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House File 51 - IntroducedA Bill ForAn Act 1relating to the establishment of an advanced
2opportunities program for certain students enrolled in
3public schools to take overload and dual credit courses,
4postsecondary credit-bearing and career and technical
5education certificate examinations, and career and technical
6education workforce training courses, and the award of
7scholarships for early graduation or obtaining certain
8amounts of postsecondary credit.
9BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF IOWA:
1 Section 1. NEW SECTION. 261E.21 Advanced opportunities
2program.
31. Definitions. For purposes of this section, unless the
4context otherwise requires:
5a. “Credit” means middle or secondary school credit.
6b. “Dual credit” means the secondary and public
7postsecondary credit a student receives for the completion of a
8postsecondary-level education course in accordance with this
9section.
10c. “Full credit load” means at least twelve school credits
11per school year for grades seven through twelve.
12d. “Overload course” means a course taken that is in excess
13of a full credit load and outside of the regular school day,
14including summer courses and online courses.
15e. “Parent” means a parent, guardian, or legal custodian of
16a minor.
17f. “Public postsecondary educational institution” means
18a community college established under chapter 260C or an
19institution of higher learning under the control of the state
20board of regents.
212. Program established. Subject to an appropriation of
22funds by the general assembly for this purpose, an advanced
23opportunities program is established within the department
24of education to provide public school students in Iowa with
25funding to support implementation of individualized career and
26academic plans developed pursuant to section 279.61 and to
27provide scholarships in accordance with section 261E.22.
283. Funds eligible for student use.
29a. Each student enrolled in and attending a public school
30in Iowa shall be eligible for four thousand one hundred
31twenty-five dollars to use toward overload courses, dual
32credits, postsecondary credit-bearing examinations, career and
33technical education certificate examinations, and career and
34technical education workforce training courses.
35b. A student may access funds authorized to the student in
-1-1accordance with paragraph “a” in grades seven through twelve for
2any of the following:
3(1) Overload courses, the distribution of which shall not
4exceed two hundred twenty-five dollars per overload course.
5A student must take and successfully complete a full credit
6load within a given school year to be eligible for funding of
7an overload course. To be eligible for funding, an overload
8course must be taken for secondary school credit and the course
9must at minimum meet all of the following requirements:
10(a) Be offered by a school district.
11(b) Be taught by a teacher appropriately licensed under
12chapter 272 to teach in the subject area and the grade level.
13(2) Eligible dual credits, the distribution of which shall
14not exceed seventy-five dollars per one dual credit hour. The
15dual credit course must be offered by a public postsecondary
16educational institution. To qualify as an eligible dual credit
17course, the course must be a credit-bearing one-hundred-level
18course or higher.
19(3) Eligible postsecondary credit-bearing or career
20technical certificate examinations. The department shall
21maintain a list of eligible exams and costs. Eligible
22examinations include but are not limited to any of the
23following:
24(a) Advanced placement.
25(b) International baccalaureate.
26(c) College-level examination program.
27(d) Career and technical education examinations that lead
28to an industry-recognized certificate, license, or degree.
29(4) Career and technical education workforce training
30courses, such as federally registered apprenticeships, the
31distribution of which shall not exceed five hundred dollars
32per course or one thousand dollars per year. The department
33shall maintain a list of eligible training courses and costs.
34Eligible training courses must at a minimum meet all of the
35following requirements:
-2- 1(a) Be provided by a community college established under
2chapter 260C.
3(b) Lead to an industry-recognized certificate, license,
4or degree.
5(c) Be required training for an occupation deemed, pursuant
6to section 84A.1B, subsection 14, a high-demand job in the
7community college region.
8(d) Be otherwise unavailable at the student’s secondary
9school.
10(e) Allow secondary school-aged students to participate.
114. Counseling requirement. A student who has earned
12fifteen postsecondary credits prior to secondary school
13graduation using the advanced opportunities program and who
14wishes to earn additional postsecondary credits must first
15identify postsecondary goals under the individualized career
16and academic plan developed pursuant to section 279.61. A
17school counselor shall advise any student who wishes to take
18dual credit courses that the student should ascertain whether
19the particular eligible public postsecondary educational
20institution that the student desires to attend will accept the
21transfer of coursework credits under this section.
225. Use of funds. Moneys allocated for student use under
23this program may be used to pay an amount not to exceed the
24price to the student of such courses and examinations pursuant
25to the limitations stated in this section. Such moneys shall
26not supplant existing program funds. Payments made under
27this section shall be made from the moneys appropriated to
28the department by the general assembly for purposes of this
29program.
306. Course challenge — funding. The board of directors of
31each school district may set forth criteria by which a student
32may challenge a course for credit, including by taking an
33exam. If a student successfully meets the criteria set forth
34by the school board, the student shall be counted as having
35completed all required coursework for that course. The school
-3-1district shall be funded for such students based upon either
2actual hours of attendance or the course that the student has
3successfully passed, whichever is more advantageous to the
4school district, up to the weighting assigned to one pupil.
