House File 2101 - Introduced
HOUSE FILE
BY PETERSEN, HEDDENS, WISE,
SMITH, SWAIM, THOMAS, WHITAKER,
FOEGE, REASONER, D. OLSON,
KUHN, REICHERT, FREVERT, GASKILL,
and PETTENGILL
Passed House, Date Passed Senate, Date
Vote: Ayes Nays Vote: Ayes Nays
Approved
A BILL FOR
1 An Act creating a twenty=first century Iowa scholars program and
2 fund to be administered by the college student aid commission,
3 and requiring the commission to conduct a twenty=first century
4 Iowa scholars program promotion and support study.
5 BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF IOWA:
6 TLSB 5170HH 81
7 kh/je/5
PAG LIN
1 1 Section 1. TWENTY=FIRST CENTURY IOWA SCHOLARS PROGRAM
1 2 PROMOTION AND SUPPORT STUDY. The college student aid
1 3 commission shall conduct a study of the promotional and
1 4 support components needed to make Iowa students who are
1 5 potentially eligible for the twenty=first century Iowa
1 6 scholars program aware of the program and enthusiastic about
1 7 participating in the program. The commission shall also
1 8 develop a plan to promote the program, provide information
1 9 about the program and easy access to program forms and
1 10 applications, and encourage participation in the program by
1 11 potentially eligible students. The plan shall provide for a
1 12 web page, special scholar publication, a toll=free telephone
1 13 number, and the placement and utilization of up to fifteen
1 14 regional program support sites. The regional support sites
1 15 shall provide tutoring, mentoring, summer camps, cultural and
1 16 arts outings, sports and recreational activities, college
1 17 visits, career preparation, job shadowing, internships, study
1 18 skills, literacy programs, newsletters, community service
1 19 projects, and parent activities. The commission shall
1 20 identify the amount anticipated to be necessary to provide
1 21 funding for the scholarships, based on the results of the
1 22 study and preliminary estimates of the number of eligible
1 23 eighth grade pupils. The commission shall submit its plan,
1 24 findings, recommendations, and a fiscal analysis of the plan
1 25 to the senate and house of representatives standing committees
1 26 on education not later than December 15, 2006.
1 27 Sec. 2. NEW SECTION. 261.27 TWENTY=FIRST CENTURY IOWA
1 28 SCHOLARS PROGRAM AND FUND.
1 29 1. PROGRAM == ELIGIBILITY. A twenty=first century Iowa
1 30 scholars program is established to be administered by the
1 31 college student aid commission. A person who meets the
1 32 following requirements is eligible for the program:
1 33 a. Is a resident of Iowa and a citizen of the United
1 34 States or a lawful permanent resident.
1 35 b. Is a student enrolled in grade seven or grade eight in
2 1 a school district or accredited nonpublic school in Iowa, and
2 2 agrees in writing, on a document also signed by the student's
2 3 parent or guardian, that the student will:
2 4 (1) Graduate from a public or accredited nonpublic high
2 5 school in Iowa whose curricula meets the admission criteria of
2 6 a community college, an institution of higher learning under
2 7 the control of the state board of regents, or an accredited
2 8 private institution as defined in section 261.9.
2 9 (2) Achieve a cumulative grade point average upon
2 10 graduation of at least 2.0 on a 4.0 grading scale, or its
2 11 equivalent if another grading scale is used, for courses taken
2 12 by the student in grades nine through twelve.
2 13 (3) Not illegally use controlled substances as defined in
2 14 section 124.101.
2 15 (4) Not use tobacco products.
2 16 (5) Not operate a motor vehicle while intoxicated as
2 17 prohibited by section 321J.2 or 321J.2A.
2 18 (6) Not commit a delinquent act as defined in section
2 19 232.2; or become a runaway child as defined in section 710.8;
2 20 or a truant, as defined in section 299.8.
2 21 c. Is a child receiving foster care services paid for by
2 22 the state under section 234.35 or funded in whole or in part
2 23 under Title IV=E of the federal Social Security Act; or is a
2 24 child eligible for free or reduced price meals under the
2 25 federal National School Lunch Act and the federal Child
2 26 Nutrition Act of 1966, 42 U.S.C. } 1751=1785.
2 27 d. Applies in a timely manner for admission to a community
2 28 college, an institution of higher learning under the control
2 29 of the state board of regents, or an accredited private
2 30 institution as defined in section 261.9 and is accepted for
2 31 admission.
2 32 e. Applies in a timely manner for any federal and state
2 33 student financial assistance available to the student to
2 34 attend a community college, an institution of higher learning
2 35 under the control of the state board of regents, or an
3 1 accredited private institution as defined in section 261.9.
3 2 f. Files a new application, and parents' confidential
3 3 statement, as applicable, annually on the basis of which the
3 4 applicant's eligibility for a renewed scholarship will be
3 5 evaluated and determined.
