SB 204 — AN ACT EXPANDING THE DEBT-FREE COMMUNITY COLLEGE PROGRAM AND NAMING THE GRANTS AFTER MARY ANN HANDLEY.

General Assembly SubstituteRaised Bill No.

204 February Session, 2024 ANLCO ACTNo. EXPANDING THE DEBT-FREE COMMUNITY COLLEGE PROGRAM AND NAMING THE GRANTS AFTER MARY ANN HANDLEY.

611 Referred to Committee on HIGHER EDUCATION AND EMPLOYMENT ADVANCEMENT Introduced by:

(HED) AN ACT EXPANDING THE DEBT-FREE COMMUNITY COLLEGE PROGRAM AND NAMING THE AWARDS AFTER MARY ANN HANDLEY.

(1) ["Award"]"Award" "Grant" means the greater of:

(A) The unpaid portion, if any, of a qualifying student's eligible institutional costs after subtracting his or her financial aid, or (B) a minimum [award]award grant of two hundred fifty dollars for a full-time student or one hundred fifty dollars for a part-time student;

(2) "Eligible institutional costs" means the tuition and required fees incurred each semester by an individual student that are established by the Board of Regents for Higher Education for the regional community- technicalLCO colleges;No.

611 1 of 4 Raised Bill No.204 technical colleges;

LCO"Financial \\PRDFS1\SCOUSERS\FORZANOF\WS\2024SB-00204-R01aid" ofdoes 4not SB.docxinclude Substituteany Billfederal, No.state or private student loans received by a qualifying student;

204 "Financial aid" does not include any federal, state or private student loans received by a qualifying student;

(b) The Board of Regents for Higher Education shall (1) establish a debt-free community college program to make [awards]awards grants to qualifying students each semester, (2) adopt rules, procedures and forms necessary to implement the debt-free community college program, and (3) submit a report outlining such rules, procedures and forms, in accordance with theLCO provisionsNo. of section 11-4a, to the joint standing committee of the General Assembly having cognizance of matters relating to higher education.

Grants611 made2 of 4 Raised Bill No.204 the provisions of section 11-4a, to eligiblethe studentsjoint LCOstanding {\\PRDFS1\SCOUSERS\FORZANOF\WS\2024SB-00202committee of 4the R01-SB.docxGeneral }Assembly Substitutehaving Billcognizance No.of matters relating to higher education.

204Awards made to eligible students pursuant to the debt-free community college program shall be designated as the "Mary Ann Handley Grant".Award".

(c) For the fall semester of 2020, and each semester thereafter, the Board of Regents for Higher Education shall make [awards]awards grants to qualifying students within available appropriations.

[AnAn award]award A grant shall be available to a qualifying student for the first seventy-two credit hours earned by the qualifying student at a regional community-community-technical technical college, provided the qualifying student meets and continues to meet the requirements of this section.

The board shall not use [anan award]award a grant to supplant any financial aid, including, but not limited to, state or institutional aid, otherwise available to a qualifying student.

(d) Not later than [March 1, 2021, and October 1, 2021] November 1, 2024, and March 1, 2025, and each semester thereafter, the Board of Regents for Higher Education shall report, in accordance with the provisions of section 11-4a, to the joint standing committees of the General Assembly having cognizance of matters relating to higher education and employment advancement and appropriations and the budgets of the state agencies regarding the debt-free community college program, including, but not limited to, (1) the number of qualifying students enrolled at the regional community-technical colleges during each semester, (2) the number of qualifying students receiving minimum [awards]awards grants and the number of qualifying students receiving [awards]awards grants for the unpaid portion of eligible institutional costs, (3) the average number of credit hours the qualifying students enrolled in each semester and the average number of credit hours the qualifying students completed each semester, (4) the average amount of the [award]award grant made to qualifying students under this section for the unpaid portion of eligible institutional costs, and (5) the completion rates of qualifying students receiving [awards]awards grants under this section by degree or certificate program.

ThisLCO actNo. shall take effect as follows and shall amend the following sections:

LCO611 {\\PRDFS1\SCOUSERS\FORZANOF\WS\2024SB-002033 of 4 R01-SB.docxRaised } Substitute Bill No.

204 SectionThis 1act Julyshall 1,take 2024effect 10a-174as HEDfollows Jointand Favorableshall Subst.amend the following sections:

C/RSection APP1 {\\PRDFS1\SCOUSERS\FORZANOF\WS\2024SB-00204-July LCO1, R01-SB.docx2024 }10a-174 4Statement of 4Purpose:

To expand the debt-free community college program to out-of-state high school graduates, name the awards granted under the program after Mary Ann Handley and change the reporting deadlines from March first and October first to November first and March first.

[Proposed deletions are enclosed in brackets.

Proposed additions are indicated by underline, except that when the entire text of a bill or resolution or a section of a bill or resolution is new, it is not underlined.] LCO No.

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