Bill Text: MO HB1844 | 2014 | Regular Session | Introduced
Bill Title: Changes the laws regarding student financial assistance
Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Republican 1-0)
Status: (Introduced - Dead) 2014-02-25 - Referred: Higher Education(H) [HB1844 Detail]
Download: Missouri-2014-HB1844-Introduced.html
SECOND REGULAR SESSION
97TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY
INTRODUCED BY REPRESENTATIVE THOMSON.
4874L.01I D. ADAM CRUMBLISS, Chief Clerk
AN ACT
To repeal sections 160.545, 173.1104, and 173.1105, RSMo, and to enact in lieu thereof three new sections relating to student financial assistance.
Be it enacted by the General Assembly of the state of Missouri, as follows:
Section A. Sections 160.545, 173.1104, and 173.1105, RSMo, are repealed and three new sections enacted in lieu thereof, to be known as sections 160.545, 173.1104, and 173.1105, to read as follows:
160.545. 1. There is hereby established within the department of elementary and secondary education the "A+ Schools Program" to be administered by the commissioner of education. The program shall consist of grant awards made to public secondary schools that demonstrate a commitment to ensure that:
(1) All students be graduated from school;
(2) All students complete a selection of high school studies that is challenging and for which there are identified learning expectations; and
(3) All students proceed from high school graduation to a college or postsecondary vocational or technical school or high-wage job with work place skill development opportunities. 2. The state board of education shall promulgate rules and regulations for the approval of grants made under the program to schools that:
(1) Establish measurable districtwide performance standards for the goals of the program outlined in subsection 1 of this section; and
(2) Specify the knowledge, skills and competencies, in measurable terms, that students must demonstrate to successfully complete any individual course offered by the school, and any course of studies which will qualify a student for graduation from the school; and
(3) Do not offer a general track of courses that, upon completion, can lead to a high school diploma; and
(4) Require rigorous coursework with standards of competency in basic academic subjects for students pursuing vocational and technical education as prescribed by rule and regulation of the state board of education; and
(5) Have a partnership plan developed in cooperation and with the advice of local business persons, labor leaders, parents, and representatives of college and postsecondary vocational and technical school representatives, with the plan then approved by the local board of education. The plan shall specify a mechanism to receive information on an annual basis from those who developed the plan in addition to senior citizens, community leaders, and teachers to update the plan in order to best meet the goals of the program as provided in subsection 1 of this section. Further, the plan shall detail the procedures used in the school to identify students that may drop out of school and the intervention services to be used to meet the needs of such students. The plan shall outline counseling and mentoring services provided to students who will enter the work force upon graduation from high school, address apprenticeship and intern programs, and shall contain procedures for the recruitment of volunteers from the community of the school to serve in schools receiving program grants.
3. A school district may participate in the program irrespective of its accreditation classification by the state board of education, provided it meets all other requirements.
4. By rule and regulation, the state board of education may determine a local school district variable fund match requirement in order for a school or schools in the district to receive a grant under the program. However, no school in any district shall receive a grant under the program unless the district designates a salaried employee to serve as the program coordinator, with the district assuming a minimum of one-half the cost of the salary and other benefits provided to the coordinator. Further, no school in any district shall receive a grant under the program unless the district makes available facilities and services for adult literacy training as specified by rule of the state board of education.
5. For any school that meets the requirements for the approval of the grants authorized by this section and specified in subsection 2 of this section for three successive school years, by August first following the third such school year, the commissioner of education shall present a plan to the superintendent of the school district in which such school is located for the waiver of rules and regulations to promote flexibility in the operations of the school and to enhance and encourage efficiency in the delivery of instructional services in the school. The provisions of other law to the contrary notwithstanding, the plan presented to the superintendent shall provide a summary waiver, with no conditions, for the pupil testing requirements pursuant to section 160.257 in the school. Further, the provisions of other law to the contrary notwithstanding, the plan shall detail a means for the waiver of requirements otherwise imposed on the school related to the authority of the state board of education to classify school districts pursuant to subdivision (9) of section 161.092 and such other rules and regulations as determined by the commissioner of education, except such waivers shall be confined to the school and not other schools in the school district unless such other schools meet the requirements of this subsection. However, any waiver provided to any school as outlined in this subsection shall be void on June thirtieth of any school year in which the school fails to meet the requirements for the approval of the grants authorized by this section as specified in subsection 2 of this section.