57. Early graduation incentives. Any student enrolled in
6a school district who successfully completes the educational
7program for grades one through twelve, established pursuant to
8section 256.11, and graduates at least one year early shall
9be eligible for an advanced opportunities scholarship under
10this subsection. The scholarship may be used for tuition and
11fees at any public postsecondary educational institution. The
12amount of the scholarship shall equal thirty-five percent of
13the regular program state cost per pupil for each year of
14grades one through twelve curriculum avoided by the student’s
15early graduation. Subject to an appropriation by the general
16assembly for such purpose, each school district shall receive
17an amount equal to each such awarded scholarship for each
18student that graduates early from that school district.
19Students must apply for the scholarship within two years of
20graduating from a public secondary school. For school funding
21purposes, actual enrollment shall be counted as normal for
22students participating in dual credit courses pursuant to this
23section.
248. Reimbursements — data — student performance.
25a. The department shall reimburse a school district or
26public postsecondary educational institution, as applicable,
27for such costs, up to the stated limits, within one hundred
28twenty-five days of receiving the necessary data upon which
29reimbursements shall be paid. The submission method and
30timelines of reimbursement data shall be determined by the
31department. Payments will be made only for activity occurring
32and reported within each fiscal year.
33b. If a student fails to earn credit or successfully
34complete a course for which the department has paid a
35reimbursement, the student must pay for and successfully earn
-4-1credit or complete a comparable course before the department
2shall pay any further reimbursements for the student. If a
3student performs inadequately on an examination for which the
4department has paid a reimbursement, the school district shall
5determine whether the student must pay for and successfully
6pass such examination to continue receiving state funding under
7the program.
89. Ineligible courses. Repeated and remedial courses
9or examinations are not eligible for advanced opportunities
10program funding.
1110. Participation timelines. Each school district shall
12establish timelines and requirements for participation in the
13program, including implementing procedures for the appropriate
14transcription of credits, reporting of program participation,
15and financial transaction requirements. Each school district
16shall make reasonable efforts to ensure that any student who
17considers participating in the program also considers the
18challenges and time necessary to succeed in the program, and
19shall make reasonable efforts to include guidance on how
20the student’s participation in the program contributes to
21prospective college and career pathways. Such efforts by the
22district shall be performed prior to a student participating
23in the program and throughout the student’s involvement in the
24program.
2511. Policies and procedures. The department and the board
26of directors of each school district shall establish policies
27and procedures for participating in the program. Each school
28district shall ensure that students have an opportunity to
29participate in the program and meet district-established
30timelines and requirements for financial transactions,
31transcribing credits, and department reporting requirements.
32Participation in the program requires parent, if the student
33is a minor, and student agreement to program requirements and
34completion of any forms prescribed by the department.
3512. School district assistance — parent. School district
-5-1personnel shall assist parents in the process of enrolling
2students in such courses. The parent of a participating
3student may enroll such parent’s child in any eligible course,
4with or without the permission of the school district in
5which the student is enrolled. Each participating student’s
6secondary school transcript at the school district of
7enrollment shall include the credits earned and grades received
8by the student for any overload or dual credit courses taken
9pursuant to this section. For an eligible course to be
10transcribed as meeting the requirements of a core subject as
11identified in rule, the course must meet the approved content
12standards for the applicable subject and grade level.
1313. District and institution participation. Participating
14school districts shall collaborate with public postsecondary
15educational institutions to assist students who seek
16to participate in dual credit courses or graduate from
17secondary school early by enrolling in postsecondary courses.
18Participating school districts and public postsecondary
19educational institutions shall report to the state board any
20difficulties or obstacles the school districts and institutions
21experience in providing assistance to participating students.
2214. Rules. The state board may promulgate rules under
23chapter 17A to implement the provisions of this section and
24section 261E.22.
2515. Report. Not later than January 15 annually, the
26department shall submit a report to the general assembly
27detailing, at a minimum, the number of students benefiting
28from assistance with the cost of overload courses, dual credit
29courses, examinations, and workforce training courses, and the
30number of credits awarded and amounts paid pursuant to this
31section during the previous school year.
32 Sec. 2. NEW SECTION. 261E.22 Postsecondary credit
33scholarship.
341. Definitions. For purposes of this section, unless the
35context otherwise requires:
-6- 1a. “Merit-based scholarship” means a scholarship in which
2academic achievement at the secondary school level is a minimum
3eligibility requirement and awards are made based on the
4academic achievement of the student.
5b. “Public postsecondary educational institution” means the
6same as defined in section 261E.21.
72. Scholarship established. Subject to an appropriation
8of funds by the general assembly for purposes of section
9261E.21 and this section, a postsecondary credit scholarship is
10established within the department, and shall be administered
11by the department in cooperation with the college student
12aid commission created pursuant to section 261.1, to provide
13scholarships for students who have earned certain amounts of
14postsecondary semester credits upon graduation.
153. Scholarship amounts — limitations.
16a. Subject to the provisions of paragraph “b” and
17subsections 4 and 5, beginning with the spring 2022 graduating
18class, the following shall apply:
19(1) Any student who has earned at least ten postsecondary
20semester credits upon graduation from a public secondary school
21in this state shall be entitled to a scholarship in the amount
22of two thousand dollars that shall be used for tuition and fees
23at any public postsecondary educational institution.
24(2) Any student who has earned at least twenty postsecondary
25semester credits upon graduation from a public secondary school
26in this state shall be entitled to a scholarship in the amount
27of four thousand dollars that shall be used for tuition and
28fees at any public postsecondary educational institution.
