Bill Text: IA SF258 | 2015-2016 | 86th General Assembly | Introduced

---

Bill Title: A bill for an act relating to eligibility requirements for the gap tuition assistance program. (Formerly SSB 1056.)

Sponsorship: Committee Bill

Status: (Engrossed - Dead) 2015-04-03 - Referred to Education. H.J. 752. [SF258 Detail]

Download: Iowa-2015-SF258-Introduced.html

---

Senate File 258 - Introduced




                                 SENATE FILE       
                                 BY  COMMITTEE ON EDUCATION

                                 (SUCCESSOR TO SSB
                                     1056)

                                      A BILL FOR

  1 An Act relating to eligibility requirements for the gap tuition
  2    assistance program.
  3 BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF IOWA:
    TLSB 1291SV (2) 86
    je/nh

PAG LIN



  1  1    Section 1.  Section 260I.3, subsection 2, Code 2015, is
  1  2 amended to read as follows:
  1  3    2.  a.  Eligibility for tuition assistance under this chapter
  1  4 shall be based on financial need. Criteria to be assessed in
  1  5 determining financial need shall include but is not limited to:
  1  6    a.  (1)  The applicant's family income for the twelve six
  1  7  months prior to the date of application.
  1  8    b.  (2)  The applicant's family size.
  1  9    c.  (3)  The applicant's county of residence.
  1 10    b.  An applicant approved for assistance under the
  1 11 supplemental nutrition assistance program at the time of
  1 12 application for assistance under this chapter shall be
  1 13 deemed to have met the financial need requirements under this
  1 14 subsection.
  1 15    Sec. 2.  Section 260I.4, Code 2015, is amended by adding the
  1 16 following new subsections:
  1 17    NEW SUBSECTION.  7.  Persons earning incomes between
  1 18 one hundred fifty percent and two hundred fifty percent,
  1 19 both percentages inclusive, of the federal poverty level as
  1 20 defined by the most recently revised poverty income guidelines
  1 21 published by the United States department of health and human
  1 22 services shall be given first priority for tuition assistance
  1 23 under this chapter. Persons earning incomes below one hundred
  1 24 fifty percent of the federal poverty level shall be given
  1 25 second priority for tuition assistance under this chapter.
  1 26    NEW SUBSECTION.  8.  A person who is eligible for financial
  1 27 assistance pursuant to the federal Workforce Investment Act of
  1 28 1998, Pub. L. No. 105=220, or the federal Workforce Innovation
  1 29 and Opportunity Act, Pub. L. No. 113=128, shall be ineligible
  1 30 for tuition assistance under this chapter unless such funds
  1 31 budgeted for training assistance for the adult, dislocated
  1 32 worker, or youth programs have been fully expended by a
  1 33 workforce region.
  1 34                           EXPLANATION
  1 35 The inclusion of this explanation does not constitute agreement with
  2  1 the explanation's substance by the members of the general assembly.
  2  2    This bill relates to eligibility requirements for the gap
  2  3 tuition assistance program, which provides funding to community
  2  4 colleges for need=based tuition assistance to applicants to
  2  5 enable completion of continuing education certificate training
  2  6 programs for in=demand occupations.
  2  7    The bill changes one of the financial need criteria for the
  2  8 program to the applicant's family income for the six months
  2  9 prior to the date of application. Currently, the period for
  2 10 the criterion is 12 months.
  2 11    The bill provides that an applicant approved for assistance
  2 12 under the federal supplemental nutrition assistance program
  2 13 at the time of application for tuition assistance shall be
  2 14 deemed to have met the financial need requirements for tuition
  2 15 assistance.
  2 16    Eligibility for tuition assistance is currently limited to
  2 17 persons earning incomes at or below 250 percent of the federal
  2 18 poverty level as defined by the most recently revised poverty
  2 19 income guidelines published by the United States department
  2 20 of health and human services. The bill provides that persons
  2 21 earning incomes between 150 percent and 250 percent, both
  2 22 percentages inclusive, of the federal poverty level shall be
  2 23 given first priority for tuition assistance. The bill provides
  2 24 that persons earning incomes below 150 percent of the federal
  2 25 poverty level shall be given second priority for tuition
  2 26 assistance.
  2 27    The bill also provides that a person who is eligible
  2 28 for financial assistance pursuant to the federal Workforce
  2 29 Investment Act of 1998 or the federal Workforce Innovation and
  2 30 Opportunity Act shall be ineligible for tuition assistance
  2 31 unless such funds budgeted for training assistance for the
  2 32 adult, dislocated worker, or youth programs have been fully
  2 33 expended by a workforce region.
       LSB 1291SV (2) 86
       je/nh