6. For any school year, grants authorized by subsections 1 to 3 of this section shall be funded with the amount appropriated for this program, less those funds necessary to reimburse eligible students pursuant to subsection 7 of this section.
7. The commissioner of education shall, by rule and regulation of the state board of education and with the advice of the coordinating board for higher education, establish a procedure for the reimbursement of the cost of tuition, books and fees to any public community college or vocational or technical school or within the limits established in subsection 9 of this section for any two-year private vocational or technical school for any student:
(1) Who has attended a public high school in the state for at least three years immediately prior to graduation that meets the requirements of subsection 2 of this section, except that students who are active duty military dependents, and students who are dependants of retired military who relocate to Missouri within one year of the date of the parent's retirement from active duty, who, in the school year immediately preceding graduation, meet all other requirements of this subsection and are attending a school that meets the requirements of subsection 2 of this section shall be exempt from the three-year attendance requirement of this subdivision; [and]
(2) Who has made a good faith effort to first secure all available federal sources of funding that could be applied to the reimbursement described in this subsection; [and]
(3) Who has earned a minimal grade average while in high school as determined by rule of the state board of education, and other requirements for the reimbursement authorized by this subsection as determined by rule and regulation of said board;
(4) Who has achieved:
(a) A score of proficient or advanced on the official Algebra I end-of-course assessment or the equivalent level on a successor assessment or a higher level department of elementary and secondary education-approved end-of-course assessment in the field of mathematics, unless the student's high school has met all of the department of elementary and secondary education's requirements for waiver of the Algebra I end-of-course assessment for the recipient; or
(b) A qualifying score, as established annually by the coordinating board for higher education, on the COMPASS exam published by ACT or the mathematics component of the ACT test as a high school or postsecondary student; except that the provisions of this subdivision shall not be required of a student who is enrolling in a certificate program;
(5) Who has achieved:
(a) A score of proficient or advanced on the official English I end-of-course assessment, or the equivalent level on a successor assessment or a higher level department of elementary and secondary education-approved end-of-course assessment in the field of English, unless the student's high school district has met all of the department of elementary and secondary education's requirements for waiver of the English I end-of-course assessment for the recipient; or
(b) A qualifying score, as established annually by the coordinating board for higher education, on the COMPASS exam published by ACT or the English component of the ACT test as a high school or postsecondary student; except that the provisions of this subdivision shall not be required of a student who is enrolling in a certificate program; and
(6) For a student who remains continuously enrolled in postsecondary education, the successful completion of at least twenty-four semester credit hours during the twelve months following their initial enrollment and twenty-four semester credit hours during each subsequent twelve-month period.
8. If an eligible student is unable to enroll or ceases attendance at an approved institution because of illness, disability, pregnancy, or other medical need or for the purpose of providing service to a nonprofit organization, a state or federal government agency, or any branch of the Armed Forces of the United States, such student shall be eligible for A+ reimbursements upon enrollment in any approved institution if the student meets all other requirements for an initial or renewal award and if the following criteria are met:
(1) For an eligible student who cannot attend an approved institution as a result of service to a nonprofit organization or the state or federal government, the student returns to full-time status within twenty-seven months and provides verification to the coordinating board for higher education that the service to the nonprofit organization was satisfactorily completed and was not compensated other than for expenses, or that the service to the state or federal government was satisfactorily completed; or
(2) For an eligible student who cannot attend an approved institution as a result of military service in the Armed Forces of the United States, the student returns to full-time status within six months after the eligible student first ceases service to the Armed Forces and provides verification to the coordinating board for higher education that the military service was satisfactorily completed; or
(3) For an eligible student who cannot attend an approved institution as a result of a medical need, the student returns to full-time status within twenty-seven months and provides verification in compliance with coordinating board for higher education rules of sufficient medical evidence documenting an illness, disability, pregnancy, or other medical need of such person to require that the person cannot enroll at an approved institution.