29(3) Any student who has earned an associate degree from a
30public postsecondary educational institution upon graduation
31from a public secondary school in this state shall be entitled
32to a scholarship in the amount of eight thousand dollars that
33shall be used for tuition and fees at any public postsecondary
34educational institution.
35b. For paragraph “a”, subparagraphs (1) and (2), the award
-7-1amount shall be limited by the number of credits accepted by
2the public postsecondary educational institution where the
3scholarship is to be applied. For paragraph “a”, subparagraphs
4(1) through (3), the awards shall be annual awards and
5one-quarter of the scholarship amount shall be distributed
6in each semester of full-time attendance until the total
7scholarship is expended or expires.
8c. A student is entitled to only one of the scholarships set
9forth in paragraph “a”.
104. Eligibility requirements. To be eligible for a full
11scholarship set forth in subsection 3, a student must meet the
12following conditions:
13a. The student must be awarded a postsecondary merit-based
14scholarship in an amount at least equal to the postsecondary
15credit scholarship amount awarded in the same school year,
16provided that the match funds for each scholarship must come
17from a business or industry, or an entity representing a
18business or industry, and shall not be from appropriated or
19nonappropriated funds of the public postsecondary educational
20institution or from a foundation affiliated with the public
21postsecondary educational institution, unless the funds
22were donated to the institution specifically as a match for
23postsecondary credit scholarships.
24b. The student must have graduated from a public secondary
25school in this state.
26c. Except for the first semester in which the postsecondary
27credit scholarship amount is distributed, in order to receive
28the scholarship distribution in a given semester, the student
29must have successfully passed at least twelve credits during
30the immediately preceding semester in which the scholarship was
31distributed.
325. Awards based on grade point average. Postsecondary
33credit scholarships shall be awarded based on grade point
34average rank, subject to an appropriation of funds pursuant to
35subsection 2.
-8- 16. Expiration of scholarship. A student shall use
2the postsecondary credit scholarship within four years of
3graduating from secondary school, at which time the scholarship
4expires and can no longer be used.
57. Discretionary use of scholarship moneys. If a student
6is awarded a scholarship in addition to a postsecondary credit
7scholarship that pays for one hundred percent of the cost of
8tuition and fees, part or all of the postsecondary credit
9scholarship moneys may be used for room and board at the
10discretion of the institution where the student will attend.
118. Distribution of program funds. This section
12shall be funded from the advanced opportunities program
13established pursuant to section 261E.21. The department shall
14distribute to eligible students, school districts, and public
15postsecondary educational institutions the necessary amount
16for implementation of the program, including the scholarships
17provided for under this section, not to exceed one million
18dollars in fiscal year 2022, and not to exceed two million
19dollars in fiscal year 2023 and every fiscal year thereafter.
209. Report. No later than January 15 annually, the
21department shall submit a report to the general assembly
22detailing the number of postsecondary credit scholarships
23awarded during the previous school year. The report shall
24include the total amount of moneys distributed for the
25scholarships.
26EXPLANATION
27The inclusion of this explanation does not constitute agreement with
28the explanation’s substance by the members of the general assembly.
29This bill provides for the establishment within the
30department of education, subject to an appropriation of funds
31by the general assembly, of an advanced opportunities program
32and scholarship, and a postsecondary credit scholarship,
33to provide public school students with funding to support
34implementation of individualized career and academic plans
35and to provide scholarships as incentives for students to
-9-1graduate from secondary school at least one year early or
2who have earned certain amounts of postsecondary credits
3upon graduation. The scholarships may be used at public
4postsecondary educational institutions.
5Under the bill, each student enrolled and attending a
6public school in Iowa, beginning in grade seven, is eligible
7for $4,125 to use toward overload courses, dual credits,
8postsecondary credit-bearing examinations, career and technical
9education certificate examinations, and career and technical
10education workforce training courses.
11“Overload course” means a course taken that is in excess
12of a full credit load and outside of the regular school day,
13including summer courses and online courses. Moneys for
14overload courses shall not exceed $225 per overload course.
15Such courses must be offered by a school district and taught by
16an appropriately licensed teacher.
17“Dual credit” means the secondary and public postsecondary
18credit a student receives for the completion of a
19postsecondary-level education course under the program. Moneys
20for dual credits shall not exceed $75 per one dual credit
21hour and the course must be offered by a public postsecondary
22educational institution.
23The department shall maintain a list of eligible
24postsecondary credit-bearing or career technical certificate
25examinations and costs for such examinations. Eligible
26examinations include but are not limited to advanced placement,
27international baccalaureate, college-level examination program,
28and career and technical education examinations that lead to an
29industry-recognized certificate, license, or degree.
30Career and technical education workforce training courses,
31such as federally registered apprenticeships for which moneys
32may be used, shall not exceed $500 per course or $1,000 per
33year. The department of education must maintain a list of
34eligible training courses and costs. Such courses must be
35provided by a community college; lead to an industry-recognized
-10-1certificate, license, or degree; be required training for
2an occupation deemed a high-demand job in the community
3college region; be otherwise unavailable at the student’s
4secondary school; and allow secondary school-aged students to
5participate.
