House File 481 - Introduced HOUSE FILE 481 BY LATHAM A BILL FOR An Act establishing the United States army reserve service 1 scholarship program within the college student aid 2 commission. 3 BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF IOWA: 4 TLSB 2347YH (2) 90 jda/jh
H.F. 481 Section 1. NEW SECTION . 261.86B United States army reserve 1 service scholarship program. 2 1. A United States army reserve service scholarship program 3 is established to be administered by the college student aid 4 commission for members of the reserve forces of the United 5 States army who are enrolled as undergraduate students in an 6 Iowa community college, an institution of higher learning under 7 the control of the state board of regents, or an accredited 8 private institution as defined in section 261.9. The college 9 student aid commission shall adopt rules pursuant to chapter 10 17A to administer this section. An individual is eligible for 11 the United States army reserve service scholarship program if 12 the individual meets all of the following conditions: 13 a. Is a resident of the state and a member of a United 14 States army reserve unit while receiving scholarship award 15 payments issued pursuant to this section. 16 b. Satisfactorily completed required initial active duty 17 training. 18 c. Maintains satisfactory performance of duty upon return 19 from initial active duty training. 20 d. Is enrolled as an undergraduate student in a community 21 college as defined in section 260C.2, an institution of higher 22 learning under the control of the state board of regents, or an 23 accredited private institution as defined in section 261.9, and 24 maintains satisfactory academic progress. 25 e. Completes and submits application forms required by the 26 college student aid commission, including the free application 27 for federal student aid, and applies for all nonrepayable state 28 and federal financial aid for which the member is eligible. 29 f. Is certified by the United States army administration, 30 or another appropriate entity, as meeting the requirements of 31 this section. 32 2. Scholarship awards paid pursuant to this section 33 shall not exceed the resident tuition rate established for 34 institutions of higher learning under the control of the 35 -1- LSB 2347YH (2) 90 jda/jh 1/ 5
H.F. 481 state board of regents. If the amount appropriated in a 1 fiscal year for purposes of this section is insufficient to 2 provide scholarships to all who apply for the program and who 3 are determined to be eligible for the program pursuant to 4 subsection 1, paragraph “f” , the college student aid commission 5 shall determine the distribution of scholarships. Eligibility 6 and scholarship award determinations shall not be based upon a 7 member’s unit or the location at which drills are attended. 8 3. a. Except as provided for in paragraph “b” , an eligible 9 member of the United States army reserves, attending an 10 institution as provided in subsection 1, paragraph “d” , shall 11 not receive scholarship awards under this section for more than 12 one hundred twenty semester, or the equivalent, credit hours 13 of undergraduate study. 14 b. An eligible member of the United States army reserves, 15 attending an institution as provided in subsection 1, 16 paragraph “d” , who is enrolled in a program of education 17 leading to a postsecondary degree that meets the eligibility 18 requirements for the federal Edith Nourse Rogers STEM 19 scholarship established under 38 U.S.C. §3320, shall not 20 receive scholarship awards issued under this section for more 21 than one hundred thirty semester, or the equivalent, credit 22 hours of undergraduate study. 23 c. Except as provided for in paragraph “b” , an eligible 24 member of the United States army reserves shall not receive 25 scholarship awards for more than one hundred twenty semester 26 hours combined between the United States army reserve service 27 scholarship program established pursuant to this section and 28 the national guard service scholarship established pursuant to 29 section 261.86. 30 d. A United States army reserve member who has met the 31 educational requirements for a baccalaureate degree is 32 ineligible for a scholarship award under this section. 33 4. The eligibility of applicants shall be certified by 34 the United States army administration or another appropriate 35 -2- LSB 2347YH (2) 90 jda/jh 2/ 5
H.F. 481 entity. Awards under this section shall be paid to the 1 community college, accredited private institution, or 2 institution of higher learning under the control of the state 3 board of regents by the college student aid commission upon 4 receipt of certification by the educational institution as to 5 accuracy of charges made and as to the attendance and academic 6 progress of the individual at the educational institution. 7 The college student aid commission shall maintain an annual 8 record of the number of participants and the dollar value of 9 the awards issued. 10 5. Scholarships awarded under this section may be used by 11 the recipient for the recipient’s cost of attendance as defined 12 in Tit. IV, pt. B, of the federal Higher Education Act of 1965, 13 as amended. 14 6. Notwithstanding section 8.33, moneys appropriated 15 for purposes of this section which remain unencumbered or 16 unobligated at the close of the fiscal year for which the funds 17 were appropriated shall not revert but shall be available for 18 expenditure for the following fiscal year for purposes of this 19 section. 20 Sec. 2. CODE EDITOR DIRECTIVE. The Code editor shall 21 designate section 261.86B, as enacted in this Act, as a new 22 section within chapter 261, subchapter IX, and may redesignate 23 the preexisting subchapter and correct internal references as 24 necessary, including references to subchapter headnotes. 25 EXPLANATION 26 The inclusion of this explanation does not constitute agreement with 27 the explanation’s substance by the members of the general assembly. 28 This bill establishes the United States army reserve service 29 scholarship program within the college student aid commission 30 to provide scholarships to certain members of the reserve 31 forces of the United States army. The bill provides that an 32 individual is eligible for a scholarship under the program if 33 the individual is a resident of the state and a member of a 34 United States army reserve unit while receiving scholarship 35 -3- LSB 2347YH (2) 90 jda/jh 3/ 5
H.F. 481 award payments; satisfactorily completed required initial 1 active duty training; maintains satisfactory performance 2 of duty upon return from initial active duty training; is 3 enrolled as an undergraduate student in a community college 4 in this state, an institution of higher learning under the 5 control of the state board of regents, or an accredited 6 private institution, and maintains satisfactory academic 7 progress; completes and submits application forms required 8 by the commission and applies for all nonrepayable state and 9 federal financial aid for which the member is eligible; and is 10 certified as meeting the requirements under the program. 11 The bill provides that scholarship awards under the program 12 shall not exceed the resident tuition rate established for 13 institutions of higher learning under the control of the state 14 board of regents. If the amount appropriated in a fiscal 15 year for purposes of the program is insufficient to provide 16 scholarships to all who apply for and are eligible for the 17 program, the commission shall determine the distribution of 18 scholarships. 19 The bill prohibits an eligible member of the United 20 States army reserves from receiving scholarship awards 21 under the program for more than 120 semester credit hours 22 of undergraduate study. However, an eligible member of the 23 United States army reserves who is enrolled in a program of 24 education leading to a postsecondary degree that meets the 25 eligibility requirements for the federal Edith Nourse Rogers 26 STEM scholarship may receive scholarship awards under the 27 program for 130 semester credit hours of undergraduate study. 28 The bill establishes limits on the amount of scholarship awards 29 for eligible members who receive scholarship awards under the 30 program and the national guard service scholarship program. A 31 United States army reserve member who has met the educational 32 requirements for a baccalaureate degree is ineligible for a 33 scholarship award under the program. 34 Awards under the program shall be paid to the educational 35 -4- LSB 2347YH (2) 90 jda/jh 4/ 5
H.F. 481 institution by the commission upon receipt of certification by 1 the educational institution as to accuracy of charges made and 2 as to the attendance and academic progress of the individual 3 at the educational institution. The commission must maintain 4 an annual record of the number of participants and the dollar 5 value of the awards issued under the program. 6 Scholarships awarded under the program may be used by the 7 recipient for the recipient’s cost of attendance as defined in 8 the federal Higher Education Act of 1965. 9 -5- LSB 2347YH (2) 90 jda/jh 5/ 5