HB 6563 — AN ACT INCREASING THE AGE OF ELIGIBILITY FOR THE POSTSECONDARY EDUCATION FUNDING PROGRAM OFFERED BY THE DEPARTMENT OF CHILDREN AND FAMILIES AND ESTABLISHING A PILOT PROGRAM TO PROVIDE FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE FOR THE POSTSECONDARY EDUCATION OF ADOPTED YOUTH.

85649 January Session, 2023 Substitute House Bill No.

6563 House of Representatives, MarchApril 16,18, 2023 The Committee on HigherChildren Education and Employment Advancement reported through REP.

HADDADLINEHAN of the 54th103rd Dist., Chairperson of the Committee on the part of the House, that the substitute bill ought to pass.

AN ACT INCREASING THE AGE OF ELIGIBILITY FOR THE POSTSECONDARY EDUCATION FUNDING PROGRAM OFFERED BY THE DEPARTMENT OF CHILDREN AND FAMILIES.FAMILIES AND ESTABLISHING A PILOT PROGRAM TO PROVIDE FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE FOR THE POSTSECONDARY EDUCATION OF ADOPTED YOUTH.

and (3) "Postsecondary education funding program" means the program offeredset byforth thein department policy 28-1 under which it funds the postsecondary education of a youth who is committed to the departmentdepartment, remains committed at the age of eighteen or younger and meets the requirements established by the department in its policies and regulations.

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85649 (b) The Commissioner of Children and Families shall amend the department policies and regulations regarding the postsecondary education funding program to (1) increase the age until which a youth can voluntarily agree to receive and qualify for services and funding from the department under the postsecondary education funding program from twenty-one to twenty-six years of age, and (2) increase the age until which a youth who is enrolled in a postsecondary education program and continues to meet the requirements established by the department is eligible for funding to complete such postsecondary education program under the postsecondary education funding program from twenty-three to twenty-eight years of age.age, and (3) require any youth who is eligible for funding under the postsecondary education funding program to complete for each year such youth is enrolled in a postsecondary education program, as a condition to receiving such funding, the Free Application for Federal Student Aid and applications for any appropriate scholarships and grants, including, but not limited to, through any scholarship application portal administered by the provider of such postsecondary education program.

Nothing in this section shall be construed to require the department to continue providing case management services for any youth who begins receiving funding under the postsecondary education funding program when such youth is older than twenty-one years of age.

Sec.

2.

(NEW) (Effective July 1, 2023) (a) Not later than January 1, 2024, the Commissioner of Children and Families shall establish a pilot programtoprovidefinancialassistance for thepostsecondary education of any youth who (1) is adopted by a state resident through another state's foster care program on or after January 1, 2005, (2) completes the Free Application for Federal Student Aid for each year such youth is enrolled in a postsecondary education program, as defined in section 1 of this act, and (3) meets and continues to meet the postsecondary education assistance program requirements set forth in the Department of Children and Families policy 25-2, except the requirement that such youth be adopted through the department's foster care program.

A youth who qualifies for financial assistance pursuant to this subsection may apply to the department in the form and manner prescribed by the sHB6563 / File No.

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649 commissioner.

The commissioner shall approve a youth's application to receive such financial assistance until the completion of such youth's postsecondary education program, within the limits of available funding and on a first-come, first-served basis.

The amount of financial assistance provided by the commissioner to a youth pursuant to this subsection(A) shall includethecost of tuition, fees,roomandboardand books, but may not exceed the maximum cost of attendance at a state university within the Connecticut State University System for an in- state, full-time residential student, and (B) may be paid on a semester, trimester or quarterly basis as required by the postsecondary education program in which such youth is enrolled.

(b) Not later than January 1, 2025, the Commissioner of Children and Families shall submit a report, in accordance with the provisions of section 11-4a of the general statutes, to the joint standing committees of theGeneralAssembly having cognizance ofmattersrelating to children, higher education and employment advancement, and appropriations and the budgets of the state agencies concerning the pilot program established pursuant to subsection (a) of this section.

Such report shall include, but need not be limited to, the (1) number of youth who received financial assistance, (2) amount of such financial assistance, and (3) feasibility of making such pilot program permanent.

Sec.

3.