6A student who has earned 15 postsecondary credits prior
7to secondary school graduation using the program must first
8identify postsecondary goals under the student’s individualized
9career and academic plan before the student may continue
10to earn additional credits. The bill describes how school
11counselors must advise such students.
12Moneys allocated for student use shall not supplant
13existing program funds. Payments shall be made from the moneys
14appropriated to the department of education for purposes of the
15program.
16School boards may set forth criteria by which a student
17may challenge a course and be counted as having completed all
18required coursework for that course, including by examination.
19The school district shall be funded for such students based
20upon either actual hours of attendance or the course that the
21student has successfully passed, whichever is more advantageous
22to the school district, up to the weighting assigned to one
23pupil.
24Any student enrolled in a school district who successfully
25completes the educational program for grades 1-12 and graduates
26at least one year early shall be eligible for an advanced
27opportunities scholarship, which may be used for tuition and
28fees at any public postsecondary educational institution.
29The scholarship amount shall equal 35 percent of the regular
30program state cost pupil for each year of grades 1-12
31curriculum avoided by the student’s early graduation. Subject
32to an appropriation by the general assembly for such purpose,
33each school district shall receive an amount equal to each such
34awarded scholarship for each student that graduates early from
35that school district. Students must apply for the scholarship
-11-1within two years of graduating from a public secondary school.
2For public funding purposes, actual enrollment shall be counted
3as normal for students participating in dual credit courses
4pursuant to the program.
5The department shall reimburse a school district or public
6postsecondary educational institution within 125 days of
7receiving the necessary data. The submission method and
8timelines of reimbursement data shall be determined by the
9department.
10If a student fails to earn credit or successfully complete a
11course for which the department has paid a reimbursement, the
12student must pay for and successfully earn credit or complete a
13comparable course before any further reimbursements are made
14to the student. If a student performs inadequately on an
15examination for which the department has paid a reimbursement,
16the school district shall determine whether the student must
17pay for and successfully pass such examination to continue
18receiving state funding under the program.
19Repeated and remedial courses or examinations are not
20eligible for advanced opportunities program funding.
21Each school district must establish timelines and
22requirements for participation in the program, must make timely
23and reasonable efforts to provide guidance to students who are
24considering participating in the program, and must ensure that
25students have an opportunity to participate in the program
26and meet all program-related timelines and requirements.
27Participation in the program requires parent, if the student is
28a minor, and student agreement to program requirements.
29School district personnel must assist parents in the process
30of enrolling students in such courses. A parent may enroll
31the parent’s child in any eligible course, with or without the
32permission of the school district. Student transcripts must
33include the credits earned and grades received for overload and
34dual credit courses taken under the program.
35Participating school districts shall collaborate with public
-12-1postsecondary educational institutions to assist students who
2seek to participate in the program and must report to the
3state board of education any difficulties or obstacles the
4school districts and institutions experience in providing such
5assistance.
6The state board of education may promulgate rules to
7implement the program and scholarship.
8No later than January 15 annually, the department of
9education shall submit a report to the general assembly
10detailing the number of students benefiting from assistance
11with the cost of overload courses, dual credit courses,
12examinations, and workforce training courses, and the number
13of credits awarded and amounts paid during the previous school
14year.
15The bill establishes the postsecondary credit scholarship
16within the department, which must administer the scholarships
17in cooperation with the college student aid commission.
18Students, beginning with the spring 2022 graduating class,
19who earn postsecondary semester credits are entitled to
20a postsecondary credit scholarship in amounts from $2,000
21to $8,000 based on the number of postsecondary semester
22credits the student has earned upon graduation from public
23postsecondary school. However, the student also must be
24awarded a postsecondary merit-based scholarship awarded by a
25business or industry, or an entity representing business or
26industry, in an amount at least equal to the postsecondary
27credit scholarship amount awarded in the same school year.
28For students who have not earned an associate degree,
29the award amount shall be limited by the number of credits
30accepted by the public postsecondary educational institution
31where the scholarship is to be applied. For all eligible
32students, the awards shall be annual awards and one-quarter of
33the scholarship amount must be distributed in each semester
34of full-time attendance until the total scholarship is
35expended or expires. A student is entitled to only one of the
-13-1postsecondary credit scholarships set forth.
2A student must have successfully passed at least 12 credits
3during the immediately preceding semester to continue to
4receive scholarship moneys.
5Scholarships are awarded based on grade point average rank
6subject to an appropriation by the general assembly. A student
7shall use the scholarship within four years of graduating from
8secondary school.
9A student awarded a scholarship in addition to the
10postsecondary credit scholarship that pays 100 percent of the
11tuition and fees may use the postsecondary credit scholarship
12moneys to pay for room and board at the discretion of the
13institution.
14Moneys distributed by the department to eligible students,
15school districts, and public postsecondary educational
16institutions for implementation of the program, including the
17scholarships provided for under the bill, shall not exceed $1
18million in fiscal year 2022, and shall not exceed $2 million in
19fiscal year 2023, and every fiscal year thereafter.
20No later than January 15 annually, the department of
21education shall submit a report to the general assembly
22detailing the number of postsecondary credit scholarships
23awarded during the previous school year. The report shall
24include the total amount of moneys distributed for the
25scholarships.