9. The commissioner of education shall develop a procedure for evaluating the effectiveness of the program described in this section. Such evaluation shall be conducted annually with the results of the evaluation provided to the governor, speaker of the house, and president pro tempore of the senate.
[9.] 10. For a two-year private vocational or technical school to obtain reimbursements under subsection 7 of this section, the following requirements shall be satisfied:
(1) Such two-year private vocational or technical school shall be a member of the North Central Association and be accredited by the Higher Learning Commission as of July 1, 2008, and maintain such accreditation;
(2) Such two-year private vocational or technical school shall be designated as a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization under the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended;
(3) No two-year private vocational or technical school shall receive tuition reimbursements in excess of the tuition rate charged by a public community college for course work offered by the private vocational or technical school within the service area of such college; and
(4) The reimbursements provided to any two-year private vocational or technical school shall not violate the provisions of Article IX, Section 8, or Article I, Section 7, of the Missouri Constitution or the first amendment of the United States Constitution.
173.1104. 1. An applicant shall be eligible for initial or renewed financial assistance only if, at the time of application and throughout the period during which the applicant is receiving such assistance, the applicant:
(1) Is a citizen or a permanent resident of the United States;
(2) Is a resident of the state of Missouri, as determined by reference to standards promulgated by the coordinating board;
(3) Is enrolled, or has been accepted for enrollment, as a full-time undergraduate student in an approved private or public institution; [and]
(4) Is not enrolled or does not intend to use the award to enroll in a course of study leading to a degree in theology or divinity;
(5) For an applicant who graduates from high school during the 2016-17 academic year or after, has achieved:
(a) A score of proficient or advanced on the official Algebra I end-of-course assessment, or the equivalent level on a successor assessment or a higher level department of elementary and secondary education-approved end-of-course assessment in the field of mathematics, unless the student's high school has met all of the department of elementary and secondary education's requirements for waiver of the Algebra I end-of-course assessment for the recipient; or
(b) A qualifying score, as established annually by the coordinating board for higher education, on the COMPASS exam published by ACT or the mathematics component of the ACT test as a high school or postsecondary student; except that the provisions of this subdivision shall not be required of a student who is enrolling in a certificate program; and
(6) For an applicant who graduates from high school during the 2016-17 academic year or after, has achieved:
(a) A score of proficient or advanced on the official English I end-of-course assessment, or the equivalent level on a successor assessment or a higher level department of elementary and secondary education-approved end-of-course assessment in the field of English, unless the student's high school has met all of the department of elementary and secondary education's requirements for waiver of the English I end-of-course assessment for the recipient; or
(b) A qualifying score, as established annually by the coordinating board for higher education, on the COMPASS exam published by ACT or the English component of the ACT test as a high school or postsecondary student; except that the provisions of this subdivision shall not be required of a student who is enrolling in a certificate program.
2. If an applicant is found guilty of or pleads guilty to any criminal offense during the period of time in which the applicant is receiving financial assistance, such applicant shall not be eligible for renewal of such assistance, provided such offense would disqualify the applicant from receiving federal student aid under Title IV of the Higher Education Act of 1965, as amended.
3. Financial assistance shall be allotted for one academic year, but a recipient shall be eligible for renewed assistance until he or she has obtained a baccalaureate degree, provided such financial assistance shall not exceed a total of ten semesters or fifteen quarters or their equivalent. Standards of eligibility for renewed assistance shall be the same as for an initial award of financial assistance, except that for renewal, an applicant shall demonstrate a grade-point average of two and five-tenths on a four-point scale, or the equivalent on another scale and, beginning with the 2014-15 academic year, has successfully completed the following number of semester credit hours or an equivalent:
(1) For the first renewal, twenty-four semester hours;
(2) For the second renewal, forty-eight semester credit hours;
(3) For the third renewal, seventy-two semester credit hours;
(4) For the fourth renewal, ninety-six semester credit hours.
