AB 155 — Revises provisions governing the eligibility requirements for grants awarded under the Silver State Opportunity Grant Program. (BDR 34-674)

EXEMPTAssembly (ReprintedBill withNo. amendments adopted on May 30, 2019) SECOND REPRINT A.B.

155155–Assemblymen ATorres, SSEMBLYMcCurdy, BAssefa, ILLNeal, NBilbray-Axelrod; O.

155–ABackus, SSEMBLYMENBenitez-Thompson, TORRESCohen, ,Duran, MFlores, CCURDYFrierson, ,Fumo, AGorelow, SSEFA,Jauregui, NMartinez, EAL,Miller, BMonroe-Moreno, ILBRAY-AMunk, XELRODNguyen ;and Swank CHAPTER..........

B ACKUS , BENITEZ- T HOMPSON , COHEN , DURAN , FLORES , FRIERSON, FUMO , G ORELOW , JAUREGUI , M ARTINEZ, M ILLER, M ONROE - M ORENO , MUNK , GUYEN AND S WANK FEBRUARY 15, 2019 ____________ Referred to Committee on Education SUMMARY—Revises provisions governing the eligibility requirements for grants awarded under the Silver State Opportunity Grant Program.

(BDR 34-674) FISCAL NOTE:

Effect on Local Government:

No.

Effect on the State:

No.

~ EXPLANATION – Matter in bolded italics is new;

matter between brackets [omitted material] is material to be omitted.

LegislativeLegExisting Counsel’slaw Digest:creates the Silver State Opportunity Grant Program.

ExistingUnder lawthe createsProgram, the SilverBoard Stateof OpportunityRegents Grantof Program.the University of Nevada is required to award grants to eligible students to pay for a portion of the cost of education at a community college or state college that is part of the Nevada System of Higher Education.

UnderOne theof Program, the Boardrequirements offor Regentseligibility offor thesuch Universitya ofgrant Nevada is requiredthat toa awardstudent at a community college or state college that is part of the Nevada System of HigherHigherurs Education.

One(NRS of396.952) theSection requirements1 forof eligibilitythis forbill suchreduces athe grantminimum isnumber thatof asuch studentrequired becredit enrolled,hours orto accepted12 tocredit behours enrolled,and duringprovides that a semesterstudent who is enrolled in atfewer leastthan 1512 credit hours atis astill communityeligible collegefor ora stategrant collegeif thatthe student is partenrolled ofin thehis Nevadaor Systemher offinal Highersemester Education.of study.

(NRS 396.952) Section 13 of this bill reducesmakes the minimum number of such required credit hours to 12 credit hours and provides that a student who is enrolled in fewer than 12 credit hours is still eligible for a grant if the student is conforming changes.herchanges. final semester of study.

Section 3 of this bill makes Section 2 of this bill prescribes the order of priority in which grants must be awarded, which is based on the number of credit hours in which the student isisst -be *AB155_R2* – 2 – enrolled, or accepted to be enrolled, and whether the student is enrolled, or accepted to be enrolled, in the final semester of a program of study.

EXPLANATION – Matter in bolded italics is new;

matter between brackets [omitted material] is material to be omitted.

In administering the Program, the Board of Regents shall for each semester, subject to the limits of money available for this purpose, award a grant to each eligible student to pay for a portion of- the80th costSession of(2019) education– 2 – within the System.cation at a community college or state college within4. the System.

4.

and (e) Complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid provided for by 20 U.S.C.

§ 1090.1090.ion for Federal Student Aid 5.

5.

The maximum amount of such a grant must not exceed the amount equal to the cost of education of the - *AB155_R2* – 3 – student minus the amounts determined for the student contribution, family contribution and federal contribution to the cost of education of the student.

(b) Determine the actual amount of the grant which will be awarded to each student, which amount must not exceed the maximum amount calculated pursuant to paragraph (a), but which may be in a lesser amount if the Board of Regents or a designee thereof, as applicable, determines that the amount of money available for all grants for any semester is insufficient to award to all eligible students in a category prescribed in subsection 2 the maximum amount of the grant which each student is eligible to receive.

[(c) Award] 2.- 80th Session (2019) – 3 – [each eligible student] eligible students a grant in the amountto determined pursuant to paragraph (b) [.

The Board of Regents or a designee thereof shall award to [each eligible student] eligible students a grant in the amount determined pursuant to paragraph (b) [.

Money received from a grant awarded under the Program must be used by a student only to pay for the cost of education of the student at a community college or state college within the System and not for any other purpose.

state college within the Sec.

- *AB155_R2* – 4 – (3) The maximum amount of the grant for which a student is eligible.eli(c) Shall adopt regulations prescribing the process by which each student may meet the credit-hour requirement described in [paragraph (a) of subsection 4 of] NRS 396.952 for eligibility for a grant awarded under the Program.

(c) Shall adopt regulations prescribing the process by which each student may meet the credit-hour requirement described in [paragraph (a) of subsection 4 of] NRS 396.952 for eligibility for a grant awarded under the Program.

- 80th Session (2019) – 4 – (a) In determining the student contribution to the cost of education, the student contribution must not exceed the amount that the Board of Regents determines the student reasonably could bethatbe expected to earn from employment during the time the student is enrolled at a community college or state college within the System, including, without limitation, during breaks between semesters.

H~~~~~ 19 - *AB155_R2*80th Session (2019)