-14-kh/jh
2opportunities program for certain students enrolled in
3public schools to take overload and dual credit courses,
4postsecondary credit-bearing and career and technical
5education certificate examinations, and career and technical
6education workforce training courses, and the award of
7scholarships for early graduation or obtaining certain
8amounts of postsecondary credit.
9BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF IOWA:
1 Section 1. NEW SECTION. 261E.21 Advanced opportunities
2program.
31. Definitions. For purposes of this section, unless the
4context otherwise requires:
5a. “Credit” means middle or secondary school credit.
6b. “Dual credit” means the secondary and public
7postsecondary credit a student receives for the completion of a
8postsecondary-level education course in accordance with this
9section.
10c. “Full credit load” means at least twelve school credits
11per school year for grades seven through twelve.
12d. “Overload course” means a course taken that is in excess
13of a full credit load and outside of the regular school day,
14including summer courses and online courses.
15e. “Parent” means a parent, guardian, or legal custodian of
16a minor.
17f. “Public postsecondary educational institution” means
18a community college established under chapter 260C or an
19institution of higher learning under the control of the state
20board of regents.
212. Program established. Subject to an appropriation of
22funds by the general assembly for this purpose, an advanced
23opportunities program is established within the department
24of education to provide public school students in Iowa with
25funding to support implementation of individualized career and
26academic plans developed pursuant to section 279.61 and to
27provide scholarships in accordance with section 261E.22.
283. Funds eligible for student use.
29a. Each student enrolled in and attending a public school
30in Iowa shall be eligible for four thousand one hundred
31twenty-five dollars to use toward overload courses, dual
32credits, postsecondary credit-bearing examinations, career and
33technical education certificate examinations, and career and
34technical education workforce training courses.
35b. A student may access funds authorized to the student in
-1-1accordance with paragraph “a” in grades seven through twelve for
2any of the following:
3(1) Overload courses, the distribution of which shall not
4exceed two hundred twenty-five dollars per overload course.
5A student must take and successfully complete a full credit
6load within a given school year to be eligible for funding of
7an overload course. To be eligible for funding, an overload
8course must be taken for secondary school credit and the course
9must at minimum meet all of the following requirements:
10(a) Be offered by a school district.
11(b) Be taught by a teacher appropriately licensed under
12chapter 272 to teach in the subject area and the grade level.
13(2) Eligible dual credits, the distribution of which shall
14not exceed seventy-five dollars per one dual credit hour. The
15dual credit course must be offered by a public postsecondary
16educational institution. To qualify as an eligible dual credit
17course, the course must be a credit-bearing one-hundred-level
18course or higher.
19(3) Eligible postsecondary credit-bearing or career
20technical certificate examinations. The department shall
21maintain a list of eligible exams and costs. Eligible
22examinations include but are not limited to any of the
23following:
24(a) Advanced placement.
25(b) International baccalaureate.
26(c) College-level examination program.
27(d) Career and technical education examinations that lead
28to an industry-recognized certificate, license, or degree.
29(4) Career and technical education workforce training
30courses, such as federally registered apprenticeships, the
31distribution of which shall not exceed five hundred dollars
32per course or one thousand dollars per year. The department
33shall maintain a list of eligible training courses and costs.
34Eligible training courses must at a minimum meet all of the
35following requirements:
-2- 1(a) Be provided by a community college established under
2chapter 260C.
3(b) Lead to an industry-recognized certificate, license,
4or degree.
5(c) Be required training for an occupation deemed, pursuant
6to section 84A.1B, subsection 14, a high-demand job in the
7community college region.
8(d) Be otherwise unavailable at the student’s secondary
9school.
10(e) Allow secondary school-aged students to participate.
114. Counseling requirement. A student who has earned
12fifteen postsecondary credits prior to secondary school
13graduation using the advanced opportunities program and who
14wishes to earn additional postsecondary credits must first
15identify postsecondary goals under the individualized career
16and academic plan developed pursuant to section 279.61. A
17school counselor shall advise any student who wishes to take
18dual credit courses that the student should ascertain whether
19the particular eligible public postsecondary educational
20institution that the student desires to attend will accept the
21transfer of coursework credits under this section.
225. Use of funds. Moneys allocated for student use under
23this program may be used to pay an amount not to exceed the
24price to the student of such courses and examinations pursuant
25to the limitations stated in this section. Such moneys shall
26not supplant existing program funds. Payments made under
27this section shall be made from the moneys appropriated to
28the department by the general assembly for purposes of this
29program.
306. Course challenge — funding. The board of directors of
31each school district may set forth criteria by which a student
32may challenge a course for credit, including by taking an
33exam. If a student successfully meets the criteria set forth
34by the school board, the student shall be counted as having
35completed all required coursework for that course. The school
-3-1district shall be funded for such students based upon either
2actual hours of attendance or the course that the student has
3successfully passed, whichever is more advantageous to the
4school district, up to the weighting assigned to one pupil.