This subsection shall be construed as the successor to section 173.215 for purposes of eligibility requirements of other financial assistance programs that refer to section 173.215.
4. If an eligible student is unable to enroll or ceases attendance at an approved institution because of illness, disability, pregnancy, or other medical need or for the purpose of providing service to a nonprofit organization, a state or federal government agency, or any branch of the Armed Forces of the United States, such student shall be eligible for an access Missouri award upon enrollment in any approved institution if the student meets all other requirements for an initial or renewal award and if the following criteria are met:
(1) For an eligible student who cannot attend an approved institution as a result of service to a nonprofit organization or the state or federal government, the student returns to full-time status within twenty-seven months and provides verification to the coordinating board for higher education that the service to the nonprofit organization was satisfactorily completed and was not compensated other than for expenses, or that the service to the state or federal government was satisfactorily completed; or
(2) For an eligible student who cannot attend an approved institution as a result of military service in the Armed Forces of the United States, the student returns to full-time status within six months after the eligible student first ceases service to the Armed Forces and provides verification to the coordinating board for higher education that the military service was satisfactorily completed; or
(3) For an eligible student who cannot attend an approved institution as a result of a medical need, the student returns to full-time status within twenty-seven months and provides verification in compliance with coordinating board for higher education rules of sufficient medical evidence documenting an illness, disability, pregnancy, or other medical need of such person to require that the person cannot enroll at an approved institution.
173.1105. 1. An applicant who is an undergraduate postsecondary student at an approved private or public institution and who meets the other eligibility criteria shall be eligible for financial assistance, with a minimum and maximum award amount as follows:
(1) For academic years 2010-11, 2011-12, 2012-13, and 2013-14:
(a) One thousand dollars maximum and three hundred dollars minimum for students attending institutions classified as part of the public two-year sector;
(b) Two thousand one hundred fifty dollars maximum and one thousand dollars minimum for students attending institutions classified as part of the public four-year sector, including State Technical College of Missouri; and
(c) Four thousand six hundred dollars maximum and two thousand dollars minimum for students attending approved private institutions;
(2) For the 2014-15 academic year and subsequent years:
(a) One thousand three hundred dollars maximum and three hundred dollars minimum for students attending institutions classified as part of the public two-year sector; and
(b) Two thousand eight hundred fifty dollars maximum and one thousand five hundred dollars minimum for students attending institutions classified as part of the public four-year sector, including State Technical College of Missouri, or approved private institutions;
(c) The award amount of any student who has completed a minimum of thirty semester hours or their equivalent in the previous academic year may be increased by ten percent from the base amount in the subsequent academic year.
2. All students with an expected family contribution of twelve thousand dollars or less shall receive at least the minimum award amount for his or her institution. Maximum award amounts for an eligible student with an expected family contribution above seven thousand dollars shall be reduced by ten percent of the maximum expected family contribution for his or her increment group. Any award amount shall be reduced by the amount of a student's payment from the A+ schools program or any successor program to it. For purposes of this subsection, the term "increment group" shall mean a group organized by expected family contribution in five hundred dollar increments into which all eligible students shall be placed.
3. If appropriated funds are insufficient to fund the program as described, the maximum award shall be reduced across all sectors by the percentage of the shortfall. If appropriated funds exceed the amount necessary to fund the program, the additional funds shall be used to increase the number of recipients by raising the cutoff for the expected family contribution rather than by increasing the size of the award.
4. Every three years, beginning with academic year 2009-10, the award amount may be adjusted to increase no more than the Consumer Price Index for All Urban Consumers (CPI-U), 1982-1984 = 100, not seasonally adjusted, as defined and officially recorded by the United States Department of Labor, or its successor agency, for the previous academic year. The coordinating board shall prepare a report prior to the legislative session for use of the general assembly and the governor in determining budget requests which shall include the amount of funds necessary to maintain full funding of the program based on the baseline established for the program upon the effective date of sections 173.1101 to 173.1107. Any increase in the award amount shall not become effective unless an increase in the amount of money appropriated to the program necessary to cover the increase in award amount is passed by the general assembly.
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