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House File 562 - IntroducedA Bill ForAn Act 1relating to the skilled workforce shortage tuition grant
2program.
3BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF IOWA:
1 Section 1. Section 261.130, subsections 1, 2, 4, 6, and 8,
2Code 2019, are amended to read as follows:
31. A skilled workforce shortage tuition grant may be awarded
4to any resident of Iowa who is admitted and in attendance
5as a full-time or part-time student in a career-technical or
6career option program to pursue an associate’s degree or other
7training at a community college any degree or other training
8at a postsecondary educational institution in the state, and
9who establishes financial need. For purposes of this section,
10“career-technical or career option program” includes a mental
11health training program.
122. Skilled workforce shortage tuition grants shall be
13awarded only to students pursuing a career-technical or career
14option program in an industry identified as having a shortage
15of skilled workers by a community college postsecondary
16educational institution after conducting a regional skills gap
17analysis or by the department of workforce development in the
18department’s most recent quarterly report pursuant to section
1984A.6, subsection 4.
204. All classes identified by the community college
21 postsecondary educational institution as required for
22completion of the student’s approved career-technical or
23career option program shall be considered a part of the
24student’s career-technical or career option program for
25the purpose of determining the student’s eligibility for a
26grant. Notwithstanding subsection 5, if a student is making
27satisfactory academic progress but the student cannot complete
28a career-technical or career option program in the time frame
29allowed for a student to receive a skilled workforce shortage
30tuition grant as provided in subsection 5 because additional
31classes are required to complete the program, the student may
32continue to receive a skilled workforce shortage tuition grant
33for not more than one additional enrollment period.
346. A skilled workforce shortage tuition grant shall be
35awarded on an annual basis, requiring reapplication by the
-1-1student for each year. Payments under the grant shall be
2allocated equally among the semesters or quarters of the year
3upon certification by the community college postsecondary
4educational institution that the student is in full-time or
5part-time attendance in a career-technical or career option
6program consistent with the requirements of this section. If
7the student discontinues attendance before the end of any term
8after receiving payment of the grant, the entire amount of any
9refund due that student, up to the amount of any payments made
10under the annual grant, shall be paid by the community college
11 postsecondary educational institution to the state.
128. The commission shall administer this program and shall:
13a. Provide application forms for distribution to students
14by Iowa high schools and community colleges postsecondary
15educational institutions.
16b. Adopt rules for approving career-technical, or career
17option programs in industries identified by the department of
18workforce development pursuant to section 84A.6, subsection 4;
19determining financial need; defining residence for the purposes
20of this section; processing and approving applications for
21grants; and determining priority for grants.
22c. Approve and award grants on an annual basis.
23d. Make an annual report to the governor and general
24assembly. The report shall include the number of students
25receiving assistance and the industries identified by the
26community colleges postsecondary educational institutions and
27by the department of workforce development pursuant to section
2884A.6, subsection 4, for which students were admitted to a
29career-technical or career option program.
30EXPLANATION
31The inclusion of this explanation does not constitute agreement with
32the explanation’s substance by the members of the general assembly.
33This bill relates to the skilled workforce shortage tuition
34grant program.
35Currently, the Iowa workforce shortage tuition grant program
-2-1provides tuition grants to students who establish a financial
2need and who are pursuing an associate’s degree or other
3training in a career-technical or career option program at a
4community college in the state in an industry identified as
5having a shortage of skilled workers by a community college
6or by the department of workforce development. The grant is
7renewable for two years.
8The bill expands current law to provide such tuition grants
9to Iowa students with a financial need who are pursuing any
10degree or other training in a career-technical or career option
11program at a postsecondary educational institution, including
12a mental health training program, in an industry identified
13as having a shortage of skilled workers by a postsecondary
14institution in this state or by the department of workforce
15development.
-3-hb/rh
2program.
3BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF IOWA:
1 Section 1. Section 261.130, subsections 1, 2, 4, 6, and 8,
2Code 2019, are amended to read as follows:
31. A skilled workforce shortage tuition grant may be awarded
4to any resident of Iowa who is admitted and in attendance
5as a full-time or part-time student in a career-technical or
6career option program to pursue an associate’s degree or other
7training at a community college any degree or other training
8at a postsecondary educational institution in the state, and
9who establishes financial need. For purposes of this section,
10“career-technical or career option program” includes a mental
11health training program.
122. Skilled workforce shortage tuition grants shall be
13awarded only to students pursuing a career-technical or career
14option program in an industry identified as having a shortage
15of skilled workers by a community college postsecondary
16educational institution after conducting a regional skills gap
17analysis or by the department of workforce development in the
18department’s most recent quarterly report pursuant to section
1984A.6, subsection 4.
204. All classes identified by the community college
21 postsecondary educational institution as required for
22completion of the student’s approved career-technical or
23career option program shall be considered a part of the
24student’s career-technical or career option program for
25the purpose of determining the student’s eligibility for a
26grant. Notwithstanding subsection 5, if a student is making
27satisfactory academic progress but the student cannot complete
28a career-technical or career option program in the time frame
29allowed for a student to receive a skilled workforce shortage
30tuition grant as provided in subsection 5 because additional
31classes are required to complete the program, the student may
32continue to receive a skilled workforce shortage tuition grant
33for not more than one additional enrollment period.
346. A skilled workforce shortage tuition grant shall be
35awarded on an annual basis, requiring reapplication by the
-1-1student for each year. Payments under the grant shall be
2allocated equally among the semesters or quarters of the year
3upon certification by the community college postsecondary
4educational institution that the student is in full-time or
5part-time attendance in a career-technical or career option
6program consistent with the requirements of this section. If
7the student discontinues attendance before the end of any term
8after receiving payment of the grant, the entire amount of any
9refund due that student, up to the amount of any payments made
10under the annual grant, shall be paid by the community college
11 postsecondary educational institution to the state.
128. The commission shall administer this program and shall:
13a. Provide application forms for distribution to students
14by Iowa high schools and community colleges postsecondary
15educational institutions.
16b. Adopt rules for approving career-technical, or career
17option programs in industries identified by the department of
18workforce development pursuant to section 84A.6, subsection 4;
19determining financial need; defining residence for the purposes
20of this section; processing and approving applications for
21grants; and determining priority for grants.
22c. Approve and award grants on an annual basis.
23d. Make an annual report to the governor and general
24assembly. The report shall include the number of students
25receiving assistance and the industries identified by the
26community colleges postsecondary educational institutions and
27by the department of workforce development pursuant to section
2884A.6, subsection 4, for which students were admitted to a
29career-technical or career option program.
30EXPLANATION
31The inclusion of this explanation does not constitute agreement with
32the explanation’s substance by the members of the general assembly.
33This bill relates to the skilled workforce shortage tuition
34grant program.
35Currently, the Iowa workforce shortage tuition grant program
-2-1provides tuition grants to students who establish a financial
2need and who are pursuing an associate’s degree or other
3training in a career-technical or career option program at a
4community college in the state in an industry identified as
5having a shortage of skilled workers by a community college
6or by the department of workforce development. The grant is
7renewable for two years.
8The bill expands current law to provide such tuition grants
9to Iowa students with a financial need who are pursuing any
10degree or other training in a career-technical or career option
11program at a postsecondary educational institution, including
12a mental health training program, in an industry identified
13as having a shortage of skilled workers by a postsecondary
14institution in this state or by the department of workforce
15development.
-3-hb/rh