57. Early graduation incentives. Any student enrolled in
6a school district who successfully completes the educational
7program for grades one through twelve, established pursuant to
8section 256.11, and graduates at least one year early shall
9be eligible for an advanced opportunities scholarship under
10this subsection. The scholarship may be used for tuition and
11fees at any public postsecondary educational institution. The
12amount of the scholarship shall equal thirty-five percent of
13the regular program state cost per pupil for each year of
14grades one through twelve curriculum avoided by the student’s
15early graduation. Subject to an appropriation by the general
16assembly for such purpose, each school district shall receive
17an amount equal to each such awarded scholarship for each
18student that graduates early from that school district.
19Students must apply for the scholarship within two years of
20graduating from a public secondary school. For school funding
21purposes, actual enrollment shall be counted as normal for
22students participating in dual credit courses pursuant to this
23section.
248. Reimbursements — data — student performance.
25a. The department shall reimburse a school district or
26public postsecondary educational institution, as applicable,
27for such costs, up to the stated limits, within one hundred
28twenty-five days of receiving the necessary data upon which
29reimbursements shall be paid. The submission method and
30timelines of reimbursement data shall be determined by the
31department. Payments will be made only for activity occurring
32and reported within each fiscal year.
33b. If a student fails to earn credit or successfully
34complete a course for which the department has paid a
35reimbursement, the student must pay for and successfully earn
-4-1credit or complete a comparable course before the department
2shall pay any further reimbursements for the student. If a
3student performs inadequately on an examination for which the
4department has paid a reimbursement, the school district shall
5determine whether the student must pay for and successfully
6pass such examination to continue receiving state funding under
7the program.
89. Ineligible courses. Repeated and remedial courses
9or examinations are not eligible for advanced opportunities
10program funding.
1110. Participation timelines. Each school district shall
12establish timelines and requirements for participation in the
13program, including implementing procedures for the appropriate
14transcription of credits, reporting of program participation,
15and financial transaction requirements. Each school district
16shall make reasonable efforts to ensure that any student who
17considers participating in the program also considers the
18challenges and time necessary to succeed in the program, and
19shall make reasonable efforts to include guidance on how
20the student’s participation in the program contributes to
21prospective college and career pathways. Such efforts by the
22district shall be performed prior to a student participating
23in the program and throughout the student’s involvement in the
24program.
2511. Policies and procedures. The department and the board
26of directors of each school district shall establish policies
27and procedures for participating in the program. Each school
28district shall ensure that students have an opportunity to
29participate in the program and meet district-established
30timelines and requirements for financial transactions,
31transcribing credits, and department reporting requirements.
32Participation in the program requires parent, if the student
33is a minor, and student agreement to program requirements and
34completion of any forms prescribed by the department.
3512. School district assistance — parent. School district
-5-1personnel shall assist parents in the process of enrolling
2students in such courses. The parent of a participating
3student may enroll such parent’s child in any eligible course,
4with or without the permission of the school district in
5which the student is enrolled. Each participating student’s
6secondary school transcript at the school district of
7enrollment shall include the credits earned and grades received
8by the student for any overload or dual credit courses taken
9pursuant to this section. For an eligible course to be
10transcribed as meeting the requirements of a core subject as
11identified in rule, the course must meet the approved content
12standards for the applicable subject and grade level.
1313. District and institution participation. Participating
14school districts shall collaborate with public postsecondary
15educational institutions to assist students who seek
16to participate in dual credit courses or graduate from
17secondary school early by enrolling in postsecondary courses.
18Participating school districts and public postsecondary
19educational institutions shall report to the state board any
20difficulties or obstacles the school districts and institutions
21experience in providing assistance to participating students.
2214. Rules. The state board may promulgate rules under
23chapter 17A to implement the provisions of this section and
24section 261E.22.
2515. Report. Not later than January 15 annually, the
26department shall submit a report to the general assembly
27detailing, at a minimum, the number of students benefiting
28from assistance with the cost of overload courses, dual credit
29courses, examinations, and workforce training courses, and the
30number of credits awarded and amounts paid pursuant to this
31section during the previous school year.
32 Sec. 2. NEW SECTION. 261E.22 Postsecondary credit
33scholarship.
341. Definitions. For purposes of this section, unless the
35context otherwise requires:
-6- 1a. “Merit-based scholarship” means a scholarship in which
2academic achievement at the secondary school level is a minimum
3eligibility requirement and awards are made based on the
4academic achievement of the student.
5b. “Public postsecondary educational institution” means the
6same as defined in section 261E.21.
72. Scholarship established. Subject to an appropriation
8of funds by the general assembly for purposes of section
9261E.21 and this section, a postsecondary credit scholarship is
10established within the department, and shall be administered
11by the department in cooperation with the college student
12aid commission created pursuant to section 261.1, to provide
13scholarships for students who have earned certain amounts of
14postsecondary semester credits upon graduation.
153. Scholarship amounts — limitations.
16a. Subject to the provisions of paragraph “b” and
17subsections 4 and 5, beginning with the spring 2022 graduating
18class, the following shall apply:
19(1) Any student who has earned at least ten postsecondary
20semester credits upon graduation from a public secondary school
21in this state shall be entitled to a scholarship in the amount
22of two thousand dollars that shall be used for tuition and fees
23at any public postsecondary educational institution.
24(2) Any student who has earned at least twenty postsecondary
25semester credits upon graduation from a public secondary school
26in this state shall be entitled to a scholarship in the amount
27of four thousand dollars that shall be used for tuition and
28fees at any public postsecondary educational institution.
