Bill Text: IA SSB1056 | 2015-2016 | 86th General Assembly | Introduced

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Bill Title: A study bill for an act relating to eligibility requirements for the gap tuition assistance program.

Spectrum: Unknown

Status: (Introduced - Dead) 2015-02-16 - Voted - Education. [SSB1056 Detail]

Download: Iowa-2015-SSB1056-Introduced.html

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Senate Study Bill 1056 - Introduced
SENATE/HOUSE FILE _____
BY (PROPOSED DEPARTMENT OF
EDUCATION BILL)
A BILL FOR
An Act relating to eligibility requirements for the gap tuition
assistance program.
BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF IOWA:
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S.F. _____ H.F. _____
Section 1. Section 260I.3, subsection 2, Code 2015, is
amended to read as follows:
2. a. Eligibility for tuition assistance under this chapter
shall be based on financial need. Criteria to be assessed in
determining financial need shall include but is not limited to:
a. (1) The applicant’s family income for the twelve six
months prior to the date of application.
b. (2) The applicant’s family size.
c. (3) The applicant’s county of residence.
b. An applicant approved for assistance under the
supplemental nutrition assistance program at the time of
application for assistance under this chapter shall be
deemed to have met the financial need requirements under this
subsection.
Sec. 2. Section 260I.4, Code 2015, is amended by adding the
following new subsections:
NEW SUBSECTION . 7. Persons earning incomes between
one hundred fifty percent and two hundred fifty percent,
both percentages inclusive, of the federal poverty level as
defined by the most recently revised poverty income guidelines
published by the United States department of health and human
services shall be given first priority for tuition assistance
under this chapter. Persons earning incomes below one hundred
fifty percent of the federal poverty level shall be given
second priority for tuition assistance under this chapter.
NEW SUBSECTION . 8. A person who is eligible for financial
assistance pursuant to the federal Workforce Investment Act of
1998, Pub. L. No. 105-220, or the federal Workforce Innovation
and Opportunity Act, Pub. L. No. 113-128, shall be ineligible
for tuition assistance under this chapter unless such funds
have been fully expended by a workforce region.
EXPLANATION
The inclusion of this explanation does not constitute agreement with
the explanation’s substance by the members of the general assembly.
This bill relates to eligibility requirements for the gap
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S.F. _____ H.F. _____
tuition assistance program, which provides funding to community
colleges for need-based tuition assistance to applicants to
enable completion of continuing education certificate training
programs for in-demand occupations.
The bill changes one of the financial need criteria for the
program to the applicant’s family income for the six months
prior to the date of application. Currently, the period for
the criterion is 12 months.
The bill provides that an applicant approved for assistance
under the federal supplemental nutrition assistance program
at the time of application for tuition assistance shall be
deemed to have met the financial need requirements for tuition
assistance.
Eligibility for tuition assistance is currently limited to
persons earning incomes at or below 250 percent of the federal
poverty level as defined by the most recently revised poverty
income guidelines published by the United States department
of health and human services. The bill provides that persons
earning incomes between 150 percent and 250 percent, both
percentages inclusive, of the federal poverty level shall be
given first priority for tuition assistance. The bill provides
that persons earning incomes below 150 percent of the federal
poverty level shall be given second priority for tuition
assistance.
The bill also provides that a person who is eligible
for financial assistance pursuant to the federal Workforce
Investment Act of 1998 or the federal Workforce Innovation and
Opportunity Act shall be ineligible for tuition assistance
unless such funds have been fully expended by a workforce
region.
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