Senate Study Bill 1038
SENATE FILE
BY (PROPOSED COMMITTEE ON
VETERANS AFFAIRS BILL
BY CHAIRPERSON BEALL)
Passed Senate, Date Passed House, Date
Vote: Ayes Nays Vote: Ayes Nays
Approved
A BILL FOR
1 An Act creating an undergraduate educational assistance grant
2 program for dependent children of veterans with
3 service=connected disabilities.
4 BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF IOWA:
5 TLSB 1277SC 83
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PAG LIN
1 1 Section 1. NEW SECTION. 261.26 GRANT PROGRAM FOR
1 2 DEPENDENT CHILDREN OF VETERANS WITH SERVICE=CONNECTED
1 3 DISABILITIES == FUND.
1 4 1. DEFINITIONS. As used in this section, unless the
1 5 context otherwise requires:
1 6 a. "Eligible institution" means a community college
1 7 established under chapter 260C, an accredited private
1 8 institution, or an institution of higher learning governed by
1 9 the state board of regents.
1 10 b. "Qualified student" means a person who meets the
1 11 requirements set forth in subsection 2.
1 12 c. "Veteran" means an individual meeting the definition of
1 13 veteran in section 35.1 whom the department of veterans
1 14 affairs verifies is permanently and totally disabled from a
1 15 service=connected disability.
1 16 2. PROGRAM == ELIGIBILITY. A grant program for dependent
1 17 children of veterans is established to be administered by the
1 18 commission. The awarding of grants under the program is
1 19 subject to appropriations made by the general assembly. A
1 20 person who meets all of the following requirements, as
1 21 applicable, is eligible for a grant under the program:
1 22 a. Is a resident of Iowa and a citizen or a lawful
1 23 permanent resident of the United States.
1 24 b. Is between sixteen and twenty=two years of age.
1 25 c. Applies in a timely manner for admission to an eligible
1 26 institution and is accepted for admission.
1 27 d. Applies in a timely manner for any federal or state
1 28 student financial assistance available to the student to
1 29 attend an eligible institution.
1 30 e. Files a new application and parents' confidential
1 31 statement, as applicable, annually on the basis of which the
1 32 applicant's eligibility for a renewed grant will be evaluated
1 33 and determined.
1 34 f. Maintains satisfactory academic progress during each
1 35 term for which a grant is awarded.
2 1 g. Is verified by the department of veterans affairs to be
2 2 the dependent child of a veteran who has exhausted entitlement
2 3 to state educational assistance available under chapter 35 and
2 4 entitlement to federal educational assistance under 38 U.S.C.
2 5 } 35.
2 6 3. EXTENT OF GRANT.
2 7 a. A qualified student at an eligible institution may
2 8 receive grants under this section for not more than the
2 9 equivalent of eight full=time semesters of undergraduate
2 10 study. This paragraph shall not be construed to limit grant
2 11 awards to students enrolled full=time only.
2 12 b. Grants awarded pursuant to this section shall not
2 13 exceed the student's financial need, as determined by the
2 14 commission, the average resident tuition rate and mandatory
2 15 fees established for institutions of higher learning governed
2 16 by the state board of regents, or the resident tuition and
2 17 mandatory fees charged for the program of enrollment by the
2 18 eligible institution at which the student is enrolled,
2 19 whichever is less.
2 20 4. TIMELY PROCESSING OF INFORMATION. The department of
2 21 veterans affairs shall work with the commission to ensure that
2 22 information regarding a veteran's disability status or a
2 23 student's entitlement to state or federal educational
2 24 assistance, which is requested by a veteran's dependent, an
2 25 eligible institution, or the commission, and which is required
2 26 to establish eligibility for a grant pursuant to this section,
2 27 is processed on a timely basis.
2 28 5. DISCONTINUANCE OF ATTENDANCE == REMITTANCE. If a
2 29 student receiving a grant pursuant to this section
2 30 discontinues attendance before the end of any academic term,
2 31 the entire amount of any refund due to the student, up to the
2 32 amount of any payments made by the state, shall be remitted by
2 33 the eligible institution to the commission. The commission
2 34 shall deposit refunds paid to the commission in accordance
2 35 with this subsection into the fund established pursuant to
3 1 subsection 6.
3 2 6. FUND ESTABLISHED. A dependent children of disabled
3 3 veterans grant fund is created in the state treasury as a
3 4 separate fund under the control of the commission. All moneys
3 5 deposited or paid into the fund are appropriated and made
3 6 available to the commission to be used for grants for
3 7 qualified students pursuant to this section. Notwithstanding
3 8 section 8.33, any balance in the fund on June 30 of a fiscal
3 9 year shall not revert to the general fund of the state, but
3 10 shall be available for purposes of this section in subsequent
3 11 fiscal years.
3 12 7. RULES. The commission shall adopt rules pursuant to
3 13 chapter 17A to administer this section.
3 14 EXPLANATION
3 15 This bill establishes a grant program to be administered by
3 16 the college student aid commission to provide postsecondary
3 17 educational assistance to dependent children of veterans whom
3 18 the department of veterans affairs verifies are permanently
3 19 and totally disabled from a service=connected disability. The
3 20 awarding of grants is subject to appropriations made by the
3 21 general assembly.
3 22 Grants awarded may be used by a qualified student to attend
3 23 a community college, accredited private institution, or
3 24 regents university. To be eligible for the program, the
3 25 dependent child of a veteran with a service=connected
3 26 disability must be a resident of Iowa and a citizen or lawful
3 27 resident of the United States who is between 16 and 22 years
3 28 of age. The dependent child must also have exhausted
3 29 entitlement to state educational assistance under Code chapter
3 30 35 and federal survivors and dependents educational
3 31 assistance.
3 32 A qualified student may receive program grants for not more
3 33 than the equivalent of eight full=time semesters of
3 34 undergraduate study. Grant awards, however, are not limited
3 35 to full=time enrollment. Grants shall not exceed the
4 1 student's financial need, the average resident tuition rate
4 2 and mandatory fees established for regents universities, or
4 3 the resident tuition and mandatory fees charged for the
4 4 program of enrollment by the eligible institution at which the
4 5 student is enrolled, whichever is less.
4 6 The department of veterans affairs is directed to work with
4 7 the commission to ensure that information regarding a
4 8 veteran's disability status or the student's entitlement to
4 9 state and federal educational assistance, which is requested
4 10 by a veteran's dependent, an eligible institution, or the
4 11 commission, and which is required to establish eligibility for
4 12 a grant pursuant to the bill, is processed on a timely basis.
4 13 If a student receiving a grant discontinues attendance, the
4 14 entire amount of any refund due to the student, up to the
4 15 amount of any payments made by the state, must be remitted by
4 16 the eligible institution to the commission. The commission
4 17 shall deposit refunds into the dependent children of disabled
4 18 veterans grant fund the bill creates in the state treasury.
4 19 Moneys in the fund are appropriated and made available to the
4 20 commission to allow it to award more grants to qualified
4 21 students.
4 22 LSB 1277SC 83
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