29(3) Any student who has earned an associate degree from a
30public postsecondary educational institution upon graduation
31from a public secondary school in this state shall be entitled
32to a scholarship in the amount of eight thousand dollars that
33shall be used for tuition and fees at any public postsecondary
34educational institution.
35b. For paragraph “a”, subparagraphs (1) and (2), the award
-7-1amount shall be limited by the number of credits accepted by
2the public postsecondary educational institution where the
3scholarship is to be applied. For paragraph “a”, subparagraphs
4(1) through (3), the awards shall be annual awards and
5one-quarter of the scholarship amount shall be distributed
6in each semester of full-time attendance until the total
7scholarship is expended or expires.
8c. A student is entitled to only one of the scholarships set
9forth in paragraph “a”.
104. Eligibility requirements. To be eligible for a full
11scholarship set forth in subsection 3, a student must meet the
12following conditions:
13a. The student must be awarded a postsecondary merit-based
14scholarship in an amount at least equal to the postsecondary
15credit scholarship amount awarded in the same school year,
16provided that the match funds for each scholarship must come
17from a business or industry, or an entity representing a
18business or industry, and shall not be from appropriated or
19nonappropriated funds of the public postsecondary educational
20institution or from a foundation affiliated with the public
21postsecondary educational institution, unless the funds
22were donated to the institution specifically as a match for
23postsecondary credit scholarships.
24b. The student must have graduated from a public secondary
25school in this state.
26c. Except for the first semester in which the postsecondary
27credit scholarship amount is distributed, in order to receive
28the scholarship distribution in a given semester, the student
29must have successfully passed at least twelve credits during
30the immediately preceding semester in which the scholarship was
31distributed.
325. Awards based on grade point average. Postsecondary
33credit scholarships shall be awarded based on grade point
34average rank, subject to an appropriation of funds pursuant to
35subsection 2.
-8- 16. Expiration of scholarship. A student shall use
2the postsecondary credit scholarship within four years of
3graduating from secondary school, at which time the scholarship
4expires and can no longer be used.
57. Discretionary use of scholarship moneys. If a student
6is awarded a scholarship in addition to a postsecondary credit
7scholarship that pays for one hundred percent of the cost of
8tuition and fees, part or all of the postsecondary credit
9scholarship moneys may be used for room and board at the
10discretion of the institution where the student will attend.
118. Distribution of program funds. This section
12shall be funded from the advanced opportunities program
13established pursuant to section 261E.21. The department shall
14distribute to eligible students, school districts, and public
15postsecondary educational institutions the necessary amount
16for implementation of the program, including the scholarships
17provided for under this section, not to exceed one million
18dollars in fiscal year 2022, and not to exceed two million
19dollars in fiscal year 2023 and every fiscal year thereafter.
209. Report. No later than January 15 annually, the
21department shall submit a report to the general assembly
22detailing the number of postsecondary credit scholarships
23awarded during the previous school year. The report shall
24include the total amount of moneys distributed for the
25scholarships.
26EXPLANATION
27The inclusion of this explanation does not constitute agreement with
28the explanation’s substance by the members of the general assembly.
29This bill provides for the establishment within the
30department of education, subject to an appropriation of funds
31by the general assembly, of an advanced opportunities program
32and scholarship, and a postsecondary credit scholarship,
33to provide public school students with funding to support
34implementation of individualized career and academic plans
35and to provide scholarships as incentives for students to
-9-1graduate from secondary school at least one year early or
2who have earned certain amounts of postsecondary credits
3upon graduation. The scholarships may be used at public
4postsecondary educational institutions.
5Under the bill, each student enrolled and attending a
6public school in Iowa, beginning in grade seven, is eligible
7for $4,125 to use toward overload courses, dual credits,
8postsecondary credit-bearing examinations, career and technical
9education certificate examinations, and career and technical
10education workforce training courses.
11“Overload course” means a course taken that is in excess
12of a full credit load and outside of the regular school day,
13including summer courses and online courses. Moneys for
14overload courses shall not exceed $225 per overload course.
15Such courses must be offered by a school district and taught by
16an appropriately licensed teacher.
17“Dual credit” means the secondary and public postsecondary
18credit a student receives for the completion of a
19postsecondary-level education course under the program. Moneys
20for dual credits shall not exceed $75 per one dual credit
21hour and the course must be offered by a public postsecondary
22educational institution.
23The department shall maintain a list of eligible
24postsecondary credit-bearing or career technical certificate
25examinations and costs for such examinations. Eligible
26examinations include but are not limited to advanced placement,
27international baccalaureate, college-level examination program,
28and career and technical education examinations that lead to an
29industry-recognized certificate, license, or degree.
30Career and technical education workforce training courses,
31such as federally registered apprenticeships for which moneys
32may be used, shall not exceed $500 per course or $1,000 per
33year. The department of education must maintain a list of
34eligible training courses and costs. Such courses must be
35provided by a community college; lead to an industry-recognized
-10-1certificate, license, or degree; be required training for
2an occupation deemed a high-demand job in the community
3college region; be otherwise unavailable at the student’s
4secondary school; and allow secondary school-aged students to
5participate.
