization
  1 23 that is recognized by the United States department of
  1 24 education or its successor agency while the school is seeking
  1 25 authority to provide programs under that accreditation at
  1 26 a location in this state. The commission shall determine
  1 27 the duration of the provisional registration, not to exceed
  1 28 two years. During the provisional registration period, the
  1 29 school shall, at six=month intervals, submit to the commission
  1 30 documentation of its progress toward achieving accreditation
  1 31  receiving authorization. The commission may renew the school's
  1 32 provisional registration at its discretion if the documentation
  1 33 submitted indicates that the school is making progress toward
  1 34 accreditation authorization.
  1 35    Sec. 3.  Section 261B.6, Code 2017, is amended to read as
  2  1 follows:
  2  2    261B.6  List of schools.
  2  3    The commission shall maintain a list of registered schools
  2  4 and the list and the information submitted under sections
  2  5 261B.3 and 261B.4 this chapter are public records under chapter
  2  6 22.
  2  7    Sec. 4.  Section 261B.9, unnumbered paragraph 1, Code 2017,
  2  8 is amended to read as follows:
  2  9    Prior to the commencement of a course of instruction and
  2 10 prior to the receipt of a tuition charge or fee for a course
  2 11 of instruction, a school shall provide written disclosure
  2 12 to students of the following information accompanied by a
  2 13 statement that the information is being provided in compliance
  2 14 with this section:
  2 15    Sec. 5.  Section 261B.11A, Code 2017, is amended to read as
  2 16 follows:
  2 17    261B.11A  Ineligibility for state student aid programs.
  2 18    1.  Students attending schools required to register under
  2 19 this chapter are ineligible for state student financial aid
  2 20 programs established under chapter 261.  This subsection does
  2 21 not apply to students attending a for=profit accredited private
  2 22 institution as defined in section 261.25, subsection 2.
  2 23    2.  A school required to register under this chapter that
  2 24  is prohibited from offering state aid or advertising shall not
  2 25 advertise that state aid is or may be available to students
  2 26 attending the school.
  2 27                           EXPLANATION
  2 28 The inclusion of this explanation does not constitute agreement with
  2 29 the explanation's substance by the members of the general assembly.
  2 30    This bill relates both to a requirement that certain
  2 31 postsecondary schools register with and be approved by the
  2 32 college student aid commission, and to student eligibility for
  2 33 state student financial aid programs.
  2 34    Code chapter 261B requires certain postsecondary schools
  2 35 to register with the commission in order to operate in
  3  1 Iowa or otherwise offer its programs to Iowa residents.
  3  2 Currently, the commission may deny registration and the
  3  3 authorization to operate in Iowa to a school that fails to
  3  4 meet registration criteria or provides false, misleading, or
  3  5 incomplete information in connection with its application
  3  6 for registration. The bill authorizes the commission to
  3  7 also deny, suspend, or revoke a school's registration if
  3  8 the school engaged in conduct prohibited under Code section
  3  9 261B.13.  Currently, Code section 261B.13 prohibits a
  3 10 postsecondary school from operating in this state if the
  3 11 school does not qualify for an exemption and is not accredited
  3 12 by an accrediting agency recognized by the U.S. department
  3 13 of education.  Code section 261B.13 also prohibits a school
  3 14 that is registered or otherwise authorized to operate in this
  3 15 state from entering into an agreement to conduct a course of
  3 16 instruction, confer a degree, or conduct any other aspect of
  3 17 its operation with another school that is in violation of the
  3 18 Code section.
  3 19    The bill authorizes the commission to grant provisional
  3 20 registration for not more than two years to a school if the
  3 21 school is accredited elsewhere and is seeking the authorization
  3 22 of the accrediting agency or organization to provide programs
  3 23 in Iowa under that accreditation.
  3 24    Under the bill, lists and information submitted under the
  3 25 Code chapter are public records. The bill strikes a provision
  3 26 requiring approved schools to include on written disclosures
  3 27 provided to students, prior to the commencement of classes and
  3 28 receipt of tuition or fees, a statement that the information
  3 29 disclosed is provided in compliance with Code section 261B.9.
  3 30    A Code provision making students who are attending schools
  3 31 that are required to register with the commission ineligible
  3 32 for state student financial aid programs is, under the bill,
  3 33 inapplicable to students attending a for=profit accredited
  3 34 private institution, as defined for purposes of the Iowa
  3 35 tuition grant.
  4  1 Currently, a school required to register with the commission
  4  2 is prohibited from offering state aid or advertising that state
  4  3 aid is or may be available to students attending the school.
  4  4 The bill provides that a school which is required to register
  4  5 with the commission and is prohibited from offering state aid
  4  6 shall not advertise that state aid is or may be available to
  4  7 students attending the school.
       LSB 1195HV (2) 87
       kh/jh/rj