(Effective July 1, 2023) The sum of one hundred fifty thousand dollarsisappropriatedtotheDepartmentofChildrenandFamilies from the General Fund, for the fiscal year ending June 30, 2024, for the pilot program established pursuant to section 2 of this act.

Section 1 July 1, 2023 New section HEDSec. Joint Favorable Subst.

2 July 1, 2023 New section Sec.

3 July 1, 2023 New section KID Joint Favorable Subst.

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85649 The following Fiscal Impact Statement and Bill Analysis are prepared for the benefit of the members of the General Assembly, solely for purposes of information, summarization and explanation and do not represent the intent of the General Assembly or either chamber thereof for any purpose.

GF - Cost 24,847,68024,997,680 25,803,360 Note:

None Explanation The bill, which increases the maximum age that an individual that meets the Department of Children and Families-established requirements may apply for the Post-Secondary Education (PSE) program from 21 to 2626, and increases from 23 to 28 the maximum age until which a student that is enrolled in the program may remain in it, and creates a postsecondary education pilot program for $150,000 in FY 24, results in a cost to the agency of approximately $24,847,680$24,997,680 in FY 24 and $25,803,3650 in FY 25.

The1The Outprogram Yearsis Thefor fiscalany impactyouth identifiedwho aboveis willadopted continueby intoa theConnecticut futureresident subjectthrough toanother inflationstate's andfoster care program enrollmenton byor theafter effected1/1/05. population.

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85649 OLRThe BillOut AnalysisYears sHBThe 6563fiscal ANimpact ACTidentified INCREASINGabove THEwill AGEcontinue OFinto ELIGIBILITYthe FORfuture THEsubject POSTSECONDARYto EDUCATIONinflation FUNDINGand PROGRAMprogram OFFEREDenrollment BYby THEthe DEPARTMENTeffected OFpopulation. CHILDREN AND FAMILIES.

SUMMARYFunding This bill (1) increases the age of eligibility for the Departmentpilot of Children and Families’ (DCF) post-secondary education funding program andis (2)provided requiresin theFY department24 toonly. amend its rules and regulations to reflect these increases.

UndersHB6563 the/ bill,File theNo. “postsecondary education funding program” is DCF’s program that provides funding to youths who are committed to DCF at age 18 or younger and meet the requirements of the department’s policies and regulations.

The649 bill5 increases,sHB6563 fromFile 21No. to 26, the age until which a youth can voluntarily agree to receive and qualify for post-secondary education funding services.

It649 alsoOLR increases,Bill fromAnalysis 23sHB to6563 28,AN theACT ageINCREASING untilTHE whichAGE aOF youthELIGIBILITY enrolledFOR inTHE aPOSTSECONDARY post-secondaryEDUCATION educationFUNDING programPROGRAM isOFFERED eligibleBY forTHE fundingDEPARTMENT fromOF theCHILDREN department’sAND fundingFAMILIES programAND toESTABLISHING completeA thePILOT post-secondaryPROGRAM educationTO program,PROVIDE asFINANCIAL longASSISTANCE asFOR heTHE orPOSTSECONDARY sheEDUCATION continuesOF toADOPTED meetYOUTH. DCF- established requirements.

UnderSUMMARY This bill (1) increases the bill,age aof “post-secondaryeligibility educationfor program”the isDepartment anyof Children and Families’ (DCF) postsecondary education funding program thatfor leadsyouth who are committed to anDCF academicand degree(2) orrequires certificationthe indepartment ato vocationamend orits employmentrules training.and regulations to reflect these increases.

Additionally, the bill requires DCF, by January 1, 2024, to establish a pilot program to provide financial assistance for the postsecondary education funding of any youth adopted in Connecticut through anout- of-state foster care program.

It appropriates $150,000 to DCF from the General Fund in FY 24 to administer the program.

July 1, 2023 sHB6563DCF /POSTSECONDARY FileEDUCATION No.FUNDING PROGRAM Under the bill, the “postsecondary education funding program” is DCF’s program that provides funding to youths who remain committed to DCF at age 18 and meet the requirements in the department’s policies and regulations (DCF policy 28-1).

85The 4bill sHB6563increases, Filefrom No.21 to 26, the age until which a youth can qualify for postsecondary education funding.