6A student who has earned 15 postsecondary credits prior
7to secondary school graduation using the program must first
8identify postsecondary goals under the student’s individualized
9career and academic plan before the student may continue
10to earn additional credits. The bill describes how school
11counselors must advise such students.
12Moneys allocated for student use shall not supplant
13existing program funds. Payments shall be made from the moneys
14appropriated to the department of education for purposes of the
15program.
16School boards may set forth criteria by which a student
17may challenge a course and be counted as having completed all
18required coursework for that course, including by examination.
19The school district shall be funded for such students based
20upon either actual hours of attendance or the course that the
21student has successfully passed, whichever is more advantageous
22to the school district, up to the weighting assigned to one
23pupil.
24Any student enrolled in a school district who successfully
25completes the educational program for grades 1-12 and graduates
26at least one year early shall be eligible for an advanced
27opportunities scholarship, which may be used for tuition and
28fees at any public postsecondary educational institution.
29The scholarship amount shall equal 35 percent of the regular
30program state cost pupil for each year of grades 1-12
31curriculum avoided by the student’s early graduation. Subject
32to an appropriation by the general assembly for such purpose,
33each school district shall receive an amount equal to each such
34awarded scholarship for each student that graduates early from
35that school district. Students must apply for the scholarship
-11-1within two years of graduating from a public secondary school.
2For public funding purposes, actual enrollment shall be counted
3as normal for students participating in dual credit courses
4pursuant to the program.
5The department shall reimburse a school district or public
6postsecondary educational institution within 125 days of
7receiving the necessary data. The submission method and
8timelines of reimbursement data shall be determined by the
9department.
10If a student fails to earn credit or successfully complete a
11course for which the department has paid a reimbursement, the
12student must pay for and successfully earn credit or complete a
13comparable course before any further reimbursements are made
14to the student. If a student performs inadequately on an
15examination for which the department has paid a reimbursement,
16the school district shall determine whether the student must
17pay for and successfully pass such examination to continue
18receiving state funding under the program.
19Repeated and remedial courses or examinations are not
20eligible for advanced opportunities program funding.
21Each school district must establish timelines and
22requirements for participation in the program, must make timely
23and reasonable efforts to provide guidance to students who are
24considering participating in the program, and must ensure that
25students have an opportunity to participate in the program
26and meet all program-related timelines and requirements.
27Participation in the program requires parent, if the student is
28a minor, and student agreement to program requirements.
29School district personnel must assist parents in the process
30of enrolling students in such courses. A parent may enroll
31the parent’s child in any eligible course, with or without the
32permission of the school district. Student transcripts must
33include the credits earned and grades received for overload and
34dual credit courses taken under the program.
35Participating school districts shall collaborate with public
-12-1postsecondary educational institutions to assist students who
2seek to participate in the program and must report to the
3state board of education any difficulties or obstacles the
4school districts and institutions experience in providing such
5assistance.
6The state board of education may promulgate rules to
7implement the program and scholarship.
8No later than January 15 annually, the department of
9education shall submit a report to the general assembly
10detailing the number of students benefiting from assistance
11with the cost of overload courses, dual credit courses,
12examinations, and workforce training courses, and the number
13of credits awarded and amounts paid during the previous school
14year.
15The bill establishes the postsecondary credit scholarship
16within the department, which must administer the scholarships
17in cooperation with the college student aid commission.
18Students, beginning with the spring 2022 graduating class,
19who earn postsecondary semester credits are entitled to
20a postsecondary credit scholarship in amounts from $2,000
21to $8,000 based on the number of postsecondary semester
22credits the student has earned upon graduation from public
23postsecondary school. However, the student also must be
24awarded a postsecondary merit-based scholarship awarded by a
25business or industry, or an entity representing business or
26industry, in an amount at least equal to the postsecondary
27credit scholarship amount awarded in the same school year.
28For students who have not earned an associate degree,
29the award amount shall be limited by the number of credits
30accepted by the public postsecondary educational institution
31where the scholarship is to be applied. For all eligible
32students, the awards shall be annual awards and one-quarter of
33the scholarship amount must be distributed in each semester
34of full-time attendance until the total scholarship is
35expended or expires. A student is entitled to only one of the
-13-1postsecondary credit scholarships set forth.
2A student must have successfully passed at least 12 credits
3during the immediately preceding semester to continue to
4receive scholarship moneys.
5Scholarships are awarded based on grade point average rank
6subject to an appropriation by the general assembly. A student
7shall use the scholarship within four years of graduating from
8secondary school.
9A student awarded a scholarship in addition to the
10postsecondary credit scholarship that pays 100 percent of the
11tuition and fees may use the postsecondary credit scholarship
12moneys to pay for room and board at the discretion of the
13institution.
14Moneys distributed by the department to eligible students,
15school districts, and public postsecondary educational
16institutions for implementation of the program, including the
17scholarships provided for under the bill, shall not exceed $1
18million in fiscal year 2022, and shall not exceed $2 million in
19fiscal year 2023, and every fiscal year thereafter.
20No later than January 15 annually, the department of
21education shall submit a report to the general assembly
22detailing the number of postsecondary credit scholarships
23awarded during the previous school year. The report shall
24include the total amount of moneys distributed for the
25scholarships.
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