3 6 2. FUND ESTABLISHED. A twenty=first century Iowa scholars
3 7 fund is created in the state treasury as a separate fund under
3 8 the control of the commission. All moneys deposited or paid
3 9 into the fund are appropriated and made available to the
3 10 college student aid commission to be used for scholarships for
3 11 students meeting all of the requirements of this section,
3 12 including meeting the requirements agreed to in subsection 1,
3 13 paragraph "b". The commission shall deposit refunds paid to
3 14 the commission in accordance with subsection 3 into the
3 15 twenty=first century Iowa scholars fund. Notwithstanding
3 16 section 8.33, any balance in the fund on June 30 of each
3 17 fiscal year shall not revert to the general fund of the state,
3 18 but shall be available for the purposes of this section in
3 19 subsequent fiscal years. Scholarships awarded pursuant to
3 20 this section shall not exceed the resident tuition rate and
3 21 mandatory fees for the program of enrollment established for
3 22 institutions of higher learning under the control of the state
3 23 board of regents.
3 24 3. DISCONTINUATION OF ATTENDANCE == REMITTANCE. If the
3 25 commission finds that a student receiving a scholarship under
3 26 the program discontinues attendance before the end of any
3 27 academic period or has violated the agreement signed pursuant
3 28 to subsection 1, but the discontinuance or violation of the
3 29 agreement occurs after scholarship moneys have been paid for
3 30 the academic period, the entire amount of any refund due the
3 31 student, up to the amount of any payments made by the state,
3 32 shall be remitted by the postsecondary institution to the
3 33 commission.
3 34 4. EXTENT OF SCHOLARSHIP. A qualified resident student in
3 35 good standing at a community college, an institution of higher
4 1 learning under the control of the state board of regents, or
4 2 an accredited private institution as defined in section 261.9
4 3 may receive scholarships for not more than eight semesters of
4 4 undergraduate study or the trimester or quarter equivalent if
4 5 attending the institution on a full=time basis, or for not
4 6 more than sixteen semesters of undergraduate study or the
4 7 trimester or quarter equivalent if attending on a part=time
4 8 basis. A qualified resident student may defer acceptance of
4 9 scholarships awarded under this section for up to two years
4 10 following the student's graduation from high school in order
4 11 that the student may pursue military or other obligations.
4 12 5. MENTORING PROGRAMS OFFERED BY INSTITUTIONS. Each
4 13 community college, institution of higher learning under the
4 14 control of the state board of regents, or accredited private
4 15 institution which enrolls a student receiving a scholarship in
4 16 accordance with this section shall develop a specific
4 17 mentoring program to assist the scholarship recipients through
4 18 particularized academic and social counseling.
4 19 EXPLANATION
4 20 This bill creates a twenty=first century Iowa scholars
4 21 program and fund to be administered by the college student aid
4 22 commission to provide scholarships to pay the postsecondary
4 23 costs of tuition and mandatory fees for Iowa students who are
4 24 eligible for free or reduced price meals or are receiving
4 25 foster care who agree, in writing, in grade seven or eight, to
4 26 graduate with a 2.0 point or better grade point average, to
4 27 refrain from illegal drug use, committing delinquent acts,
4 28 driving while intoxicated, tobacco use, and truancy. The bill
4 29 also requires the commission to conduct a study of the program
4 30 and to submit its plan, findings, recommendations, and a
4 31 fiscal analysis of the plan to the senate and house of
4 32 representatives standing committees on education not later
4 33 than December 15, 2006.
4 34 To establish eligibility, students must establish financial
4 35 need, meet all program eligibility requirements including
5 1 those agreed to in grade seven or eight, and apply for and be
5 2 accepted by an accredited postsecondary institution in Iowa.
5 3 A qualified resident student in good standing at an
5 4 accredited postsecondary institution may receive scholarships
5 5 for not more than eight semesters of undergraduate study or
5 6 the trimester or quarter equivalent if attending the
5 7 institution on a full=time basis, or for not more than 16
5 8 semesters or the trimester or quarter equivalent if attending
5 9 on a part=time basis. The student must annually file a new
5 10 application for review and evaluation of continued
5 11 eligibility. The student may also defer participation in the
5 12 scholarship program for up to two years in order to pursue
5 13 military or other obligations.
5 14 Each institution which enrolls a student receiving a
5 15 scholarship must develop a specific mentoring program to
5 16 assist the scholarship recipients through particularized
5 17 academic and social counseling.
5 18 The twenty=first century Iowa scholars fund is created in
5 19 the state treasury as a separate fund under the control of the
5 20 commission. All moneys deposited or paid into the fund are
5 21 appropriated and made available to the college student aid
5 22 commission to be used for scholarships as provided in this
5 23 section.
5 24 The plan the commission is charged with developing must
5 25 provide for a web page, special scholar publication, a toll=
5 26 free telephone number, and the placement and utilization of up
5 27 to 15 regional program support sites. The sites must provide
5 28 tutoring, mentoring, summer camps, cultural and arts outings,
5 29 sports and recreational activities, college visits, career
5 30 preparation, job shadowing, internships, study skills,
5 31 literacy programs, newsletters, community service projects,
5 32 and parent activities. The commission is also charged with
5 33 identifying the amount anticipated to be necessary to provide
5 34 funding for the scholarships, based on the results of the
5 35 study and preliminary estimates of the number of eligible
6 1 eighth grade pupils.
6 2 LSB 5170HH 81
6 3 kh:rj/je/5.2