Senate File 258 - Introduced SENATE FILE 258 BY COMMITTEE ON EDUCATION (SUCCESSOR TO SSB 1056) A BILL FOR An Act relating to eligibility requirements for the gap tuition 1 assistance program. 2 BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF IOWA: 3 TLSB 1291SV (2) 86 je/nh

S.F. 258 Section 1. Section 260I.3, subsection 2, Code 2015, is 1 amended to read as follows: 2 2. a. Eligibility for tuition assistance under this chapter 3 shall be based on financial need. Criteria to be assessed in 4 determining financial need shall include but is not limited to: 5 a. (1) The applicant’s family income for the twelve six 6 months prior to the date of application. 7 b. (2) The applicant’s family size. 8 c. (3) The applicant’s county of residence. 9 b. An applicant approved for assistance under the 10 supplemental nutrition assistance program at the time of 11 application for assistance under this chapter shall be 12 deemed to have met the financial need requirements under this 13 subsection. 14 Sec. 2. Section 260I.4, Code 2015, is amended by adding the 15 following new subsections: 16 NEW SUBSECTION . 7. Persons earning incomes between 17 one hundred fifty percent and two hundred fifty percent, 18 both percentages inclusive, of the federal poverty level as 19 defined by the most recently revised poverty income guidelines 20 published by the United States department of health and human 21 services shall be given first priority for tuition assistance 22 under this chapter. Persons earning incomes below one hundred 23 fifty percent of the federal poverty level shall be given 24 second priority for tuition assistance under this chapter. 25 NEW SUBSECTION . 8. A person who is eligible for financial 26 assistance pursuant to the federal Workforce Investment Act of 27 1998, Pub. L. No. 105-220, or the federal Workforce Innovation 28 and Opportunity Act, Pub. L. No. 113-128, shall be ineligible 29 for tuition assistance under this chapter unless such funds 30 budgeted for training assistance for the adult, dislocated 31 worker, or youth programs have been fully expended by a 32 workforce region. 33 EXPLANATION 34 The inclusion of this explanation does not constitute agreement with 35 -1- LSB 1291SV (2) 86 je/nh 1/ 2

S.F. 258 the explanation’s substance by the members of the general assembly. 1 This bill relates to eligibility requirements for the gap 2 tuition assistance program, which provides funding to community 3 colleges for need-based tuition assistance to applicants to 4 enable completion of continuing education certificate training 5 programs for in-demand occupations. 6 The bill changes one of the financial need criteria for the 7 program to the applicant’s family income for the six months 8 prior to the date of application. Currently, the period for 9 the criterion is 12 months. 10 The bill provides that an applicant approved for assistance 11 under the federal supplemental nutrition assistance program 12 at the time of application for tuition assistance shall be 13 deemed to have met the financial need requirements for tuition 14 assistance. 15 Eligibility for tuition assistance is currently limited to 16 persons earning incomes at or below 250 percent of the federal 17 poverty level as defined by the most recently revised poverty 18 income guidelines published by the United States department 19 of health and human services. The bill provides that persons 20 earning incomes between 150 percent and 250 percent, both 21 percentages inclusive, of the federal poverty level shall be 22 given first priority for tuition assistance. The bill provides 23 that persons earning incomes below 150 percent of the federal 24 poverty level shall be given second priority for tuition 25 assistance. 26 The bill also provides that a person who is eligible 27 for financial assistance pursuant to the federal Workforce 28 Investment Act of 1998 or the federal Workforce Innovation and 29 Opportunity Act shall be ineligible for tuition assistance 30 unless such funds budgeted for training assistance for the 31 adult, dislocated worker, or youth programs have been fully 32 expended by a workforce region. 33 -2- LSB 1291SV (2) 86 je/nh 2/ 2