SF 2125 (LSB 5564XS (1) 90)

SENATE FILE 2125

BY  BOUSSELOT

(COMPANION TO HF 2023 BY LATHAM)

A BILL FOR

An Act establishing the United States army reserve service scholarship program within the college student aid commission.
BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF IOWA:

    Section 1.  NEW SECTION.  256.211A  United States army reserve service scholarship program.
   1.  A United States army reserve service scholarship program is established to be administered by the college student aid commission for members of the reserve forces of the United States army who are enrolled as undergraduate students in an Iowa community college, an institution of higher learning under the control of the state board of regents, or an accredited private institution as defined in section 256.183. The college student aid commission shall adopt rules pursuant to chapter 17A to administer this section. An individual is eligible for the United States army reserve service scholarship program if the individual meets all of the following conditions:
   a.  Is a resident of the state and a member of a United States army reserve unit located in this state while receiving scholarship award payments issued pursuant to this section.
   b.  Satisfactorily completed required initial active duty training.
   c.  Maintains satisfactory performance of duty upon return from initial active duty training.
   d.  Is enrolled as an undergraduate student in a community college as defined in section 260C.2, an institution of higher learning under the control of the state board of regents, or an accredited private institution as defined in section 256.183, and maintains satisfactory academic progress.
   e.  Completes and submits application forms required by the college student aid commission, including the free application for federal student aid, and applies for all nonrepayable state and federal financial aid for which the member is eligible.
   f.  Is certified by the United States army reserve command, or another appropriate entity, as meeting the requirements of this section.
   2.  Scholarship awards paid pursuant to this section shall not exceed the resident tuition rate established for institutions of higher learning under the control of the state board of regents. If the amount appropriated in a fiscal year for purposes of this section is insufficient to provide scholarships to all who apply for the program and who are determined to be eligible for the program pursuant to subsection 1, paragraph “f”, the college student aid commission shall determine the distribution of scholarships. Eligibility and scholarship award determinations shall not be based upon a member’s unit or the location at which drills are attended.
   3.  a.  Except as provided for in paragraph “b”, an eligible member of the United States army reserve, attending an institution as provided in subsection 1, paragraph “d”, shall not receive scholarship awards under this section for more than one hundred twenty semester, or the equivalent, credit hours of undergraduate study.
   b.  An eligible member of the United States army reserve, attending an institution as provided in subsection 1, paragraph “d”, who is enrolled in a program of education leading to a postsecondary degree that meets the eligibility requirements for the federal Edith Nourse Rogers STEM scholarship established under 38 U.S.C. §3320, shall not receive scholarship awards issued under this section for more than one hundred thirty semester, or the equivalent, credit hours of undergraduate study.
   c.  Except as provided for in paragraph “b”, an eligible member of the United States army reserve shall not receive scholarship awards for more than one hundred twenty semester hours combined between the United States army reserve service scholarship program established pursuant to this section and the national guard service scholarship established pursuant to section 256.210.
   d.  A United States army reserve member who has met the educational requirements for a baccalaureate degree is ineligible for a scholarship award under this section.
   4.  The eligibility of applicants shall be certified by the United States army reserve command or another appropriate entity. Awards under this section shall be paid to the community college, accredited private institution, or institution of higher learning under the control of the state board of regents by the college student aid commission upon receipt of certification by the educational institution as to accuracy of charges made and as to the attendance and academic progress of the individual at the educational institution. The college student aid commission shall maintain an annual record of the number of participants and the dollar value of the awards issued.
   5.  Scholarships awarded under this section may be used by the recipient for the recipient’s cost of attendance as defined in Tit. IV, pt. B, of the federal Higher Education Act of 1965, as amended.
   6.  Notwithstanding section 8.33, moneys appropriated for purposes of this section which remain unencumbered or unobligated at the close of the fiscal year for which the funds were appropriated shall not revert but shall be available for expenditure for the following fiscal year for purposes of this section.
    Sec. 2.  CODE EDITOR DIRECTIVE.  The Code editor shall designate section 256.211A, as enacted in this Act, as a new section within chapter 256, subchapter VII, part 4, subpart G, and may redesignate the preexisting subpart and correct internal references as necessary, including references to subpart headnotes.
EXPLANATION
The inclusion of this explanation does not constitute agreement with
the explanation’s substance by the members of the general assembly.
   This bill establishes the United States army reserve service scholarship program within the college student aid commission to provide scholarships to certain members of the reserve forces of the United States army. The bill provides that an individual is eligible for a scholarship under the program if the individual is a resident of the state and a member of a United States army reserve unit while receiving scholarship award payments; satisfactorily completed required initial active duty training; maintains satisfactory performance of duty upon return from initial active duty training; is enrolled as an undergraduate student in a community college in this state, an institution of higher learning under the control of the state board of regents, or an accredited private institution, and maintains satisfactory academic progress; completes and submits application forms required by the commission and applies for all nonrepayable state and federal financial aid for which the member is eligible; and is certified as meeting the requirements under the program.
   The bill provides that scholarship awards under the program shall not exceed the resident tuition rate established for institutions of higher learning under the control of the state board of regents. If the amount appropriated in a fiscal year for purposes of the program is insufficient to provide scholarships to all who apply for and are eligible for the program, the commission shall determine the distribution of scholarships.
   The bill prohibits an eligible member of the United States army reserve from receiving scholarship awards under the program for more than 120 semester credit hours of undergraduate study. However, an eligible member of the United States army reserve who is enrolled in a program of education leading to a postsecondary degree that meets the eligibility requirements for the federal Edith Nourse Rogers STEM scholarship may receive scholarship awards under the program for 130 semester credit hours of undergraduate study. The bill establishes limits on the amount of scholarship awards for eligible members who receive scholarship awards under the program and the national guard service scholarship program. A United States army reserve member who has met the educational requirements for a baccalaureate degree is ineligible for a scholarship award under the program.
   Awards under the program shall be paid to the educational institution by the commission upon receipt of certification by the educational institution as to accuracy of charges made and as to the attendance and academic progress of the individual at the educational institution. The commission must maintain an annual record of the number of participants and the dollar value of the awards issued under the program.
   Scholarships awarded under the program may be used by the recipient for the recipient’s cost of attendance as defined in the federal Higher Education Act of 1965.